LVMH and Rakuten go to War Against Fakes 27/9/10

LVMH and Rakuten Inc. have just signed a deal to band together in the fight against brand terrorism. As Japan’s biggest online retailer expands into Europe, Rakuten have developed a system that will flag and notify the real brand owners when fake items are sold on the site. It’s an online shopping service similar to Amazon.com, in that it connects consumers with small-scale vendors. We love that they are taking the initiative to ensure that the vendors being connected are legitimate ones only. This will be an enormous deterrent to counterfeiters, who generally like to evade responsibility for the fakes they peddle. By making vendors accountable for their product, it makes life very difficult for the frauds.

Luxury brands have certainly clashed with online retailers as of late- see ebay Vs Tiffany & Co. Brands are increasingly furious that online retailers facilitate the sale of fake goods, and that counterfeits are able to be sold anonymously with no apparent repercussions. Hopefully this move will set a precedent that will see stronger safeguards towards patent protection. It’s a great first step towards protecting the future of the brands we love.

Image credit:sexyradio.fm

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