He admits, however, that the dynamics of the market have changed and that's left something of an opening for device pirates. He explains that Chinese manufacturers face "declining exports because demand from Western markets is not what it used to be." Since westerners aren't buying as many objects, these factories are often laying dormant, which is no way to run a successful or sustainable business. Ma adds that firms have "made investments in factories, equipment and people" that "must find new ways to adapt to this changing environment."

The founder has also affirmed his company's proactive stance in dealing with pirates, saying that for every hooky purse Gucci identifies, Alibaba will have shot down a further eight. But there's an interesting twist in the editorial, which is how Ma's stance on piracy shifts between the third and ninth paragraph. Up top, he's talking about Chinese factories using tooling and raw materials from brand-name clients to keep the lights on. But further down, he describes the fight against piracy as a "battle against human greed." Either way, Alibaba's public position is anti-piracy, combined with a drive to "work together with brands" to get ahead of the copycats.