Panel SA: Mercado Libre and Tommy Hilfiger action against fake clothing has 14 suspects

MercadoLibre and Tommy Hilfiger advance their first joint action in the Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance series of initiatives, launched last year, to combat the online trade in counterfeit goods.

So far, according to Mercado Livre, with the support of the authorities, counterfeit products of the brand have already been seized, resulting in the investigation of 14 suspects involved in the sale.

Also according to the company, the investigations conducted by the authorities involve three different groups that operate in the capital of São Paulo and in Mogi das Cruzes (SP).

The collaboration initiative brings together 11 brands today. According to Mercado Livre, the main efforts include the removal of ads through technology and based on complaints from companies that participate in the program, in addition to collaboration with authorities and public security agents, joint lawsuits against offenders who use the platform to selling counterfeit or pirated products and providing guidance on best practices to site users.

“The investigated users were reported for offering counterfeit products that infringed both Tommy Hilfiger’s trademark rights and Mercado Libre’s ‘Terms and Conditions of Use’, allowing their accounts to be disqualified pending the conclusion of the investigations”, says the platform.

Last year, bodies such as Procon and Anatel increased scrutiny on Mercado Livre and other sites because of the sale of illicit products by third parties on the platforms.

Joana Cunha with Paulo Ricardo Martins and Diego Felix