UK publishes IP guide for e-commerce stores

The UK’s Intellectual Property Office has published guidance to help brand owners protect their IP on Alibaba, Amazon, eBay and Facebook marketplace.

The new guidance has been published in response to the rapid growth in e-commerce over the last decade, according to the IPO. While almost all e-commerce taking place on these stores is legitimate, it says, the platforms “can also be abused by those seeking to sell and distribute counterfeit and pirated goods.

”The guidance covers the tools offered to rights holders to report and remove infringing listings to protect their brands, including Alibaba’s Intellectual Property Group Platform (IPP), Amazon’s Brand Registry, Project Zero and Transparency services, eBay’s Verified Rights Owners (VeRO) programme and Facebook’s Rights Manager.