Alibaba takes tougher stance against online sale of counterfeit goods

Chinese online retail group’s stricter standards on piracy and fake goods may even surpass those of Amazon and eBay

 

Alibaba is taking a tougher line against counterfeit items sold on its online marketplaces as the Chinese e-commerce group heads towards a US stockmarket listing that could be the world’s biggest technology flotation.

 

Some security experts say the Chinese group’s stricter standards onpiracy and fake goods may even surpass those of Amazon and eBay. In its filing for an initial public offering last week, Alibaba said the perception that its sites are cluttered with counterfeit items could hurt its ability to win over customers, investors and US retail partners. The group, founded by entrepreneur Jack Ma 15 years ago, has stepped up efforts to tackle the counterfeit problem in recent years.