To remove a counterfeit listing on Amazon, the rights owner or their agent reports it through Brand Registry's Report a Violation tool, or through the public Report Infringement form if the brand is not enrolled. The report names the listing, the rights infringed and how you know the product is fake. Amazon then decides on removal.
Amazon gives rights owners two ways to report a counterfeit listing: the Report a Violation tool inside Amazon Brand Registry, and the public Report Infringement form for brands that are not enrolled. Both lead to the same decision: Amazon reviews the report and chooses whether to remove the listing. What changes the outcome is how clearly the report shows which rights are infringed and why the product is not genuine.
This guide walks through what Amazon considers infringement, the evidence to prepare, the steps to file, how long reviews usually take and the reasons reports get rejected.
What Amazon considers an infringement
Amazon's reporting tools cover three types of intellectual property. Choosing the right one matters, because each report type asks for different information.
| Type | What it covers | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| Trademark and counterfeit | Products or listings that use your registered brand name or logo without permission, including fake copies of your product | A listing selling a copy of your product under your brand name |
| Copyright | Your creative work used without permission | Your product photos or listing text copied onto another seller's listing |
| Patent | Unauthorized copies of a patented invention or design | A product that reproduces your patented mechanism |
A counterfeit is a product that imitates yours and carries your trademark so that buyers believe it is genuine. A product that simply looks similar, without your brand name or logo, is usually not a counterfeit in Amazon's sense, although it may still infringe a design patent or copy your photos.
Counterfeit or unauthorized seller?
A genuine product resold by a seller you did not authorize is not a counterfeit. Amazon generally does not remove genuine products because the seller is outside your distribution network. Our guide to removing unauthorized sellers on Amazon covers the options that remain.
What evidence you need
Amazon asks you to show three things: that you own the rights, which listing infringes them, and why. Prepare the following before you open the form.
- Your rights. The trademark registration number and the country that issued it, or the copyright or patent details.
- The listing. The listing URL and the ASIN, the 10-character product identifier shown on the page. If the problem is one seller's offer on a shared listing, note the seller's name.
- A dated capture of the page. Listings are edited and removed. A screenshot or saved copy with the date shows what was offered when you found it.
- How you know it is fake. For a counterfeit claim, Amazon asks how you determined that the product is not genuine. Useful evidence includes differences in packaging, labels, serial numbers or quality.
- A test purchase, when you can. Buying the item and comparing it with your genuine product is often the strongest evidence. Keep the Order ID: the form has a field for it.
Northmark GoodsHomeProductsSearchesReviewCounterfeitsReporting guidesTeam activitySettingsMLMaja LindOwner
New searchENThe two official reporting paths
| Brand Registry: Report a Violation | Report Infringement form | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Brands enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry | Rights owners and their agents, enrolled or not |
| Where | brandregistry.amazon.com, Report a Violation | amazon.com/report/infringement |
| Account needed | A Brand Registry account | Any Amazon account |
| Search tools | Search by ASIN, keyword or image | No search: you paste each URL or ASIN |
| Tracking | Submission History tab with real-time status | Replies by email |
If your brand qualifies, Brand Registry is the better route: its structured forms guide you step by step, and the Submission History tab shows where every report stands. Enrollment requires a registered trademark, or an eligible pending application, from a trademark office of a country with an Amazon store. Our guide to what Brand Registry covers explains the requirements in detail.
How to report a counterfeit listing, step by step
- Confirm you can report. You must be the rights owner or an agent authorized by them. Agents should keep a letter of authorization ready.
- Collect the evidence. Save the listing URL and ASIN, a dated capture of the page and the seller's name. For a counterfeit, add the Order ID of a test purchase if you made one.
- Open the right tool. Use Report a Violation in Brand Registry if your brand is enrolled. Otherwise, open the Report Infringement form and sign in with any Amazon account.
- Select the infringement type. Choose trademark or counterfeit, copyright or patent. For counterfeits, select the counterfeit option rather than a general trademark concern.
- Identify the listing and your rights. Enter the ASIN or URL, the trademark registration number and, if relevant, the seller.
- Explain how you know. In a few factual sentences, describe what shows the product is not genuine: what differs from your product, and how you checked.
- Submit and note the reference. Keep the confirmation email or the submission ID, and the date you filed.
How long Amazon takes to review a report
Amazon does not publish a fixed review time. Reports filed through Brand Registry are commonly reviewed within a few business days, and the Submission History tab shows their status as they progress. Reports filed through the public form are answered by email.
If Amazon needs more information, it will ask. Answer with the specific evidence it requests rather than resubmitting the same report.
Common reasons reports are rejected
- The wrong report type. A copied photo reported as a counterfeit, or a lookalike product reported under a trademark it does not use.
- No link to your rights. The report does not show which registered trademark, copyright or patent the listing infringes.
- Not enough evidence of counterfeiting. Saying that the price is too low is rarely enough. Explain what differs from your genuine product, ideally after a test purchase.
- A test purchase filed too early. If you cite a test purchase, wait until the order is delivered before you file.
- A genuine product. Amazon does not remove genuine goods only because the seller is unauthorized.
If a report is rejected, read the reply carefully: it usually says what was missing. Resubmit once with the missing element rather than filing the same report again.
The limits of reporting by hand
Filing one report is manageable. The difficulty is everything around it. Copies often appear on several of Amazon's stores at once, such as amazon.com, amazon.de and amazon.co.uk, and on other marketplaces the same week. Sellers relist under new listings after a removal. Screenshots end up in folders, report numbers in emails, and nobody can say which listings came back.
Amazon's own tools only look inside Amazon. They do not tell you whether the same copy is sold on eBay, Temu or a regional store, and they do not keep your evidence in one record across marketplaces.
How Valigard helps before you report
Valigard searches marketplaces worldwide with your official product photos, so it finds listings that reuse them even when your brand name is not in the title. For each listing you mark as likely counterfeit, it keeps the listing URL, a saved and timestamped copy of the page, the price and the seller's details. When you are ready, the Amazon reporting guide opens with the steps and what to have ready, and Valigard prepares the text to copy into Amazon's form.
Valigard does not send reports: you file on Amazon, then log the status and case number, so your team always knows which listings were reported, removed or relisted. Valigard does not determine with legal certainty that a product is counterfeit, and it cannot guarantee that Amazon will remove a listing.
Frequently asked questions
Can I report a counterfeit on Amazon without Brand Registry?
Yes. Rights owners and their agents who are not enrolled in Brand Registry can use Amazon's public Report Infringement form at amazon.com/report/infringement. Brand Registry adds tools such as image search, bulk reporting and a submission history.
Do I need a test purchase to report a counterfeit?
Amazon asks how you determined that a product is counterfeit. A test purchase is not always required, but it is often the strongest evidence, because you can compare the item in hand with your genuine product and give Amazon the Order ID.
How long does Amazon take to review a report?
Amazon does not publish a fixed delay. Reports filed through Brand Registry are commonly reviewed within a few business days, and you can follow their status in the Submission History tab.
Can a buyer report a counterfeit product to Amazon?
Yes, but through a different route. Buyers can contact Amazon customer service about an item they received. The Report Infringement form and Brand Registry are reserved for rights owners and their authorized agents.
What if the listing comes back after it was removed?
Report it again with the new listing URL and mention the earlier report. Keeping a dated record of each listing and each report makes repeat cases much easier to document.
Sources
- Sell on Amazon: How to report a violation to Amazon
- Amazon: Report Infringement form
- Sell on Amazon: Amazon Brand Registry
- Sell on Amazon: Brand Registry requirements and tips
Last reviewed 27 Sep 2026. Marketplace procedures change; check the official pages before you file. This guide is general information, not legal advice.