China Squeezes E-Commerce Giants to Purge “Ghost Stores” in Widening IP Crackdown

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has announced a “look-back” review of 81 major e-commerce platforms to enforce a 2024 self-discipline pact, signaling a decisive shift toward holding tech giants accountable for the “ghost stores” haunting their digital aisles. At a State Council briefing on Thursday, regulators clarified that the honeymoon period for platforms to self-police is ending. The focus is now on targeted crackdowns against trademark infringement and counterfeit patents, particularly in the high-traffic worlds of livestreaming and social commerce. The primary target is the elusive “ghost online store,” referring to merchants who use falsified addresses and shell…