Amazon's new Project Zero initiative will allow brands to take control of expunging counterfeit products from the website, allowing them to delete fake listings.
Fake products have had a lasting impact on brands as they have felt the pressure to lower their prices to compete with fake versions of themselves. However, removing the counterfeit products has been a long struggle for Amazon as it has been difficult to prove their authenticity.
The Project Zero program will combine self-service counterfeit removal for brands with automated scans of logos and trademarks on its website and unique codes on physical items, CNBC reports. Brands who join the program will be able to delete a listing that is deemed fake without having to report it to the e-commerce giant at first. In return, Amazon says the information will be used to strengthen its own automated processes.
"Our aim is that customers always receive authentic goods when shopping on Amazon," Dharmesh Mehta, Amazon's vice president of worldwide customer trust and partner support, said in a statement. "Project Zero builds on our long-standing work and investments in this area. It allows brands to work with us to leverage our combined strengths to move quickly and at scale to drive counterfeits to zero."