Coupang said on the 13th that it held a "brand protection seminar" on the 10th with the Korea Cosmetic Association (KCA) to protect the intellectual property rights of Korean cosmetics corporations.
The seminar was organized to seek and share a range of joint solutions to build customer trust and protect intellectual property rights and brands.
As K-beauty spreads, counterfeit items are diversifying and methods are becoming more sophisticated, spurring active discussions on protecting intellectual property rights. According to the Ministry of Intellectual Property, the number of blocks of counterfeit K-brand cosmetics on overseas online platforms increased from 16,774 in 2023 to 23,494 in 2024 and 36,116 last year.
At the seminar, Coupang explained its counterfeit detection process and countermeasures and gathered on-site feedback. Cho Hee-kyung, a director on Coupang's IP legal team, said, "We are strictly operating a three-step process: 'preemptive preventive measures' that block malicious sellers from entering, 'active detection measures' using AI and monitoring, and 'post-response measures' that immediately block listings upon receiving a report and apply a one-strike-out policy."
Sven-Erik Vattenberg, a director on Coupang's IP legal team, added, "To immediately receive and act on reports of counterfeit cosmetics from major brand companies, we have also decided to pilot a dedicated hotline so we can respond quickly on weekends, holidays and late in the evening."
Coupang plans to actively reflect the on-site feedback collected through this seminar in its counterfeit detection operations and continue to strengthen systems and procedures for protecting intellectual property rights.
It also said it will regularly hold seminars with major brand companies to continuously share system improvements and maintain a forum for communication that listens to voices from the field.
Nina Ramesh, head of Coupang's IP legal division, said, "Protecting intellectual property rights is an area where ongoing communication and cooperation with brand companies is essential," adding, "We will continue to listen even more actively to voices from the field and steadily refine our response system in ways that brand companies can feel."