Forming a strategic partnership promoting the distribution of legitimate content and intellectual property rights to combat counterfeit character goods
The Contents Overseas Distribution Association (CODA) and Taobao & Tmall Group, an e-commerce platform under the Alibaba Group, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on October 17, 2025, to promote the distribution of legitimate content and further protect intellectual property, with the aim of combating counterfeit character goods. The signing ceremony was held on the same day in Qingdao City, China.
Through the conclusion of this agreement, CODA and the Taobao & Tmall Group will establish a cooperative relationship in various fields. Leveraging their respective expertise and networks, they will work towards strengthening intellectual property rights protection, promoting the distribution of legitimate content, and realizing a healthy market through legitimate business practices.
At the signing ceremony, Guo Ying, Head of Intellectual Property and Brand Cooperation Operations Taobao & Tmall Group, and Takero Goto, Representative Director of CODA, pledged to build a robust partnership going forward.
In recent years, while interest in Japanese IP has grown significantly in China, the circulation of infringing goods including counterfeit character merchandise has become a challenge. As a countermeasure, CODA paid a courtesy visit to Alibaba Group’s headquarters on July 24, 2025, at the invitation of the company, to deepen mutual understanding and confirm the importance of future collaboration. The signing of this agreement with Taobao & Tmall Group represents the development of those discussions into a concrete and strategic cooperative relationship, now being put into action.
CODA will continue to look into and discuss various issues through cooperation with the Taobao & Tmall Group, striving to protect the intellectual property rights of Japanese content and promote the distribution of legitimate content.
Note that this activity was part of a project commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
■ Related Article: Courtesy Visit to Alibaba Headquarters in China and Exchange of Opinions
https://coda-cj.jp/en/news/748/
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About CODA
CODA (Content Overseas Distribution Association) was established in 2002 at the call of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Agency for Cultural Affairs to promote the overseas development of Japanese content and take anti-piracy measures. Japan’s proud content, including music, movies, anime, broadcast programs, video games, and publishing, plays an important role in enhancing the nation’s international presence and economic growth. As digital technology becomes more widespread, it is even more significant to protect Japan’s content from increasingly artful copyright infringement and promote the content industry’s development. CODA contributes to the deterrence and detection of online and other piracy, by sharing knowledge with relevant government agencies, organizations, and companies in Japan and abroad, to engage in direct and indirect anti-piracy measures, as well as public relations activities. Visit https://coda-cj.jp/en/activity/ for more information on CODA’s projects.