IndiaMART and four other Indian markets figure in US Notorious Markets list
Released by the US Trade Representative (USTR) on Tuesday, the 2022 Notorious Markets List identifies 39 online and 33 physical markets that are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.
The Indian markets in the list are IndiaMART, Heera Panna in Mumbai, Kidderpore in Kolkata, Sadar Patrappa Road Market in Bengaluru, and Tank Road in Delhi.
"The widespread trade in counterfeit and pirated goods harms the economic security of American workers and undermines our work to craft equitable and inclusive trade policy," USTR Katherine Tai said.
"The Notorious Markets List is an important tool that urges the private sector and our trading partners to take action against these harmful practices," she added.
According to the USTR report, IndiaMART is a high-volume e-commerce website and mobile app that connects buyers with suppliers. It describes itself as the largest online business-to-business marketplace in India.
Regarding positive steps taken over the past year, one right holder reported that IndiaMART has been cooperative in engagement and improving complaint response times. However, counterfeit goods on the e-commerce site, including pharmaceuticals, electronics, and apparel, remain a serious concern for other rights holders, the USTR report said.
Right holders dispute that the e-commerce site adequately engaged with them and implemented anti-counterfeiting best practices, including seller verification, penalties against known sellers of counterfeit goods, or proactive monitoring for infringing goods. Its assertion regarding the responsiveness of its notice-and-takedown system was also questioned.
A major indoor market in the heart of Mumbai, Heera Panna reportedly offers counterfeit watches, footwear, electronics, accessories, and cosmetics.
"Right holders warn that counterfeit cosmetics sold at this market have health and safety risks," the report said.
Locally known in Kolkata as the "Fancy Market", Kidderpore contains shops allegedly selling various counterfeit and pirated goods, including apparel, cosmetics, electronics, optical media, and software.
According to the report, Sadar Patrappa (SP) Road Market in Bengaluru is reported by right holders as a "hot spot" for a wide variety of counterfeit electronic products, attracting large numbers of locals and tourists.
The market was found to have a lot of brokers loitering around and luring customers. Despite a raid on counterfeits in this market in early 2022, enforcement efforts by local authorities have been insufficient to encourage improvement in it, the report said.
The report, quoting right holders, said that Tank Road, the New Delhi market, continues to sell counterfeit products, including apparel, footwear, watches, handbags, electronics, and beauty products.
Wholesale counterfeit goods are reportedly supplied from this market to other Indian markets, including Gaffar Market and Ajmal Khan Road.
According to the right holders, local police have conducted some enforcement actions, but these efforts have been insufficient in substantially reducing the sales of counterfeits in the market, the report said.
USTR is an agency of the US government responsible for developing and promoting American trade policy.
It first identified notorious markets in the Special 301 Report in 2006. It has been publishing the Notorious Markets List annually since February 2011, separately from the Special 301 Report, to increase public awareness and help market operators and governments prioritise intellectual property enforcement efforts that protect American businesses and their workers.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
