Latest US notorious markets list still excludes domestic sites

Various sites operating outside the US have been included in the latest edition of the list of notorious markets for counterfeiting and privacy, but domestic platforms are missing once again.

Among the bigger names, Amazon’s UK, German, Spanish, French and Italian sites are listed, along with other ex-US e-commerce platforms like Alibaba’s Taobao, DHGate, Pindoduo and SnapDeal.

It’s the second year running that overseas Amazon sites have been included, despite the e-commerce giant’s assertions that this is “a purely political act is another example of the administration using the US government to advance a personal vendetta against Amazon.”

The exclusion of Amazon’s American site as well as other North American platforms like eBay, Wish and Shopify is a perennial criticism of the list, which has historically focused on marketplaces outside of the US.

Meanwhile, US-based social media platforms known to be emerging as a major source of counterfeits – like Facebook and Instagram – are also excluded.

Now, the document suggests some movement on this issue may be forthcoming, as the text highlights growing concern about counterfeit products entering the US through domestic third-party online marketplaces.

“Consumers are often shopping from the safety of their homes through mainstream online markets that provide an aura of authenticity and trust,” says the report.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), which represents around 1,000 brands and says it has experienced “massive spikes” in illicit activity occurring on online marketplaces during the pandemic, is among the groups pressing for the scope of the report to be expanded to include US sites.

It has asked the USTR to broaden the scope of the review process “given the significant role that domestic marketplaces have played in facilitating the sale of counterfeit goods, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

This year’s listing includes 39 online marketplaces and 34 physical markets, and there has been some movement in Amazon’s entry, with its Indian and Canadian sites no longer listed but replaced in this edition with Italy and Spain.

The inclusion of an Issue Focus section of the document discussing the use of e-commerce platforms and other third-party intermediaries to facilitate the importation of counterfeit and pirated goods into the US suggests – at the least – the USTR is considering an expansion of its scope.

The AAFA described the list as “a critical and effective tool in the US government's toolkit to address the sale of counterfeits”, but added: “at the same time, this report alone cannot fix the problem; we need legislation to address the scale and scope of the counterfeits and fraudulent ads.”

The full list of online markets is as follows:

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1FICHIER

AMAZON’S FOREIGN DOMAINS

BAIDU WANGPAN

BESTBUYIPTV

BLUEANGELHOST

BUKALAPAK

CHALOOS

CHOMIKUJ

DHGATE

DYTT8

FLOKINET

FLVTO

FMOVIES

HARAJ

MERCADO LIBRE

MP3JUICES

MPGH

NEWALBUMRELEASES

PELISPLUS

PHIMMOI

PINDUODUO

POPCORNTIME

PRIVATE LAYER

RAPIDGATOR

RARBG

REVENUEHITS

RUTRACKER

SCI-HUB

SEASONVAR

SHABAKATY

SHOPEE

SNAPDEAL

TAOBAO

THEPIRATEBAY

TOKOPEDIA

UPLOADED

VK

WEIDIAN