Amazon Announces 3 Actions Taken Against Counterfeiters

Amazon announced actions taken against three groups of counterfeiters operating on its platform.

In one action, the company’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) filed a lawsuit targeting what it called a “massive” trademark fraud scheme, Amazon said in a Monday (Nov. 24) update.

The company’s legal action is aimed at individuals and companies based in China and the United States who obtained invalid trademarks from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and used them to improperly access the Amazon Brand Registry, per the update.

With access to that suite of brand-building tools and protection benefits, the defendants filed false infringement notices against other sellers to remove those sellers’ product listings, according to the update.

“This lawsuit demonstrates our ongoing commitment to stopping those who attempt to abuse our brand protection tools through deceptive practices,” Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon’s CCU, said in the update. “This case shows how we are working to protect both our sellers and customers from those who try to gain unfair advantages in our store.”

Amazon also said in the update that it filed a joint lawsuit with L’Oréal USA. In this lawsuit, the companies allege that the defendants illegally marketed and sold counterfeit CeraVe-branded skincare products on Amazon’s platform.

The retailer blocked the selling accounts and issued refunds to customers after L’Oréal verified that the products were counterfeit, according to the update.

“Following an extensive investigation, we joined forces with Amazon to identify and dismantle a group responsible for selling counterfeit CeraVe products to unsuspecting shoppers,” Thomas Barden, senior vice president, head of corporate security and brand protection at L’Oréal USA, said in the update. “We value Amazon’s partnership and remain relentless in our efforts to protect consumers and eliminate counterfeit products wherever they emerge.”

In a third action announced Monday, Amazon’s CCU and Nintendo led an investigation that led to the disruption of a counterfeiting ring that operated fraudulent Amazon seller accounts and sold counterfeit Nintendo-branded products, per the update.

The companies shared this information with law enforcement, who seized counterfeit products and arrested two individuals, according to the update.

Amazon said in March that in 2024, it identified, seized and disposed of more than 15 million counterfeit products.

The company also said that since the launch of its CCU in 2020, it has worked with brands and law enforcement on legal actions taken against more than 24,000 fraudsters.

PYMNTS reported in May 2024 that a rise in the industrialization and scale of online crimes is happening against a backdrop where more and more businesses are embracing online sales channels.