In the world of massive companies suing one another, Kering smacked a lawsuit on Alibaba—China's biggest e-commerce destination for basically everything—alleging that the company is facilitating and profiting off the sales of known counterfeit items that rip-off Kering brands like Gucci and Saint Laurent.
This is actually the second time Kering has brought complaints to Alibaba about this sort of thing. Last year, Kering withdrew their lawsuit after the two struck up a deal to help fight the sales of fake goods. However, the latest suit alleges that not only does Alibaba facilitate the sales of counterfeit goods, but "knowingly encouraging, assisting and profiting from the sale of counterfeits." Apparently, Gucci branded bags were selling for as little as $2 on Alibaba and certain search terms directed customers to merchants selling fake goods. Those are some pretty hefty accusations right there. Like, no bones about it. I'm not sure what Alibab is smoking because, like, fucking with Kering is the definition of a losing battle. This isn't just some raid on Canal Street.
