Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has been moved back onto the US list of "notorious markets" due to counterfeit goods being sold on its sites.
It had been removed from the list four years ago - but US authorities have ruled that its Taobao platform is being used to sell a high level of fake branded products.
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has worked with the Chinese brand
The United States Trade Representative's list "highlights prominent online and physical marketplaces that reportedly engage in and facilitate substantial copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting."
“Right holders in the United States and internationally continue to report serious challenges to reducing high levels of counterfeit and pirated goods on Taobao ... Longstanding obstacles to understanding and utilizing basic IP enforcement procedures continue unabated," the report states.
Alibaba says that it is taking greater action than even to curb the sale of counterfeit goods in its online stores.
Its President Mike Evans said that he is "very disappointed" by the decision - he also questioned whether the judgement was "influenced by the current political climate" in the US as Donald Trump prepares to take power.
