An intellectual property (IP) complaint can take a listing down overnight. Too many of them can put the whole account at risk. They show up in Account Health > Intellectual Property Complaints, and each one counts against your account health rating until it's resolved.
What an IP complaint is
A rights owner tells Amazon that a listing infringes their:
- Trademark - a brand name or logo used without permission, including in keywords.
- Copyright - images, text or designs copied from someone else.
- Patent - a product that copies a protected invention or design.
Amazon usually removes the listing first and asks questions later.
Why sellers get them
- Using another brand's name in a title, bullets or backend keywords ("compatible with" wording needs care).
- Copying images or listing copy from competitors or from the supplier's own listings.
- Selling products from a supplier who doesn't have the right to sell that brand.
- Products that resemble a patented design.
- Sometimes, a competitor filing a false complaint to knock you off the page.
How to protect your brand
Register your trademark and join Brand Registry
A registered (or pending, through Amazon's IP Accelerator) trademark lets you enroll in Brand Registry. That gives you control over your listings and access to Amazon's brand protection tools, including Report a Violation to remove infringing sellers and copycats yourself.
Use only original content
Shoot your own photos and write your own copy. Keep the original files and dates, so you can prove ownership if anyone claims otherwise.
Check your suppliers
For any product that isn't your own brand, keep invoices and authorization letters from the brand owner or authorized distributor. "We bought it from a wholesaler" is rarely enough.
Be careful with other brands' names
Use another brand's name only where it's factually necessary, for example "compatible with" for accessories, and never in a way that suggests a connection. Keep competitor brand names out of backend search terms.
Watch your listings
Check your main listings regularly for changes you didn't make, new sellers on your ASINs and copies of your images elsewhere. Brand Registry's tools make this easier.
What to do if you receive one
- Read the notice carefully. Note the complaint type, the rights owner and their contact email.
- Don't relist or edit blindly. That can make things worse.
- Decide whether the complaint is valid.
- If it is: remove the infringing content or stop selling the product, then submit a plan of action showing what you've changed.
- If it isn't: gather evidence such as trademark certificates, authorization letters, invoices and original image files.
- Contact the rights owner. The quickest resolution is often a retraction: the rights owner tells Amazon they withdraw the complaint. Be polite and factual.
- Appeal through Account Health if you can't get a retraction, with clear evidence attached.
Keep records of every step. If complaints keep coming from the same source, Amazon's Brand Registry support can help with abusive notices.
The bottom line
Most IP complaints are avoidable with your own trademark, original content and documented suppliers. If one does arrive, act quickly and calmly, and resolve it rather than working around it.
Our customer service and account health support includes daily account health checks, so complaints and policy warnings are picked up and handled the day they appear.