Alibaba.com, the Chinese e-commerce company, is taking steps to protect its users' intellectual property rights.
Alibaba.com is enforcing stricter policies towards the protection of intellectual property and ensuring a safer online trading environment by banning members that have a history of violating the rules and policies of its marketplace. For example, Alibaba.com's current policy is to respond expeditiously to written requests by intellectual property owners to take down items that the owners believe have infringed IPR. Under the Quality Supplier Program, Alibaba.com has established clear internal standards and procedures for de-listing products and terminating the accounts of non-complying members based on substantiated complaints.
Under the Quality Supplier Program when suppliers apply for a paid membership service on Alibaba.com, they must pass an authentication and verification process conducted by an independent third-party agency. Alibaba.com will team up with VeriSign as an additional authentication and verification partner. VeriSign will provide authentication and verification services to verify the identity of suppliers displayed on the Alibaba.com web site. The presence of a VeriSign seal on the supplier's listings will indicate to Alibaba.com site visitors that this information has been verified by VeriSign.
