Applying digital technology in combating counterfeiting.

At the conference "Combating Counterfeit Goods, Intellectual Property Infringement, and Commercial Fraud in the New Situation," organized by the National Steering Committee for Combating Smuggling, Commercial Fraud, and Counterfeit Goods (National Steering Committee 389) in Da Nang City on July 7th, delegates noted that in the new situation, the methods and tactics of those producing and trading counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights are alarming, with increasingly sophisticated and systematic methods; especially in the e-commerce environment. According to experts, preventing this situation is not just the responsibility of one sector or locality, but a shared task of the entire society…

Market management forces in Can Tho City inspect goods at a store in the city.

Sophisticated violations

Currently, counterfeit goods appear in almost all sectors, from pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, dietary supplements, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, electronic components, fashion items, fertilizers, agricultural supplies, automotive parts and accessories, and motorcycle parts... In short, almost all products are at risk of being counterfeited. Counterfeit goods are not only prevalent in large cities but also spread to rural areas, remote regions, and isolated areas through various sales channels. With sophisticated methods and tactics, from packaging and labeling to quality, counterfeit goods even have quite sophisticated anti-counterfeiting labels, causing confusion and deceiving consumers and evading law enforcement; especially exploiting e-commerce, social networks, and electronic trading platforms for buying and selling activities.

According to the National Steering Committee 389, in the first six months of 2025, functional forces nationwide inspected and handled 50,419 cases related to smuggling, trade fraud, and counterfeit goods, a decrease of 21.45% compared to the same period. Specifically, during the peak month of implementing Directive No. 65/CD-TTg on combating, preventing, and repelling smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement (from May 15th to June 15th), functional forces nationwide inspected and handled 10,437 cases, collected over 1,278 billion VND for the state budget, initiated criminal proceedings in 204 cases, and prosecuted 382 individuals.

In the first six months of 2025, the Steering Committee 389 of Can Tho City inspected 6,022 cases, including 405 violations, with total fines exceeding 5.3 billion VND. During the peak month of implementing Directive No. 65/CD-TTg on combating, preventing, and repelling smuggling, trade fraud, counterfeit goods, and intellectual property infringement (from May 15 to June 15, 2025), there were 795 inspection cases, including 81 violations, with total fines exceeding 1.2 billion VND and the value of infringing goods exceeding 19 billion VND.

According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tuan, representative of Baker McKenzie International Law Firm, the demand for e-commerce in Vietnam is increasing, and so are the acts of trading counterfeit goods and commercial fraud on e-commerce platforms. He stated that currently, up to 90% of counterfeit and infringing goods are sold on e-commerce platforms and social media sites. Meanwhile, ordinary consumers find it very difficult to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit goods. Checking and tracing counterfeit goods on e-commerce platforms is very difficult without close cooperation from these platforms.

Acknowledging the rapid development of e-commerce, Mr. Hoang Ninh, Deputy Director of the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ), stated that this development also has certain negative consequences, most notably the increasing prevalence of counterfeit goods, imitation products, and goods infringing intellectual property rights in the e-commerce environment, especially on social media.

Mr. Hoang Ninh affirmed that social media is an unofficial e-commerce platform. Many individuals have taken advantage of anonymity and the lack of control by network administrators to trade counterfeit goods, pirated goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights, goods of unknown origin, and engage in commercial fraud. Common examples include creating accounts to sell goods via livestream, advertising products labeled as branded but actually being counterfeit... then exploiting cash-on-delivery policies to deliver smuggled or infringing goods, making it very difficult for authorities to detect and handle violations.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development (Ministry of Industry and Trade), one of the difficulties faced by market management forces in inspecting and handling violations related to counterfeit and illegally sourced goods is the increasing demand for consumer goods through e-commerce, while public awareness of combating counterfeiting in this environment remains limited. A small segment of consumers is still attracted by low prices and attractive designs without considering product quality or origin. Furthermore, enforcement is hampered by legal mechanisms, a lack of personnel, effective methods, the application of science and technology, and insufficient coordination to detect and address these types of violations and crimes.

Working together to manage

Mr. Tran Duc Dong, Deputy Head of the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee 389, assessed that in the coming time, the situation of production and trade of counterfeit goods and goods infringing intellectual property rights, as well as commercial fraud, will continue to be complex, and may even increase in quantity, scale, and sophistication. More concerning, in the new situation, the methods and tactics of perpetrators will become more sophisticated and systematic due to the advancements in e-commerce, digital commerce, and government policies creating favorable conditions for the development of the private economy. Therefore, to effectively combat the problem of counterfeit goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights, and commercial fraud, comprehensive, responsible, thorough, and synchronized solutions are needed from all levels of government, enforcement agencies, businesses, and consumers.

According to experts, counterfeiting can only be curbed when laws are strong enough, strictly enforced, and the public is aware. In particular, consumers need to choose official stores, reputable shopping malls, official websites, and authorized dealers of rights holders. When shopping online, consumers should carefully research, compare, and evaluate products, and inspect goods thoroughly. They should especially choose reputable sellers and vendors, avoid buying from social media platforms with unclear origins, and be wary of offers such as cheap goods, drastic discounts, clearance sales, and promotional deals.

To enhance the effectiveness of combating counterfeit goods, intellectual property infringement, and commercial fraud in the future, especially violations in the e-commerce sector, representatives from many management agencies believe that digital technology must be applied to handling violations in the digital environment. Therefore, functional forces need to strengthen market inspection and control; enhance inter-agency coordination, flexibility, and inter-regional and inter-provincial cooperation. Civil servants in enforcement agencies need to improve their professional skills and expertise, and enhance their ability to apply digital technology through training programs…

According to statistics from the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy, in the first six months of 2025, e-commerce platforms removed more than 33,000 products and closed 11,000 stores for violations related to counterfeit goods, imitation goods, and goods infringing intellectual property rights.

Text and photos: KHANH NAM

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/ung-dung-cong-nghe-so-trong-chong-hang-gia-a188722.html