Amazon will now report counterfeits to law enforcement on the first strike
The company has come increasingly under fire for letting knockoffs thrive on its platform.
Amazon is calling on law enforcement to help with its out-of-control counterfeit problem. The company announced its plans to report merchants to law enforcement every time it detects a counterfeit, according to Reuters.
Previously, Amazon would only inform authorities if enough evidence was identified to pursue a guilty merchant.
Once a merchant is confirmed to be selling counterfeits, that account will be closed. If the account holder doesn't make an appeal, Amazon will then reportedly send the merchant's name, company name, product, and contact information to law enforcement.
The move follows massive public scrutiny by Congress over the issue and broken ties with former partners such as PopSockets, Nike, and Birkenstock. Cartier bracelets, Hermes bags, Paul Mitchell and Redkin shampoo, Levi's jeans and Apple chargers are now reportedly among the top five counterfeit products sold on Amazon.
Making sense of it all — Amazon seems to be covering its own tail with this latest news. Counterfeits and fake copies have been a huge problem on the platform for years, so the question is — why now? Perhaps after exits from some of the biggest brand names, Amazon is facing the harsh reality that it can only go down from here.
