1. Policy Statement
Coupang’s mission is to revolutionize everyday life by reimagining commerce experiences to wow customers. This is driven by innovation across all operations, with the protection of intellectual property rights and prevention of infringement at its core. Accordingly, Coupang has implemented preemptive, proactive, and reactive measures to detect attempts to sell infringing merchandise. This includes a zero-tolerance policy against counterfeit goods.
What Are Intellectual Property Rights?
Intellectual property rights are those granted to creators to enable them to protect their creations and determine the way they may be used. Four commonly encountered types of IP rights are:
- Copyright: Rights over original creations, such as text, images, videos, and drawings.
- Trademark: Right over words, symbols, logos, etc., intended to distinguish a product or service from others.
- Design: Rights pertaining to the appearance of a product, including its form, color, and font.
- Patent: Rights granted to an inventor to make, use, or sell a unique invention.
Details regarding intellectual property rights can be found in the Intellectual Property Seller Guidelines, and policies related to counterfeit are outlined in the Anti-Counterfeit Policy.
2. Scope
All sellers on Coupang are prohibited from infringing any intellectual property rights, including the sale or distribution of counterfeit or pirated products, either directly or indirectly.
The entities covered by this prohibition include, but are not limited to:
- Sellers on Coupang Marketplace (3P sellers)
- Rocket Delivery vendors and direct purchase suppliers
- Global sellers
- Global sellers
3. Seller Obligations
Authentication Requirements
Sellers are required to ensure that their products do not infringe upon any party’s intellectual property rights and to verify the authenticity of their products prior to listing them on Coupang. Coupang may require sellers to provide additional documentation during the listing process to protect our customers from products that infringe on intellectual property rights.
This process may include but is not limited to:
- Purchase invoices or brand authorization certificates issued by the trademark owner
- Customs declaration for imported products
- Business registration certificate for specific categories (Sales permit)
- Verification of compliance with applicable regulatory requirements
In addition, when listing products in certain categories, sellers may be required to go through additional verification steps or to submit higher-level documentation.
4. Reporting and Investigation
Reporting Channels
Infringement of intellectual property rights can be reported through the following channels:
- Owners of intellectual property rights can file a report through our Online Report Form.
- Customers can report via the product details page through [Product Inquiry> Report],
- or via Customer Service Center (1600-9876) 24 hours a day.
- Sellers can report through the Seller reporting system (WING > Online Inquiry).
Investigation Process
Upon receipt of a report, operators review the claim and the provided details. Depending on the specifics of each case, the following actions may be taken, but are not limited to these.
- Requesting additional documentation from the seller regarding the source of its products
- Engagement with the IP owner
- Suspension of the listings involved
- Suspension of seller account
5. Measures in Case of IP Infringement
Immediate Response
Infringement of intellectual property rights can trigger immediate action including, but not limited to:
- Suspension of product sales and exposure
- Suspension of seller account
- Coordination with law enforcement agencies where appropriate
- Withholding of settlement payments
Legal Consequences and Sanctions
Infringement of intellectual property rights can result in civil and criminal liability of sellers. Coupang reserves the right to pursue additional legal remedies, including civil lawsuits and criminal complaints.
6. Appeal Process
Sellers may file an appeal if they believe the suspension of their listing or account is not justified. In doing so, they should provide the following documentation to establish their opinion:
- Certificate of authenticity
- Proof of supply chain (distribution channel)
- Documentation proving legitimate rights
Submission of false information during the appeal process may result in stricter measures against the seller.
7. External Partnerships
Collaboration with IP Owners
Coupang works closely with various brands that own intellectual property rights to detect and remove listings that infringe on their IP. Activities conducted in partnership with rights holders include:
- Cooperation on authentication of products suspected of being counterfeit.
- Creation of guidelines to identify infringements of their intellectual property and training of Coupang operators on such.
- Establishment of a simple and effective reporting mechanism to enable sellers to report any infringement of their intellectual property.
Cooperation With the Government and Law Enforcement Agencies
Coupang actively cooperates with government agencies and investigative authorities such as the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the National Police Agency and the Korea Customs Service to combat infringements of intellectual property, both reactively and proactively. Coupang also supports government-led initiatives aimed at strengthening oversight systems against violations of intellectual property, particularly those related to public health and safety.
8. Policy Updates
This policy is reviewed periodically and may be updated without prior notice as needed in response to:
- Emergent risks and market trends
- Amendments to applicable laws and regulations
- Revisions to internal policies and operational standards