piracy

AliExpress Piracy  Part 1  |  Part 2  |  Part 3  |  Part 4   |  Part 5  | Part 6 | Fight Back

If you’re a successful artist selling original designs on platforms like Redbubble, encountering counterfeit versions of your work online is all too common. These unauthorized reproductions often trace back to AliExpress, a major marketplace for counterfeits. As an artist who has fought this battle firsthand, I can tell you that addressing piracy on AliExpress is challenging but essential.

AliExpress presents itself as an IP-friendly platform, but navigating its reporting system is tedious. Nevertheless, the system is an artist’s best tool for reclaiming their work from counterfeiters. Here is my step-by-step guide based on personal experience for navigating the AliExpress reporting process and protecting your intellectual property.

My Experience With Counterfeiters on AliExpress

In the first four weeks after I discovered that my designs were being pirated, I took action. To my disbelief, I found around 112 of my original designs being sold across the AliExpress marketplace, mostly printed on t-shirts, socks, and baseball caps. To add insult to injury, some of my artwork appeared on more unusual products like tapestries, blankets, women’s gowns, and even underwear. Every piece I had painstakingly created was being exploited.

What was perhaps most infuriating was the speed with which these counterfeiters worked. I would report products, have the links taken down, and within days, new listings featuring the same designs would spring up on different items. It became clear that this was not going to be a one-time fix. To date, I’ve filed nearly 650 complaints, each one carefully tracked in a detailed spreadsheet I use to monitor the offending sellers. Every complaint has been acted upon, with the infringing links removed.

Some pirates were particularly egregious, repeatedly stealing my work to the point that their stores amassed so many violations that they should have surpassed AliExpress’s threshold for removal. In theory, AliExpress is supposed to permanently shut down a seller’s account after they receive enough penalty points. However, I have not yet seen any concrete evidence that this measure has been followed through. Business Licences on each numbered store front reveals human sounding names and quaint physical sounding stores in various megalopolis’ deep in China. Further investigation in the complaint process reveals another code number used by AliExpress to identify Sellers.  Despite this, after weeks of work and hours scouring the site with creative keyword searches, it seems AliExpress is now void of my designs. It’s a small victory, but one that came only after relentless effort.

Step-by-Step Guide to Reporting Copyright Infringement on AliExpress

Step 1: Create an Account
* Go to the Intellectual Property Protection (IPP) section on Alibaba’s website.
* Click on “Register” and fill in your email.
* Activate your account through the link sent via email.

Step 2: Verify Your Identity
1. Choose your region and select “Individual Outside Mainland China.”
2. Provide your full legal name and mailing address (a P.O. box works fine if you’re uncomfortable providing your home address).
3. Upload a scan of your government-issued ID (passport or driver’s license).
4. Submit and wait for verification, which typically takes several days.

Step 3: Submit Your Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
* After identity verification, log in and click “IPR submission.”
* Select “Copyright” as the type of IPR.
* Enter the title of your design and, if you don’t have formal copyright registration, type “N/A” or “Not required in [your country].”
* Upload a screenshot of your original work and a URL to where it is officially sold (such as Redbubble).
* Submit the documents for verification (this usually takes 2-3 business days).

Step 4: Submit a Complaint
Once your IPR is authenticated, you can begin filing complaints:
1. Log in and click “Submit a Complaint.”
2. Paste the URLs of infringing products or search for them manually.
3. Select “Pirated copy” as the reason and briefly explain, e.g., “This is a counterfeit version of my original work.”
4. Submit and check the Manage Complaints section to track the status of each submission.

The Impact of Filing Complaints
What I’ve learned is that persistence pays off. Filing complaints can result in the removal of infringing listings and, if sellers accumulate enough points, their store accounts are supposed to be shut down. AliExpress uses a points system where sellers receive 6 penalty points per complaint, and after 48 points (eight strikes), their account is meant to be terminated.

While I haven’t seen clear evidence of store terminations for repeat offenders, the removal of hundreds of infringing listings has helped clear the marketplace of my designs. Some sellers who were particularly prolific in pirating my work now seem to be gone, but whether this was due to AliExpress’s enforcement or the sellers simply closing their stores remains unclear.

Best Practices for Monitoring and Filing Complaints

1. Keep meticulous records: Use a spreadsheet to track every counterfeit listing you find. This makes it easier to monitor repeat offenders and streamline the complaint process.
2. Avoid contacting sellers directly: Reporting through AliExpress’s IPP system is far more effective. Direct contact can tip off sellers before formal action is taken.
3. Report consistently: Counterfeiters will re-upload your designs, so regular monitoring is necessary.

Final Thoughts: The Fight Continues
While AliExpress has responded to all of my complaints and removed infringing URLs, the process is ongoing. Despite filing hundreds of complaints, new listings would often reappear within days, requiring continued vigilance. My designs may no longer be visible on the site now, but that victory came only after weeks of dogged persistence. For artists facing similar challenges, the key is to stay organized, report consistently, and not lose hope.

Together, through persistent reporting and by sharing our experiences, we can continue to combat this digital piracy and reclaim the creative work that rightfully belongs to us.
The threat of account removal is a very strong disincentive, and my hope is that counterfeiting activity will decrease over time as a result.
If we all work together, we can make life better for artists everywhere!