IndiaMart, Palika Bazaar Are ‘Notorious’ Markets, As Per This US Trade Body

In the latest annual list of the world’s notorious markets released by the US Trade Representative, India’s popular e-commerce website IndiaMart.com and four other markets, including New Delhi’s famous Palika Bazaar have been listed.

42 online and 35 physical markets all around the world have been listed in the 2021 Notorious Markets List which was released on Thursday. These are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.

Alongside Palika Bazaar, Heera Panna in Mumbai, Kidderpore in Kolkata and Tank Road in Delhi are three other Indian markets that have been identified in the list.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that the global trade in counterfeit and pirated goods undermines critical US innovation and creativity and also harms American workers.

She said that such illicit trade is not good for labour involved in the manufacturing of counterfeit goods as it makes them vulnerable. These counterfeit goods can pose significant risks to the health and safety of consumers and workers around the world.

IndiaMart

IndiaMart which is an e-commerce website and mobile app that connects buyers with suppliers is described by USTR report as the as the world’s second largest online business-to-business market. USTR report has alleged that there are volumes of counterfeit goods available on IndiaMart. These includes counterfeit pharmaceuticals, electronics and apparel.

Inability to implement anti-counterfeiting best practices, including seller verification, penalties against known sellers of counterfeit goods, or proactive monitoring of infringing goods are the reasons why IndiaMart has been listed.

The report said that even though the marketplace has a notice-and-takedown system but the the time-to-takedown is painstakingly slow and also the status of notices is not transparently communicated to right holders.

Heera Panna, Kidderpore, Palika Bazaar & Tank Road

Heera Panna, located in the heart of Mumbai, which is famous for counterfeit watches, footwear, accessories, and cosmetics is another marketplace listed in the USTR. It has been warned by right holders that the counterfeit cosmetics sold at this market have health and safety risks. In September 2021, in a raid at Heera Panna resulted in the arrests for selling counterfeit versions of premium watches.

Kidderpore in Kolkata, aka as fancy market allegedly sells counterfeit apparel and cosmetics, often in wholesale quantities. The report said that due to the poor quality of the counterfeits, severe skin problems, rashes, irritation, and eye diseases have been reported.

In 2021, Palika Bazaar remains on the notorious market list (NML) due to allegedly selling counterfeit products, such as mobile accessories, cosmetics, watches and eyewear. This market is popular amongst students and tourists, who are essentially looking for trendy products at cheap prices.

Right-holders report that the Delhi market that sells all of Tank Road continues to sell counterfeit products, including clothing, shoes, watches, bags, electronics, and beauty products. Counterfeit goods are reportedly being exported to other markets in India, including Gaffar Market and Ajmal Khan Road, the report said.

Right-holders are aware that enforcing legal action in this area is challenging, as the market is located in a residential area and retailers often appear to have advanced hacking experience, which reduces your efficiency, it said.

The USTR is a US government agency responsible for developing and developing American trade policy.

USTR began identifying the notorious markets in the Special 301 Report in 2006. Since February 2011, the USTR has been publishing the Annual Markets List separately from Special Report 301, raising public awareness and assisting market operators and governments to prioritize efforts to strengthen intellectual property protection. American businesses and their employees.