In episode 488 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kebharu Smith, director and associate general counsel of Amazon.com's Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU), a global team working to investigate, find and launch legal action and criminal referrals against counterfeiters. Listen in as Smith provides an overview of the CCU's work to prevent counterfeit product listings (1:25), how the department has evolved in the five years since its inception (7:40), and what the typical case involves when pursuing bad actors (11:35). He discusses how Amazon is educating consumers about counterfeit risks (15:30), consumers' increased awareness of counterfeiting in retail (17:45), and how customer feedback factors into the CCU's strategies (19:30).
In addition, Smith shares what he sees as the next big challenges in the fight against counterfeiting (21:30), the need for better collaboration in these efforts across the retail industry (23:30), and advice for retailers that are just beginning to navigate counterfeit issues online (25:10). Lastly, he details the information and resources available in Amazon’s 2024 Brand Protection Report for retailers and brands.
Kebharu Smith is the director of Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU), leading an international team that investigates and prosecutes global counterfeit networks. Under his leadership, CCU has successfully pursued both criminal prosecutions and civil litigation against counterfeiters attempting to defraud Amazon, its customers, and brand partners.
Prior to Amazon, Kebharu spent close to two decades in federal and state prosecution. As senior corporate counsel with the Department of Justice's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), he successfully prosecuted intellectual property and computer crime and built strong partnerships with multinational brands. His expertise led to his selection for international assignments, where he developed and conducted training programs for law enforcement and judges in Thailand, Nigeria, Botswana, and Hong Kong. Kebharu earned his law degree from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas.
