TikTok said on the 28th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korea Intellectual property Protection Agency (KOIPA) at Singapore IP Week on the 26th for "K-brand protection and the creation of a sound e-commerce ecosystem."
The agreement covers TikTok's commerce platform "TikTok Shop" and the Indonesian e-commerce platform "Tokopedia," which was brought under TikTok in 2024. It focuses on responding quickly to counterfeit goods distributed through short-form and live commerce and supporting the protection of intellectual property rights for Korean export companies.
The two organizations will cooperate on: ▲ establishing a system for rapid review and action on counterfeit reports within TikTok Shop and Tokopedia ▲ sharing information on habitual counterfeit sellers and coordinating online-offline responses ▲ supporting Korean export companies' use of TikTok's Intellectual Property Protection Center (IPPC) ▲ guiding participation in "TikTok Real," a brand protection program for promising K-brands.
In particular, a "fast track" will be applied to TikTok Shop live-sale products, which have powerful real-time reach. Under a formal delegation process, TikTok will give priority review and action to suspected counterfeit items reported by the Korea Intellectual property Protection Agency (KOIPA).
TikTok operates its own intellectual property protection center and TikTok Real, moving to protect rights on the platform. In April last year, it signed an agreement with the Trade related IPR Protection Association (TIPA) to cooperate on counterfeit inspections and upgrading the "test buy" program. Through this agreement, the scope of cooperation to protect K-brands has expanded from a private expert group to a government expert agency.
Sanjeev Kumar, head of intellectual property for TikTok Shop in Southeast Asia, said, "K-brands are among the most beloved brands by users worldwide in the TikTok commerce ecosystem," and added, "Through our cooperation with the Korea Intellectual property Protection Agency (KOIPA), we will respond to counterfeits more quickly and systematically and build a sound e-commerce environment where K-brands can grow with confidence in the global market."
Shin Sang-gon, head of the Intellectual Property Protection Agency, said, "Cooperation with platforms is essential to protect brand value in the global e-commerce environment," and added, "We will swiftly block counterfeits sold through new distribution channels such as live broadcasts and support the global competitiveness of K-brands."