Gmarket fights back against counterfeit goods

Gmarket, one of the nation’s leading online shopping malls, has rolled up its sleeves to combat counterfeit goods, the company announced at a meeting yesterday.
With the launch of its Brand Protection Program, Gmarket teams up with 20 famous domestic and international brands like Nike, Gucci and Chanel.
Such companies often find knockoff versions of their products rampantly sold in online shopping malls. Shopping sites have become widely regarded as a hotbed for counterfeit sales.
Under the BPP, if an official from Nike, for example, discovers a fake version of its goods on Gmarket, the company can report the offending items to the online shopping mall’s headquarters.
Then the retailer selling the fake goods will be barred from running an online shop on Gmarket.
The BPP will operate on a membership basis, and Gmarket expects more brands will join in order to protect their intellectual property rights.
Gmarket officials also expect the BPP will protect shoppers’ rights because many online shoppers have been deceived by counterfeit goods.

By Sung So-young Staff Reporter [so@joongang.co.kr]