E-commerce has significantly improved the way consumers buy goods, allowing for more choice and convenience, but bad actors can exploit online marketplaces—e-commerce platforms that allow for third-party sellers—to introduce counterfeit goods that can threaten public health, safety, and national security, as well as cause economic harm to legitimate businesses and their workers. To address this problem, policymakers in both the United States and the European Union have worked with the private sector to identify best practices to combat the sale of counterfeit goods.
As policymakers worldwide explore new anti-counterfeiting measures in their regions, a consensus is emerging in the United States and the EU on best practices for e-commerce platforms to combat online sales of counterfeit goods. These include:
- Establishing and enforcing policies to protect IP rights;
- Creating notice and takedown procedures;
- Assessing third-party sellers;
- Addressing pervasive counterfeit products proactively;
- Preventing repeat offenders;
- Enabling consumer reporting of counterfeits;
- Providing redress for consumers receiving counterfeits;
- Improving data sharing; and
- Assisting law enforcement.
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