Amazon Leverages AI To Block Counterfeits, Secures Brand Trust

Amazon revealed in its 2024 Brand Protection Report that it identified, seized, and disposed of over 15 million counterfeit products globally last year, effectively preventing these items from harming customers or being sold elsewhere. The report emphasised the company's extensive use of artificial intelligence to combat counterfeit goods.

In 2024, Amazon invested over a billion dollars and employed thousands of professionals, including machine learning scientists, software developers, and expert investigators, all focused on safeguarding customers, brands, selling partners, and its store from counterfeiting, fraud, and other forms of misuse.

The investment in AI has significantly enhanced Amazon's proactive measures, enabling the automation and scaling of systems for intellectual property protection and counterfeit detection. According to the report, these controls blocked over 99% of suspected infringing listings before brands had to identify and report them.

Despite the continuous growth of products available on its platform, the report also noted a 35% reduction in valid infringement notices submitted by brands compared to the previous year.

"Since its launch in 2020, Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued more than 24,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement. In 2024, Amazon identified, seized, and appropriately disposed of more than 15 million counterfeit products worldwide, preventing them from harming customers or being resold elsewhere in the retail supply chain," it said.

Over 2.5 billion product units have been verified as genuine through Amazon's Transparency programme, and it has enrolled 88,000 brands worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies, global brands, startups, and small businesses.

Kebharu Smith, Director and Associate General Counsel, Amazon, noted that the company sees India as a critical market and accords top priority to protecting customers and sellers from counterfeit products here.

"And so, we're using some of our brand protection programmes including our brand registry, our transparency and Project Zero, to help brands safeguard their IP and remove counterfeit listings," he said.

Smith further said that the success in blocking 99% of suspected infringing listings before the brands could find and report them, is a critical outcome not just for India but globally.

"We have increased engagement with Indian industry bodies to conduct capacity building workshops across the country. We've increased consumer safety messaging as we see it as a shared responsibility and an industry-wide concern," Smith said.

(With PTI Inputs)