Amazon is finally taking action against counterfeit products being sold through its site. The concerted crackdown will begin in 2017, with Amazon working with brands to ensure only legitimate goods bearing their names and logos are available to buy.

Counterfeit goods have been available on Amazon for a long time. If a product is selling well, then someone, somewhere will produce a cheap imitation and sell for a fraction of the price. This is one area of commerce that has, unfortunately, made a successful transition from bricks-and-mortar marketplaces to online marketplaces.

Until now, Amazon has put the onus of responsibility onto the brands themselves. They have to scour Amazon for dodgy knock-offs, report their existence, and hope Amazon takes action against those responsible. Which, to be fair, the company usually does.

The Biggest Brands Get Registered

However, according to Bloomberg, Amazon has committed to cracking down on counterfeit products in 2017. To accomplish this, Amazon is setting up an online registry of brands, both big and small. Some companies, such as Nike, have already registered, but Amazon is expanding the list.

Once a brand has registered, merchants selling through the Amazon Marketplace will have to prove they have permission from that brand to sell its products online. This, therefore, puts the onus on the Marketplace sellers rather than the brands they're potentially trying to rip off.

With more than 2 million sellers competing for your cash, the Amazon Marketplace is currently the Wild West of online shopping. After many years of leaving everyone to pretty much get on with it, Amazon is finally taking affirmative action against the bad actors.

Good News for (Almost) Everyone

This is good news for everyone other than the counterfeiters hawking fake products. Brands will get greater control over their products. Amazon will be able to foster better relationships with those brands. And consumers like you and me should stop getting ripped off with inferior goods.

Have you ever bought a counterfeit product from Amazon? Did you know it was a counterfeit at the time? Or did you only discover it was when it turned up? What do you think of Amazon's efforts to crack down on the practice? Please let us know in the comments below!