To report a counterfeit on Walmart Marketplace, the rights owner or an authorized agent files a claim through the Walmart Brand Portal or the public IP Claim Form, selecting the counterfeit option. The claim identifies the rights owner, the item URLs or IDs and the reason, under penalty of perjury. Walmart reviews it and may remove the listing.
Walmart gives rights owners two ways to report counterfeit listings on its marketplace: the Walmart Brand Portal, for brands that have registered, and the public IP Claim Form, for everyone else with the right to file. In both cases you select the counterfeit option, identify the items and declare under penalty of perjury that you own the rights or act for the owner. Walmart then reviews the claim and decides whether to remove the listing.
This guide covers what Walmart treats as infringement, the evidence to prepare, how the two tools differ, the steps to file, what Walmart does next and the reasons claims fail.
What Walmart considers an infringement
Walmart's help center lists five types of claims for items on Walmart.com: copyright, trademark, patent, publicity and counterfeit. The claim form itself asks you to choose between Trademark, Patent, Counterfeit and Copyright.
| Type | What it covers | How Walmart handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Counterfeit | Inauthentic items intended to appear authentic | Walmart may remove the content and take further measures |
| Trademark | Use of your registered trademark likely to cause confusion | Walmart forwards the claim to the seller before acting, and may remove infringing content |
| Copyright | Your photos, videos, artwork or other creative work used without permission | Handled as a DMCA notice; the seller can file a counter notice |
| Patent | A product that infringes your US patent | Walmart forwards the claim to the seller and may remove infringing content |
Two points in Walmart's wording matter. For trademark and patent claims, Walmart says it does not mediate disputes: it forwards the claim to the seller, expecting the two parties to resolve it. For counterfeits, it reserves the right to remove the content and to take any further measures it considers appropriate.
Unauthorized resellers are out of scope
The IP Claim Form states that Walmart does not support unauthorized reseller claims. Walmart runs a single catalog where several sellers can offer the same item, and its help center explains that exclusive distribution agreements are not enforced as intellectual property. For genuine goods, Walmart suggests contacting the seller through the seller name on the listing. Our guide to grey market goods covers the other options.
What evidence you need
- Your rights. For trademark and counterfeit claims, a registered trademark and its registration number. Walmart's help page refers to registered trademarks and to US trademark law.
- The rights owner's details. The IP owner's name, company name, full address and phone number. The claim form requires all of them.
- The items. The item URL or item ID of each listing, and the seller's name as shown on the listing.
- A dated capture of each page. Listings change; a saved copy shows what was offered when you filed.
- Why it is counterfeit. What differs from your genuine product: packaging, labels, materials, serial numbers. A test purchase is often the strongest evidence.
- Your authority, if you file for someone else. The form asks whether you file as the rights owner or as a third party. An agent should have written authorization from the owner.
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New searchENThe official reporting procedure
| Walmart Brand Portal | IP Claim Form | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Brands registered in Brand Portal | Rights owners and authorized third parties, with or without an account |
| Where | brandportal.walmart.com, after registration | brandportal.walmart.com/ipservices |
| Account needed | Brand Portal account, created with Seller Center credentials | No |
| Trademark requirement | A valid US trademark registration | A registered trademark for trademark and counterfeit claims |
| Tracking | Claims tracked in the portal | Status updates by email |
Who can register for Brand Portal. Walmart's registration guide says brands register with their existing Seller Center credentials and enter the trademark registration number and brand name, which must match the registration. Walmart reviews each application. Walmart says Brand Portal is available to sellers based in the US, the UK, Canada, India, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam who hold a valid US trademark.
Everyone else can use the public IP Claim Form. Walmart's own guide points brands without a Brand Portal account to that form.
How to report a counterfeit listing, step by step
- Confirm you can file. You are the rights owner or authorized to act for them, and the item is counterfeit or infringing, not a genuine resale.
- Collect the evidence. Item URLs and IDs, the seller's name, dated captures and, if you made one, the test purchase order number.
- Open the right tool. Sign in to Brand Portal if your brand is registered. Otherwise, open the IP Claim Form.
- Choose the marketplace. At the time of writing, the form offers Walmart US, Walmart Canada and Walmart Mexico.
- Enter the reporter and rights owner details. Say whether you file as rights owner or third party, then give the owner's name, company, address and phone.
- Select Counterfeit as the type of infringement, then the reason that fits best.
- Add the items and the claim details. List each item URL or ID and explain, in a few factual sentences, why the product is not genuine.
- Submit once. Walmart warns that duplicate claims increase processing times. Keep the confirmation and the date.
What Walmart does after a claim
Walmart says it aims to process and investigate claims promptly and to take appropriate action under applicable law. For counterfeits, that can mean removing the listing and further measures against the seller. For trademark and patent claims, Walmart first forwards the claim to the seller. For copyright claims, the seller can send a DMCA counter notice asking for the listing to be republished; see our guide to DMCA takedown notices for how that process works.
Walmart also applies a repeat infringer policy: sellers who receive multiple valid claims can see their listings removed and their relationship with Walmart suspended or terminated.
Expected review time
Walmart does not publish a fixed review time. The claim form says the team will review the claim and send status updates by email. Brand Portal lets registered brands follow their claims in one place.
Common reasons claims are rejected
- Incomplete or inaccurate information. Walmart says it may be unable to process a claim with missing or wrong details.
- An unauthorized reseller claim. Genuine goods sold by a seller you did not approve are not an IP claim at Walmart.
- The wrong type of infringement. A copied photo filed as counterfeit, or a lookalike filed under a trademark it does not use.
- No registered trademark. Trademark and counterfeit claims rely on a registered mark.
- Duplicate claims. Filing the same claim several times slows processing rather than speeding it up.
The limits of the manual process
Each claim covers the items you list. Walmart's tools do not search other marketplaces, and the same copies often appear on Amazon, eBay and Temu, or on Walmart's stores in other countries such as walmart.com.mx. Keeping track of which items you claimed, which were removed and which came back quickly becomes a spreadsheet problem.
How Valigard helps before you report
Valigard searches marketplaces worldwide, including Walmart and regional stores such as walmart.com.mx, 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, Valigard keeps the item URL, price, seller details and a saved, timestamped copy of the page. The Walmart reporting guide lists what to have ready and provides report text to copy. See how it works on Walmart, or review our counterfeit evidence checklist.
Valigard does not send claims: you file through Brand Portal or the IP Claim Form, 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 Walmart Brand Portal?
It is Walmart's platform for brand owners to register their brands, submit intellectual property claims and track them, and manage brand content on Walmart.com. Registration uses Seller Center credentials and requires a valid US trademark registration that matches the brand name you enter.
Can I report a counterfeit on Walmart without a Brand Portal account?
Yes. Walmart offers a public IP Claim Form for rights owners and their authorized agents who do not have a Brand Portal account. You choose the marketplace, enter the rights owner's details, select the type of infringement and list the items.
Does Walmart remove unauthorized resellers?
No. The IP Claim Form states that Walmart does not support unauthorized reseller claims, and its help center says exclusive distribution agreements are a matter between the manufacturer and its retailers. For genuine goods, Walmart suggests contacting the seller directly.
How long does Walmart take to review an IP claim?
Walmart does not publish a fixed review time. The claim form says the team will review the claim and send status updates by email. Walmart also warns that duplicate claims increase processing times, so submit each claim once.
Which Walmart marketplaces does the IP Claim Form cover?
At the time of writing, the form lets you choose Walmart US, Walmart Canada or Walmart Mexico. Walmart's help center describes the process for items listed on Walmart.com, so check the rules for other countries before you file there.
Sources
- Walmart: Claims of Intellectual Property Infringement
- Walmart Brand Portal: Intellectual Property (IP) Claim Form
- Walmart Marketplace Learn: Brand Portal, register your brand
- Walmart Marketplace: Brand Portal
Last reviewed 27 Sep 2026. Marketplace procedures change; check the official pages before you file. This guide is general information, not legal advice.