Fred Rocafort, a former U.S. diplomat who has worked on IP issues in Asia for over a decade, tells Inverse that it will be very difficult for Amazon to root out counterfeiters.
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"It is hard, and there's only so much a company like Amazon can do on its own," Rocafort says. "In order for the Amazons of this world to tackle these issues, they really need a lot of cooperation from the brands that are being affected."
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Rocafort says some counterfeits are so good that the brands being counterfeited can't even tell if they're fake or not.
He says he's seen counterfeit clothing that was indiscernible from the real thing.
Counterfeiting is a "massive problem," Rocafort says, but the situation is getting a bit better in the United States as more people become aware of it and more brands fight back.
"The overall trend is one of improvement," Rocafort says.
We decided to take a look at five of the most counterfeited products on Amazon
Over $618 million worth of counterfeit watches and jewelry were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2018. Cartier love bracelets are especially common counterfeits.
Hermès Handbags
In 2018, CBP seized over $226 million worth of counterfeit handbags and wallets. Hermès handbags are some of the most counterfeited items you'll come across.