To Crack Down on Amazon Counterfeits, Retail Trade Groups Formed a New Coalition

More than a dozen retail trade groups joined forces on Friday to launch the Buy Safe America Coalition. Their goal: Force third-party marketplaces to introduce tougher anti-counterfeit measures.

• First up? Backing the INFORM Consumers Act, bipartisan legislation requiring third-party marketplaces to collect, verify, and share more seller information.

When I say third-party marketplace...you definitely think of Amazon. And Amazon’s the presumed target, since claims that shady Amazon sellers ripped off honest shoppers have risen alongside e-commerce this year.

In Amazon’s defense, it has kicked up anti-counterfeit measures—some that overlap with the INFORM Consumers Act’s propositions.

• Amazon is a co-plaintiff with Valentino and KF Beauty in two counterfeit lawsuits.
• This summer, Amazon launched two internal initiatives to clean up its listings: Project Zero, an authentication program, and the Counterfeit Crime Unit, an investigative arm.

My two cents: Coalition or no coalition, counterfeits will exist so long as there are best-selling products to rip off. Improving the elimination process will require more cooperation between retail behemoths and outside enforcement.