Internet trading
BMW and Amazon successfully sue against brand piracy
Amazon discovered the suspicious activity using advanced machine learning technologies and worked with BMW Group to confirm that the products in question were counterfeits. photo
© Holger Hollemann/dpa
The trade in pirated copies causes great economic damage and the counterfeit products are often dangerous. Amazon and BMW have now taken joint action against fraudsters.
It is the first success in court of this kind in Spain achieved by Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) and the BMW Group. The fraudsters convicted in the civil case broke the law, violated Amazon’s policies and disrespected the BMW Group’s registered trademarks by attempting to sell counterfeit products such as valve caps, emblems and key rings. They even submitted fake certificates of origin.
Amazon discovered the suspicious activity using advanced machine learning technologies and worked with BMW Group to confirm that the products in question were counterfeits. Amazon then blocked the defendant’s sales accounts, removed the offers associated with the case and compensated the affected customers on its own initiative.
Manufacturers lose sales of 16 billion euros
Figures from the EU Intellectual Property Agency (EUIPO/Alicante) from January show how serious the economic consequences of product piracy are. According to this, European manufacturers of clothing, cosmetics and toys lose annual sales of around 16 billion euros due to counterfeit goods. In addition, around 200,000 jobs were lost due to such fraud. An important distribution channel for such goods is online trading.
Amazon emphasized that it was taking the problem very seriously. “Amazon has zero tolerance for counterfeit products and will lead the fight against counterfeiters wherever they operate,” said Kebharu Smith, head of CCU. Jochen Volkmer, head of the legal department for trademark, design law and intellectual property at the BMW Group, added that when both companies combine their skills to identify and combat counterfeits, it is very successful.