Amazon is continuing its fight against counterfeit products, as demonstrated in its latest Brand Protection Report. The e-commerce giant stated that it proactively blocked 99 percent of potentially infringing listings before brands even had to identify them.
In 2024, Amazon identified and disposed of more than 15 million counterfeit products worldwide, preventing potential harm to consumers and halting their resale on other platforms. The company uses artificial intelligence and other technologies to monitor its platform for similarities to a brand’s logo, trademarks, and names. If a listing undergoes repeated significant changes, such as in photos or item names, the system flags it.
The company’s efforts include a variety of tools and partnerships that Amazon has developed in recent years. According to Amazon, its efforts have paid off. In 2024, it caught 99 percent of potentially infringing listings before brands ever had to remove them. The company has seen increasing interest and involvement in its counterfeit-related programs, which include participants from various industries, including fashion, apparel, and footwear—sectors that have been especially affected by counterfeiting.
Zach Toczyński, senior director of global brand protection for Levi Strauss & Co., noted the company’s “long-term partnership” with Amazon in brand protection helps protect the various brands under its umbrella. “We commend Amazon for their dedication and the excellent results we’ve achieved together. This partnership is a key component of our global brand protection strategy, and we look forward to continuing our work together in the years to come,” Toczyński said.
Data from 2024, provided by Corsearch, estimated that counterfeit activity accounted for 3.3 percent of all global trade in 2023. The projection is that this will increase to 5 percent by 2030. Brands and retailers are actively combating counterfeiting. Many have filed lawsuits against counterfeit sellers on various marketplaces. The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), along with other industry groups, pushed President Donald Trump to address counterfeit items within his first 100 days in office.
Amazon has focused on preventing counterfeits through its own initiatives. In 2020, Amazon launched its Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU), which brings together private industry, customs agencies, law enforcement, and more to take action against bad actors on Amazon. Since its launch, the CCU has taken legal action against or referred more than 24,000 bad actors to law enforcement, according to Amazon.
Last year, the CCU increased its collaboration with Chinese law enforcement agencies and brands, which Amazon reported correlated to over 60 raids. These identified over 100 bad actors. “This collaboration resulted in numerous criminal convictions, including fines and prison sentences,” the Amazon report stated. The company also worked with U.S. and Japanese customs, preventing at least 90,000 counterfeit items from reaching their destinations.
While acknowledging that more work remains to be done, Dharmesh M. Mehta, vice president of worldwide selling partner services for Amazon, expressed enthusiasm about the company’s achievements.“We understand that customer trust is difficult to earn and easy to lose, which is why trust is at the foundation of the relationships we build and the products and services we invent on behalf of our customers, brands, and selling partners,” Mehta said. “We are proud of the progress we have made in preventing counterfeits within the Amazon store. This has required significant innovation and perseverance, and it would not be possible without the partnerships we have been able to build with brands, associations, policymakers, law enforcement, and others. While we believe we have made a great deal of progress, we remain committed to continued innovation and progress, and we will not rest until we drive counterfeits to zero.”
