AAFA and 17 Organizations Call For Alibaba to Be Listed As a Notorious Market

October 26, 2016  |  WASHINGTON, DC

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), along with 17 additional industry organizations, submitted a letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today, reiterating its request to have Alibaba listed as a notorious market. In a sign of solidarity, the letter was signed by organizations located throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, representing a variety of industries and interests. The letter follows AAFA's rebuttal comments submitted Friday, October 21. 

In the letter to USTR, the organizations point out that Alibaba has not accomplished what was requested in the 2015 Notorious Markets report, namely that the company 1) simplify Taobao's process for rights holders to register and request enforcement action, 2) make Taobao's good faith procedures generally available, and 3) reduce Taobao's timelines for takedowns and issue penalties for counterfeit sellers. Despite numerous public statements from Alibaba executives, there has not been significant progress made in these areas. 

"We take counterfeits very seriously because of the damage it causes our member companies, international workers, and U.S. consumers. To date, Alibaba has not fixed this problem," said Rick Helfenbein, president and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. "Every day we read about Alibaba's continued global expansion. While this is great for their shareholders, we are deeply concerned that they have not been as proactive on counterfeits as they could have been. They have not taken all the necessary steps to prevent, significantly reduce, or totally eliminate the issues that have been raised."

Along with AAFA, the letter to USTR was signed by the following organizations: 

AFL-CIO

Asian Coalition Against Counterfeiting And Piracy (ACACAP)

Asociación para la Defensa de la Marca (ANDEMA)

Auto Care Association

Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP)

Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)

Fashion Accessories Shippers Association (FASA)

Fashion Jewelry & Accessories Trade Association

Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH (FHS)

Istituto di Centromarca per la Lotta Alla Contraffazione (INDICAM)

Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association

Norwegian Anti-Counterfeiting Group (NACG)

Rubber and Plastic Footwear Manufacturers Association

Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)

Trademark Working Group

Travel Goods Association (TGA)

Union des Fabricants (UNIFAB)

AAFA's October 7 submission to USTR can be read here.