Foreign Publishers, Taobao Team Up to Fight Infringements

11 September 2012

The Foreign Publisher Copyright Protection Union (FPCPU), an organization of 10 foreign publishers, and Taobao, a Chinese online e-commerce site operator, have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Beijing committing them to comprehensive cooperation in relation to IP protection in the e-commerce environment, including joint monitoring of the e-platform for possible infringements, according to a report translated by Rouse and reported in its China IP Express publication.

“There is still a long way to go, but the memo reflects both parties’ intention to cooperate and their determination to fight infringements in the e-commerce environment”, said Mr Zhang, chairman of the FPCPU, said.

Yu Siying, vice president of Alibaba, Taobao’s parent company, said this is an unprecedented move in relation to intellectual property rights protection in the world of e-commerce. Taobao has developed a complete set of effective protection mechanisms and a clear strategy for the identification and punishment of infringing acts. Taobao aims to create a healthier e-commerce platform by enhancing its cooperation with related parties, the firm reported.

Reportedly, the project started in the second half of 2010. Taobao, relying on the resources of both parties, has conducted an inspection of a range of matters including database access, paper downloads, and both e-books and hardcopy books. A total of 997 pieces of infringing goods have been removed from the platform, with 411 punishments imposed on sellers.

FPCPU members include Reed Elsevier Information Technology (Beijing), John Wiley & Sons, Springer Asia, Oxford University Press, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and IOP.

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