Tencent Opposes US Fake Goods Label for WeChat

Chinese tech large Tencent stated Friday it strongly disagreed with a US determination so as to add its WeChat app to a authorities record of “notorious” markets identified for commerce in counterfeit items.

WeChat and e-commerce website AliExpress had been amongst these placed on the record by the US Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday spotlighting markets Washington says “engage in, facilitate, turn a blind eye to, or benefit from substantial piracy or counterfeiting”.

The 2021 Notorious Markets List flagged 42 on-line markets and 35 bodily markets globally, together with different internet platforms comparable to China’s Baidu Wangpan.

“We strongly disagree with the decision made by the USTR,” Tencent stated in response, including that the corporate was dedicated to working to resolve the itemizing.

WeChat, a ubiquitous platform in China, had greater than 1.2 billion lively customers world wide in 2021 and Tencent added that it takes a “comprehensive approach” to combating counterfeiting and infringement on its platforms.

The Chinese commerce ministry stated the US determination was based mostly on “neither conclusive evidence nor sufficient proof, and is irresponsible and not objective.”

In an announcement it stated China didn’t “recognise the conclusions of the report” and that the nation had made “continuous improvements” in its mental property safety system in recent times.

E-commerce titan Alibaba, which owns AliExpress, didn’t reply to AFP requests for remark.

The USTR stated WeChat is “viewed as one of the largest platforms for counterfeit goods in China”, citing “weaknesses” in its vendor vetting and gentle punishments towards offenders.

It added that there was a “significant increase” in faux items offered on AliExpress.

China “continues to be the number one source of counterfeit products in the world”, the USTR stated.