To report a counterfeit on TikTok Shop, the rights owner or an authorized agent uses the TikTok Shop Intellectual Property Protection Center (IPPC). You create or join an organization, verify your identity, register your trademark and wait for approval, then search for the infringing product, video or LIVE and file a complaint with supporting evidence.
TikTok Shop handles intellectual property complaints through the TikTok Shop Intellectual Property Protection Center (IPPC). Before you can report anything, you set up an organization, verify your identity and have your trademark or copyright approved. After that, you search for the infringing product, video or LIVE inside the IPPC and file a complaint with evidence.
The setup takes longer than a simple web form, but it pays off if you report more than once. This guide covers what TikTok Shop treats as infringement, what to prepare, each step in the IPPC, the web form alternative and why complaints get rejected.
What TikTok Shop considers an infringement
TikTok Shop's Intellectual Property Policy prohibits the unauthorized use of third-party intellectual property in listings, shops, videos and LIVEs. It names several situations.
| Type | What TikTok Shop describes | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| Counterfeit | An imitation product that shows a brand name, logo or trademark without permission | A fake of your product sold with your logo |
| Trademark | Unauthorized use of a brand's words, symbols or designs, including in shop names or avatars | A shop named after your brand |
| Copyright | Unauthorized use of photos, text, music or videos, including AI-modified versions of another seller's product images | Your product photos, lightly edited, on another listing |
| Knockoff | A product that imitates a branded product and may infringe a design | A lookalike that copies your protected design |
| Patent and publicity | Unauthorized use of a patented invention, or of a person's name or likeness | A product that reproduces your patented feature |
Videos and LIVEs matter on TikTok Shop because sellers often promote a copy in a short video that links to the product. The IPPC lets you search products, videos and LIVEs and report each one. Our guide on what trademark infringement is explains the legal idea in plain words.
What evidence you need
Prepare three sets of documents: who you are, what you own and what infringes.
- Identity documents. For businesses in the US, the IPPC guide accepts documents such as a business license, certificate of incorporation, certificate of good standing or an IRS EIN assignment letter. Individuals can use a passport, driver's license, state ID or permanent resident card. Other countries have their own lists.
- Trademark documents. The official registration certificate, plus renewal or ownership change documents if they apply. TikTok Shop says it does not accept screenshots or extracts from the WIPO portal. The right must be active in the country where you want to protect it.
- Copyright documents. A registration certificate, or for unregistered works the original file with its metadata, such as the raw photo.
- Evidence of infringement. For a counterfeit, side-by-side photos comparing the genuine product with the listing. For a video or LIVE, timestamped screenshots. For copied images, TikTok Shop asks for a 1:1 match with your work.
Our counterfeit evidence checklist lists what to collect for each listing before you file.
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| IPPC | IP rights web form | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | TikTok Shop's portal to register IP, search content and file complaints | An online form for IP complaints | Addresses listed in the IP policy |
| Who can use it | Rights owners and agents in a verified organization | Rights owners and authorized agents | Copyright and utility patent owners |
| Where | ippc.tiktokglobalshop.com | inapp.tiktokv.com/compliance/ecommerce-ipr | Copyright@tiktok.com; e-commerce.ipnotice@tiktok.com for utility patents |
| Setup | Identity verification and IP approval first | No organization setup | None |
| Tracking | Complaint Management page and email |
Inside the IPPC, each organization has three roles: Admin, Rights Owner and Agent, each with different permissions. A law firm or brand protection agency usually joins your organization as an Agent. If you already sell on TikTok Shop, linking your seller account syncs your brand authorizations to the IPPC and skips the identity check.
Registered design complaints are an exception: the IPPC guide says they cannot be filed in the IPPC and points to the web form instead.
How to report a counterfeit on TikTok Shop, step by step
- Open the IPPC. Go to ippc.tiktokglobalshop.com. TikTok Shop sellers sign in with their seller credentials; others click Sign Up.
- Create or join an organization. Create one for your brand, or request an invitation to an existing organization. Assign roles to your team and any agent.
- Verify your identity. Upload the accepted business or personal documents. The status page shows the review as pending, and the outcome arrives by email.
- Register your IP. On the IP Management page, click Upload IPR Documents, choose the asset type and upload the official documents. Wait for the approval email.
- Find the content and file. On the Complaint Management page, click Submit New Complaint, select the complaint type and the country, then search for the product, video or LIVE. Fill the form from top to bottom, because each choice changes the options that follow, and attach your evidence.
- Track the outcome. TikTok Shop emails the result and shows it on the Complaint Management page.
Expected review time
TikTok Shop does not publish a review time for complaints, identity verification or IP approval in its IPPC guide or IP policy. It says it notifies you by email at each stage. Plan for the setup to take some time before your first complaint, and do it before you need it urgently.
If TikTok Shop removes content, the seller can respond. The IP policy says accused users can appeal within 30 days, and copyright removals can be contested with a DMCA counter-notice.
Common reasons complaints are rejected
- The IP is not approved or not valid in that country. A US trademark does not support a complaint about content in another market unless you hold a right there too.
- The wrong proof of rights. A WIPO database screenshot instead of the official certificate.
- The wrong complaint type. A copied photo reported as a counterfeit, or a lookalike reported under a trademark it does not show.
- Weak comparison evidence. No side-by-side photos, or images that do not show where your trademark or work appears.
- No timestamp for video or LIVE content. LIVEs end, so undated screenshots are hard to verify.
TikTok Shop says a rejected complaint cannot be appealed. File a new complaint that adds what was missing.
Limits of the manual process
The IPPC search only covers TikTok Shop, and the same copy is often sold on Temu, AliExpress or Amazon at the same time. LIVEs and short videos are also short-lived: if you do not capture them when you see them, the evidence may be gone before you file. Sellers who lose a listing can create a new one, so you need a record of each listing, capture and complaint to show a pattern.
For authorized resellers, TikTok Shop also offers an electronic letter of authorization process in which participating brand owners approve seller requests. Keeping that list current makes it easier to tell a genuine reseller from a counterfeit seller.
How Valigard can help before you report
Valigard searches marketplaces worldwide, including TikTok Shop, with your official product photos, so it finds listings that reuse them even when your brand name is missing. For each listing you mark as likely counterfeit, it keeps the URL, a saved and timestamped copy of the page, the price, the seller's store and whether the listing was later removed or relisted. The TikTok Shop marketplace page summarizes what Valigard checks there, and our guide to reporting fake sellers on Facebook and Instagram covers Meta's tools.
When you are ready, the TikTok Shop reporting guide shows what to have ready, and Valigard prepares the text to copy into the IPPC. Valigard does not send reports: you file on TikTok Shop, then log the status and case number. It does not determine with legal certainty that a product is counterfeit, and it cannot guarantee removal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the TikTok Shop IPPC?
The Intellectual Property Protection Center is TikTok Shop's portal for rights owners. It lets you register trademarks, copyrights and designs, search TikTok Shop products, videos and LIVEs for possible infringement, and submit and track takedown complaints in one place.
Can I report a TikTok Shop counterfeit without the IPPC?
Yes. TikTok Shop's IP policy also lists an IP rights web form and email addresses for copyright and utility patent notices. The IPPC is the more complete route because your verified IP is stored and complaints are tracked in one place.
Does TikTok Shop accept a WIPO record as proof of my trademark?
Not as a screenshot. TikTok Shop's IPPC guide for the US says it does not accept screenshots or extracts from the WIPO portal as evidence. It asks for the official registration certificate, plus renewal or ownership change documents when relevant.
How long does TikTok Shop take to review an IP complaint?
TikTok Shop does not publish a review time in its IPPC guide or IP policy. It says it will email you the outcome and display it on the Complaint Management page. Identity and IP approvals are also notified by email.
Can I appeal if TikTok Shop rejects my complaint?
No. TikTok Shop says a rejected complaint cannot be appealed. You need to submit a new complaint with new or additional information, such as clearer comparison photos or the missing registration document.
Sources
- TikTok Shop Academy (US): The Intellectual Property Protection Center (IPPC), How To Use It
- TikTok Shop Academy (US): Intellectual Property Policy
- TikTok Shop Academy (US): How to use IPPC LOA Electronic Application
Last reviewed 27 Sep 2026. Marketplace procedures change; check the official pages before you file. This guide is general information, not legal advice.