WASHINGTON, April 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group, the world's largest online and mobile marketplace, will be the keynote speaker at the IACC 2016 Annual Spring Conference on May 18-20 in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. The Spring Conference attracts more than 500 top leaders from business, law, security and government to discuss the intellectual property enforcement industry's most up-to-date information and best practices.

This year's event is being organized by the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) in partnership with the International Chamber of Commerce's Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP). This is the first time the IACC has partnered with another group on this major annual event. The theme this year will be "Securing the Global Supply Chain from Counterfeiting and Piracy – Rights holders and intermediaries working together to stop fakes."

Mr. Ma founded Alibaba Group in 1999 and built it to become the global leader in e-commerce and the premium gateway for international brands to China. During his keynote session, he will address the importance of e-commerce and the industry coming together to collectively fight counterfeiting, as well as highlight Alibaba's efforts to protect intellectual property rights on its platforms.

"The Spring Conference provides a communication channel between different parties to engage with one another and discuss practical and innovative solutions to counterfeiting and piracy," said the IACC President Bob Barchiesi. "Intermediary companies play an increasingly important role in these discussions, and we look forward to the collaboration that will take place in Orlando."

"We are delighted to be partnering with the IACC on this important event focusing on how intermediaries and rights holders can work together to stop counterfeiting and piracy," said BASCAP Director Jeff Hardy. "The participation of senior intermediary channel and rights holder leaders demonstrates the importance of this topic, and we are confident this event will provide a balanced and constructive exchange of ideas leading to new collaborations and solutions."

The global trade in counterfeit and pirated goods is valued to be at $1.77 trillion[1], with e-commerce constituting a significant portion of these transactions[2]. These purchases pose a risk to both businesses and consumers. Counterfeit goods are often made using cheap, substandard and dangerous components that endanger the health and safety of consumers.

For the full Spring Conference agenda, see here.

About IACC
The IACC (www.iacc.org) is a Washington, DC-based not for profit organization representing the interests of companies concerned with trademark counterfeiting and the related theft of intellectual property.  The members of the IACC include many of the world's best-known brands across all product sectors.  The IACC has played a leading role in the development of cross-industry voluntary agreements, to address the illicit trafficking of counterfeit and pirated goods online, including its IACC MarketSafe and RogueBlock initiatives.

About BASCAP
The drain on businesses and the global economy from counterfeit goods and piracy of intellectual property is of great concern to ICC member companies worldwide. Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) is an ICC initiative that unites the global business community across all product sectors to address issues associated with intellectual property theft and to petition for greater commitments by local, national and international officials in the enforcement and protection of intellectual property rights. Visit: www.iccwbo.org/bascap

[1] International Chamber of Commerce / BASCAP, Estimating the Global Economic and Social Impacts of Counterfeiting and Piracy (2011).

[2] MarkMonitor®, Shopping Report (2014).

SOURCE International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition

Related Links

http://www.iacc.org