Tencent on Monday released “Weixin Brand Protection: 2022 Updates & Analysis,” which outlines brand protection tools and measures to deter, detect, and deal with instances of infringement on Weixin.

Embracing our role as a strong defender of intellectual property rights, the company’s announcement includes recent operational and policy changes made to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Brand Protection Platform (BPP).

This is the latest in our continued brand protection efforts. As a company with more than 40,000 registered trademarks, we have a direct stake ourselves in brand protection. With over 29,000 patents and an extensive copyright portfolio as well, we strongly support robust IP enforcement across the full spectrum of intellectual property rights. We partner with many companies across IP-intensive and IP-dependent businesses, amid fast-changing IP protection requirements and models.

Based on stakeholder input, recent changes to BPP include:

• Penalties: Upgraded anti-counterfeiting deterrence strategy, including enhanced penalties;
• User-Interface: Optimized platform so brands can more effectively manage complaints;
• Case Management: New functionality to allow brands to generate customized reports;
• Transparency on Penalties: BPP members can see the level of penalties that Weixin has imposed on infringing accounts;
• Brand Tutorials & Support: New instructions for brands on how to submit verification materials for Weixin review;
• Weixin User Education: Updated instructions for Weixin users on how to report infringement by way of higher quality, useful leads;
• Membership Application: Simplified authentication of non-Chinese materials, requiring only translation and local notarization;
• Repeat Infringement: Enhanced BPP focus on preventing re-registration of blocked accounts;
• Keyword Protection: Ongoing addition of new words under the Keyword Protection Program, including terms such as “replica,” “knockoff,” “fake” and more.

2022 Enforcement Activity.

These and other updates are already driving positive results. For example, brands now review 75 percent of user leads, up from 38 percent in 2020. Weixin confirmed approximately 90 percent of reports of infringement on Channels and took enforcement action. The Keyword Protection Program blocks close to 13,000 suspicious registrations per day. 

Tencent is committed to minimizing the advertising and sale of counterfeit products on Weixin. Since its launch in 2015, our BPP has worked closely with the global IP community to support and enforce their important rights on the platform. Weixin also serves as an important bridge between brand owners and legal authorities to facilitate enforcement online as well as offline.

We engage with stakeholders across Europe, North America, Asia and elsewhere and spoke directly with hundreds of brands, trade associations, trademark protection service providers, and others in this space.

Over the past year alone, we organized workshops, participated on panels, solicited feedback through listening sessions, provided briefing updates, and worked with brands to help tackle complex and novel cases. Our goal is a regular, open exchange of information to constantly improve the experience of IP owners on Weixin. 

The proactive measures we take to prevent infringement and counterfeiting on Weixin and the tools available to rightsholders via the BPP are critical to building safe, trustworthy platforms for brands and their customers. 

We continue to evolve policies and guidelines to meet brand owner needs and deter trademark infringement and counterfeiting.

You can contact Weixin with feedback and ideas at [email protected].