[IP Practice Online] A surge during COVID-19! Online sales of counterfeits in Asia: Current situation and countermeasures (Patent attorney Tsuyoshi Masutani)
Article information
Article type: Lectures and videos
Categories: China / Other foreign jurisdictions
Topics: Border enforcement
First published on this website: 2026-10-07
Display and classification checked: 2026-10-07
[IP Practice Online] A surge during COVID-19! Online sales of counterfeits in Asia: Current situation and countermeasures (Patent attorney Tsuyoshi Masutani)
Counterfeit sales have become a global business through cross-border e-commerce, rapidly expanding from a market previously centered on China to Southeast Asia and India.
The counterfeit business is becoming more sophisticated and higher in quality.
Impersonation sales using photographs of genuine stores without permission, fabricated consumer reviews, and similar practices are widespread, and platforms' enforcement efforts are reaching their limits.
The prevalence of small-consignment shipping through delivery services also makes infringement harder for brand owners to detect.
The quality of counterfeit products is improving, and manufacturing is speeding up. Copies of the latest products appear on the market almost simultaneously with their launch.
There are also cases involving the outflow of technology or personnel from authorized local factories, or former local agents participating in counterfeit production.
Bad-faith trademark registrations, in which third parties improperly register well-known Japanese trademarks locally, are also a serious problem, particularly in Indonesia and Vietnam.
In China, social networks such as WeChat offer powerful anti-counterfeiting functions for brand owners.
Brand owners can view complaints from other users, including photographs and purchase-location information, and use them to understand infringement across China and gather evidence.
In Southeast Asia, major e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee, as well as Facebook, have simplified their takedown-request processes.
In Thailand and Vietnam, it is possible to communicate directly with police and Customs personnel through social networks such as LINE.
Customs officers send photographs of suspected counterfeit goods through LINE; brand owners assess authenticity, allowing Customs clearance to be stopped immediately.
https://lnkd.in/g4KyG3FN
Original article (2025-11-25):
https://lnkd.in/gAK3u3xW
Update history
Content changes and display maintenance are recorded separately.
2026-10-07: First published from the original LinkedIn post; categories, article information, and consultation navigation added.
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