Temu boosts IP protection for K-brands - The Korea Times

Go to Top Business Companies Temu boosts IP protection for K-brands Listen Listen Text Size Print By Ko Dong-hwan Published Jul 1, 2026 11:27 am KST The Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency’s Executive Director of Management Innovation Division Son Chang-ho, left, and Temu’s Vice President of Operations Jeremy Jin pose after signing a partnership for the intellectual property production of Korean products under Temu's distribution, at the Chinese firm’s headquarters in Shanghai, Monday. Courtesy of Temu Major Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has formed a partnership with Korea’s state-run intellectual property (IP) agency to bolster protection of products made by Korean firms. The Chinese company, which has around 7 million monthly active users in Korea, made the commitment as K-branded products’ popularity is on the rise among consumers worldwide, prompting producers to place increased importance on their IP rights. The Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency's (KOIPA) Executive Director of Management Innovation Division Son Chang-ho met Temu’s Vice President of Operations Jeremy Jin at the Chinese firm’s headquarters in Shanghai on Monday and signed the partnership. Under the deal, Temu and KOIPA will operate a dedicated communication channel to facilitate rapid response and enforcement against IP infringement affecting K-brands. Temu will use its detection technology and global team of expert reviewers to identify and remove IP-violating products from its platform. KOIPA will support the Chinese firm by verifying the authenticity and ownership of IP rights tied to K-brand products. “This agreement marks a starting point for the practical cooperation between the two countries to block K-branded counterfeit goods," said Shin Sang-gon, president of KOIPA, after signing the partnership. "Through our work with Temu, KOIPA will act against counterfeit Korean-brand goods on online platforms at home and abroad, and support the protection of IP rights across markets." A Temu official said, "Protecting IP is essential for building a marketplace that consumers and brands can trust. Partnering with KOIPA reflects our ongoing commitment to IP protection and working with rights holders and regulators to keep counterfeits off the platform." To protect the IP rights of products it distributes in more than 50 countries, Temu operates an enforcement system to screen IP risks in stages including seller vetting, prelisting checks, and around-the-clock monitoring after listings go live. More than 15,000 brands are under the system’s scrutiny, which uses 47 million images and 9.5 million keywords as reference. Temu launched the Brand Guardian Initiative in 2024 to protect the IP rights of product brands, including those not made by its partner sellers. In countries where it operates, the company activated a pop-up warning message on its platform whenever it detects search words like “fake,” “counterfeit” and “dupe” to raise public awareness. The message has popped up more than 200 million times as of May.