Tokyo, December 20, 2023 – Rakuten Group, Inc. today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) on border controls with Customs and Tariff Bureau of Ministry of Finance, Japan (CTB)* to prevent the distribution of illegal products in Japan such as goods infringing on intellectual property rights, including counterfeit goods.
* CTB is an internal subdivision of Ministry of Finance. One of its functions is supervising operations by Japan Customs, which is the local branch office of Ministry of Finance.
Since 2014, as part of border control initiatives targeting products that infringe on intellectual property rights, Rakuten has been exchanging information with Japan Customs, which is responsible for customs operations in each region of Japan. Specifically, Rakuten and Japan Customs share information on counterfeit products that infringe on intellectual property rights, products that violate the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, retailers that deal in such products and products suspended by Japan Customs for infringing intellectual property rights. Both Rakuten and Japan Customs have also created strategies to eliminate illegal products from Japan’s largest online shopping platform, Rakuten Ichiba, and alert Rakuten Ichiba users of counterfeit products.
With the signing of this MOC, Rakuten and CTB will establish opportunities for furthering the exchange of information and aim to more efficiently and effectively identify and tackle counterfeit product dealers. In addition, if Rakuten discovers that counterfeit products are being distributed on Rakuten Ichiba, the company will enforce strict measures against those merchants in accordance with its terms and conditions to deter malicious merchants from joining the platform. These initiatives will enhance the safety and security of Rakuten Ichiba, fortifying its position as a trusted e-commerce platform, as well as further assist in preventing the distribution of counterfeit products in Japan.
To ensure a safe and secure platform for both users and merchants, Rakuten established the Rakuten Ichiba Quality Improvement Committee in 2014. Since its inception, with the support of third-party organizations and governments, the committee has implemented a range of measures to manage the quality labeling of products and counter fraudulent websites and products infringing on intellectual property rights, such as counterfeit products. In 2019, to increase discussions on enhancing service quality, Rakuten also established an advisory panel of external experts, including those from e-commerce and consumer groups.
Additionally, in June 2023, Rakuten signed the Product Safety Pledge, strengthening coordination with government agencies to address issues such as recalled products and violations of safety standard regulations. When receiving requests from institutions, Rakuten promptly responds by stopping or preventing the sale of products on Rakuten Ichiba or Rakuten’s community-powered C2C marketplace app, Rakuten Rakuma. Furthermore, Rakuten has also signed comprehensive cooperation agreements with a range of manufacturers to enhance the quality and safety of Rakuten Ichiba services.
Going forward, Rakuten is committed to continually improving the quality of its services to provide a highly convenient, safe and secure online shopping platform to customers.
For more information about Rakuten Ichiba’s quality initiatives please visit the following website: https://event.rakuten.co.jp/anshin/ (*Japanese page)