Shockingly, not all the goods advertised under big brand names on Alibaba may be genuine. Here, a $6 Louboutin bamboo shoe rack vies for buyers with Donnae Karan (sic) plastic earrings for 40 cents and a Balenciaga paper bag emblazoned with a happy tortoise.
China is embarrassed by its reputation as Knock-off Central. On Friday, the National People’s Congress reviewed draft laws prompted by the problem. These would make ecommerce groups, such as Alibaba, JD.com or Tencent liable for fraudulent goods sold on their sites.
Alibaba has repeatedly been blacklisted by the US as a “notorious market”. Goaded perhaps by politicians, it is becoming less tolerant. The group sued two fake Swarovski watch sellers last year and has shut down some online stores.