How to Report an Alibaba.com Supplier for IP Infringement

Alibaba.com is a wholesale marketplace, so an infringing listing there is often the source of copies that later appear on retail sites. To report a supplier, you file a complaint on the Alibaba International IP Protection Platform (IPP) at ipp.aidcgroup.net, the portal that Alibaba.com's own IP rules name for rights holders worldwide. The complaint targets the supplier's product listings. A store built entirely on your brand is reported by email.

This guide explains what Alibaba.com treats as infringement, the evidence to gather from a supplier's pages, the filing steps, what happens to the supplier and where the process stops. For AliExpress, Taobao and the other Alibaba marketplaces, see our guide to reporting counterfeits on Alibaba and AliExpress.

What Alibaba.com considers an infringement

Alibaba.com's rules on IP enforcement, updated in February 2026, prohibit publishing, selling or offering to sell goods or information that infringe trademarks, copyrights or patents, and they add improper use of other rights such as geographical indications or trade secrets. Each type has its own definition and penalty.

Type	What the rules describe	Penalty for the supplier
Serious trademark infringement	An identical or similar mark on the product, packaging or promotional material, likely to confuse buyers, on goods that do not come from the owner or its authorized channels	Strikes; three strikes can lead to account closure
General trademark violation	Any other improper use of a registered trademark	No points the first time, then 6 points per repeat, closure possible at 48
Copyright infringement	Infringing copies, unauthorized images, text or video in listings or packaging, or links and QR codes that lead to pirated content	No points the first time, then 6 points per repeat, closure possible at 48
Patent infringement	Products that embody a valid invention, utility model or design patent without permission; serious when copying is willful, large-scale or repeated	Points, or strikes for serious cases

The rules also describe aggravating conduct, such as deliberately disguising or fragmenting infringing offers to evade checks, or submitting falsified documents. In those cases, and when a supplier is sued or investigated, the platform reserves the right to freeze funds and close associated accounts.

What evidence you need

Supplier pages carry more information than retail listings, and more of it is useful.

• Your identity and your right. A verified IPP account and a registration certificate for each right you enforce. Pending applications are not accepted.
• The product listing URLs. Every product page that infringes, not only the store's home page.
• A dated capture of each page. Include the title, photos, product attributes and any mention of your brand in the description.
• The supplier's company profile. Alibaba.com shows business information on the supplier's profile. Capture it: it helps you link several listings to one supplier and prepare any later legal step.
• The supplier's own statements. If a supplier confirms in a message that the goods are copies or "replicas" of your product, keep that message with its date.
• Proof of infringement. A comparison with your genuine product, or for a patent, an analysis report comparing each protected feature with the supplier's product.

Our IPP evidence checklist lists every document with the expected format.

Northmark GoodsHomeProductsSearchesReviewCounterfeitsReporting guidesTeam activitySettingsMLMaja LindOwner

CounterfeitsListings you marked Likely counterfeit, and where each report stands.

New searchEN

Product:Tarnby Down ParkaCheck which are still onlineExport

HomeReviewCounterfeitsSearchesMore

Report this listingWinter long down parka with fur hood, OEMalibaba.com · China · View listing

1How to report on Alibaba2Copy what to send

3Evidence

Their listingYour reference photoPriority 92 · Photo match 81% · Found in 3 searches · Relisted 1×US $21.00Tarnby Garment Factory StorePage saved 26 Sept 2026, 09:21 · Open full sizeSeller details Shop nameTarnby Garment Factory StoreSeller pagehttps://tarnbygarment.en.alibaba.comSave page again · $0.05Download evidence pack (PDF)Download as CSV

Status: DraftSave

The official reporting procedure

Alibaba.com's rules set out the framework. Rights holders provide proof of identity, ownership or authorization, and preliminary evidence of infringement, and they warrant that the materials are genuine. When a notice meets the legal requirements, the platform forwards it to the supplier, who may submit a counter-notice and appeal materials. The platform then reviews both sides and acts within a reasonable time.

In practice you have three channels, all run by the Alibaba International IPP: an IPP account (up to 300 links per complaint), the online form for occasional reports (up to 50 listings per submission), and email to aidc-ipr@alibaba-inc.com, which also handles store-level complaints.

How to report an Alibaba.com supplier, step by step

1. Confirm the infringement type. Your trademark on the products or photos, your copyrighted photos or text, or a patented product or design.
2. Set up and verify your IPP account. Register at ipp.aidcgroup.net with a shared company email, or sign in with an Alibaba.com account. Upload your identity document and the certificate for each right.
3. Capture the supplier's pages. Product pages, the company profile and any relevant messages, each with its date.
4. Start the complaint. Choose Complaint Submission, then Submit a Complaint, and select Alibaba.com as the platform.
5. Select the right and the reason. Pick the IPR type, your verified right and the reason that matches what you found.
6. Explain and attach. In a few factual sentences, say what infringes and where: which image, which part of the product, which claim of your patent. Attach the comparison.
7. Paste the URLs and verify them. Click Verify Listings, remove any link that fails, then submit and keep the case number.
8. Report the store if needed. For a store built on your brand, email aidc-ipr@alibaba-inc.com from your IPP account address with the serial number of the verified right.

How long the review takes

The international IPP estimates complaint review at generally three to five working days, after an account verification of about three working days. The supplier can then appeal, up to three times, and each round is reviewed on the materials from both parties. Alibaba.com's rules commit only to acting within a reasonable timeframe, so treat those figures as estimates.

Common reasons complaints are rejected

• The complaint is not about IP. Breaches of a distribution contract, pricing below MAP and disputes about an order are not accepted through the IPP.
• A store page instead of product pages. The form validates listing URLs. Store complaints go by email.
• A right that is not valid in the relevant jurisdiction. IP rights are territorial. Many brands whose suppliers are in China register their marks there first: see our guide to registering a trademark in China.
• Weak patent evidence. A patent complaint needs an analysis report that explains the protected features in plain language and shows each one in the accused product.
• Duplicate or dead links. Links already under another complaint, or already removed, fail validation.

The limits of reporting by hand

An Alibaba.com complaint removes listings, but suppliers can publish new ones, and the same factory may sell through several stores. The IPP also cannot tell you where the goods end up: copies bought wholesale on Alibaba.com are often resold on retail marketplaces with your photos and without your brand name.

If you intend to take legal action, the international IPP can disclose limited registration details about a supplier after a successful takedown, on a signed commitment that the information is only for that purpose. This is general information, not legal advice: involve counsel before you rely on it.

How Valigard can help before you report

Valigard searches marketplaces worldwide, including Alibaba.com and retail sites such as AliExpress, with your official product photos, so it finds listings that reuse them even without your brand name. For each listing you mark as likely counterfeit, it keeps the URL, a saved and timestamped copy of the page, the price and the supplier's name and page, and it shows how many searches found the same listing. A seller look-up is available for $0.50 per seller, and Valigard for Alibaba.com describes what the search covers.

Valigard does not file complaints: you submit them on the IPP, then log the status and case number. It does not determine with legal certainty that a product is counterfeit and cannot guarantee that Alibaba.com will remove a listing.