Working Together to Protect IP

Effective intellectual property (IP) protection combines diverse expertise and capabilities, and we have seen success with such collaborations. For example, when customs officials in the UK identified suspicious activity of a bad actor attempting to sell counterfeit LEGO sets, Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit collaborated with the LEGO Group’s IP and legal teams in Europe and China to refer the case to law enforcement in China.

This action helped the police department uncover a network of live streamers, sellers, wholesalers, and factories attempting to create and distribute copycat and counterfeit products. Through this collaboration, law enforcement conducted successful raid actions at multiple sites in southern China, detaining 45 suspects and seizing more than 60,000 copycats, and 390 infringing molds, which effectively disrupted major counterfeiting networks.

This success demonstrates the impact that combining diverse expertise can bring. Rights holders contribute deep knowledge of their products and markets, law enforcement brings investigative capabilities, regulatory bodies provide the legal framework, and private entities offer technological innovations and resources.

At the same time, regional and international patent and trademark offices, such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) help foster cooperation and establish protocols for coordinated enforcement actions across borders.

Technology That Makes a Difference

As part of this cross-sector, multi-pronged approach, Amazon continues to invest in comprehensive brand protection tools that combine advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, with human expertise to protect brands and customers at scale.

Our core brand protection services, including Brand Registry, Transparency, Project Zero, and IP Accelerator, help brands secure their IP and automate the detection of counterfeits in our store.

For example, multimodal large language models (MLLMs) analyze multiple signals simultaneously—from text to images to pricing patterns— to catch even subtle attempts at deception.

These technological advancements deliver impressive results: in 2024, proactive controls in the Amazon store blocked more than 99 percent of suspected infringing listings before they reached customers or before brands needed to report them.

However, technology alone isn't the answer. In 2024, Amazon invested more than a billion dollars and employed thousands of people—including machine learning scientists, software developers, and expert investigators—who work to protect customers, brands, selling partners, and our store from counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse.

This human expertise, combined with technological tools, creates a robust defense against bad actors.

Educating Tomorrow's Consumers

Consumer awareness and engagement also play a crucial role in IP protection.

In 2024, Amazon collaborated with INDICAM, The Italian Association for the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, to create the “Challenge the Fake” program for over 600 students at H-FARM College. This initiative helped young consumers develop communication campaigns to tackle counterfeit sales and promote IP protection.

Similarly, collaborations with organizations like INTA have created programs such as the Unreal Campaign Challenge, where global DECA members produce public service announcements about the dangers of purchasing counterfeits.

These efforts help build a more informed consumer base that understands the risks associated with counterfeit goods and the importance of supporting authentic products.

Building Tomorrow's Solutions

The future of trademark protection depends on continued innovation and collaboration. At gatherings like this year's INTA Annual Meeting, we have the opportunity to listen to brands, learn from their experiences, and understand how we can better work together. Every insight shared helps us refine our approach and strengthen our collective impact.

While we're encouraged by recent progress in protecting IP, we know there's more to learn and do. The most effective solutions come from listening to brands' needs, understanding their challenges, and combining their expertise with technological innovation. This collaborative approach has shaped everything from our detection systems to our enforcement strategies.

We're grateful for the insights and partnerships that have helped prevent counterfeits within the Amazon store. Every success story represents countless conversations with brands, associations, policymakers, and law enforcement—each one teaching us something new about how to better protect IP.

As we look ahead, we will continue to listen, learn, and work together toward our shared goal of driving counterfeits to zero.