Alibaba says it wages war on fakes

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said it has tightened policies against copyright infringements and made it easier for brands to issue complaints and request removal of counterfeit items on its platforms.

China's biggest e-commerce company took down 380 million product listings and closed about 180,000 Taobao stores in the 12 months to August, according to an Oct 7 letter the company submitted to the US Trade Representative. It has also closed about 675 production, storage, or sales operations of counterfeit products, it added.

The efforts seek to address repeated complaints Alibaba has received from associations which criticize it for not taking enough proactive measures to fight counterfeits. As Alibaba seeks to bring in more than half its revenue from overseas, shaking off a reputation as a haven for knockoffs and winning the trust of foreign brands will be a key to expansion outside of China.