Apparel November 2019 Apparel November 2019 issue | Page 93

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
of their inherent illegal nature. In order to sustain a
counterfeit apparel trade, the dark businesses at
the heart of these goods give rise to myriad other
crimes. In order for these products to reach the
global market, pirates have to employ complex
and dangerous methods to ensure success. The
routing and logistics of these goods alone leads
to a number of crimes, from the falsification
of official documents to the oppression of
cheap labour.
THE CHALLENGE OF RESISTING
Given the complex and hidden nature of their
operations, tracking down and extinguishing
counterfeiters is an uphill task. The decision to
enact strict customs inspections and verify a long
paper trail has made it even harder. Moreover,
in the modern direct-to-consumer era, these
illicit sellers are able to target customers via
the internet and social media. Along with these
channels, the rise of vast e-commerce platforms
has also made it easy for anyone to sell anything
online with little oversight.
In fact, it was as recently as October 2019
that even Amazon came under the cross hairs of
industry watchdogs in the United States (US)—
its largest market. The world’s largest online
retailer was targeted by the American Apparel &
Footwear Association due to its role in facilitating
a counterfeit problem. The AAFA represents over
1,000 brands who collectively petitioned the
Office of the United States Trade Representative
against Amazon’s e-commerce platforms in
France and India. The trade body categorises
these regional Amazon websites as ‘Notorious
Markets’ as they are a major retailing source for
fake goods. These two websites were added
to its already-growing list, which also includes
Amazon sites in the United Kingdom, Germany,
and Canada.
TRACKING DOWN
AND EXTINGUISHING
COUNTERFEITERS IS AN
UPHILL TASK.
In today’s digital-retailing era, the theft of
everything—from goods to ideas—has become
increasingly easy; thanks to the accessibility
and wider reach our time commands. In such a
situation, the influence of Amazon and its sales
channels makes it a powerful tool in the hands
of apparel pirates. The AAFA states that the rise
in Amazon-based counterfeits has been a direct
result of the company opening up its marketplace
to third-party sellers on a global level. Due to this
open access, the stream of fake goods has found
an easy means to seek out new customers. In
most cases, these customers are unaware of the
risks posed and end up spending money on fake
and used goods. And while Amazon continues
to claim that it is devoting efforts to tackling
this issue, brand retailers are finding the results
APPAREL
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