As Netflix’s hit original series Squid Game continues its global success with Season 3, controversy is growing over unauthorized merchandise being sold on Chinese online marketplaces.
On AliExpress, a global shopping platform operated by China’s largest e-commerce company Alibaba Group, users can still easily find bootleg items such as costumes featured in the series, T-shirts printed with actor Lee Jung-jae’s face, and posters — all produced without permission.
Similar issues surfaced during the releases of Seasons 1 and 2, when pirated copies and illegally manufactured goods flooded the Chinese market.
Several media outlets reported at the time that many of the popular Squid Game products sold on Korean online stores were traced back to factories in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Anhui province.
Critics say the situation has worsened, with even the actors’ likenesses being used without consent, dealing a blow to South Korea’s content industry.
Sungkyunkwan University professor Seo Kyung-duk condemned the practice in a social media post on July 6, saying, “It’s appalling to see them not only pirating shows but also profiting by violating actors’ portrait rights. This kind of theft of other countries’ content must stop.”
Notably, Netflix remains officially unavailable in China. Local viewers are believed to rely on illegal streaming services or VPNs to access the series.
