Amazon is partnering with the US government’s counterfeit watchdog as it ramps up efforts to tackle the prevalence of fake goods on its platform.
The retailer has partnered with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Centre, a task force set up by the Department of Homeland Security to “analyse data and conduct targeted inspections aimed at preventing counterfeit products from entering the US”.
It is understood that the initiative, dubbed “Operation Fulfilled Action”, will be led by Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit which was launched in June in response to growing pressure to crack down on fake goods being sold on its third party marketplace.
READ MORE: Amazon launches ‘Counterfeit Crimes Unit’ in major crackdown of fraudulent sellers
Any evidence collected by the team, made up of former federal prosecutors, investigators and data analysts, will be used to advance ongoing investigations into bad actors on its marketplace.
While Amazon has launched various initiatives, pursued counterfeiters in court and blocked millions of suspected bad actors, it has struggled to stamp out counterfeit goods on its vast marketplace which now accounts for over two thirds of its sales.
This has seen Amazon draw the ire of the Trump administration which promised to tackle the “Wild West of counterfeiting and trafficking” on websites like Amazon.
It has also seen major brands like Nike cut ties with Amazon due to a spike in counterfeit goods being sold on its platform.
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