Has Amazon sent you a warning alleging copyright infringement? Have product images or descriptions been removed, or has a listing been shut down over a claim you don't recognize? This article is for sellers in that situation. We walk through how to identify the exact content and the level at which it was reported, how to check the license or permission behind each asset, how to choose the right response for your situation and word an appeal, and how to prevent this from happening again.
What happens with a copyright infringement complaint: the impact on policy and Account Health
Amazon prohibits listings that infringe a rights owner's intellectual property. The opening of the "Amazon Anti-Counterfeiting Policy" and related intellectual property Help pages notes that the page is not legal advice and that sellers with specific legal questions should consult an attorney. Even unintentional infringement can lead to a warning or suspension, and repeated violations can result in account closure. This article is based on Amazon Help pages, Japan's Copyright Act, materials from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and responses from Amazon staff on the Seller Forums, all as we were able to confirm them as of September 2026. Policies and on-screen labels can change, so also check the latest notifications and Help content.
| Severity | Example cited in the Account Health Rating materials | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| High | A valid infringement notice submitted by a rights owner, or a buyer report that a product is infringing or counterfeit | A deduction based on severity (normally 2 to 8 points per violation) |
| Critical | Counterfeit or pirated products confirmed through a test buy | Subject to suspension even for a single occurrence. The score drops to 0, with a three-day grace period before suspension |
Under the policy effective July 23, 2025, if violations of the same policy reach the limit within 180 days, the account can be suspended immediately. Because infringement carries a high severity and a low threshold, the limit may be set at two. A violation that reaches the limit is displayed as Critical, and if you don't respond within three days, your account is suspended until you complete your appeal. How to read your score is covered in how to check your Account Health Rating.
Identifying the "content in question" from the notification and your screens
Check things in the following order.
- Open Account Health in Seller Central and look for the removed listing on the Product Policy Compliance tab
- If it doesn't appear there, check your suspended listings in Inventory, and check the removal details and the affected ASIN in Performance Notifications
- If the ASIN from the notification doesn't appear in your inventory list, open a case through Help > Get Support > Selling on Amazon (a path Amazon staff have pointed to on the Forums)
Using what was removed to identify the level of the report
Amazon's Help for rights owners describes copyright infringement notices at three levels. What was removed is a clue to which level applies.
| Report level | What the rights owner reports | How the page and ASIN are treated | What to check on your side |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASIN level | An entire ASIN where copyrighted material is used on the product or packaging without permission | The whole ASIN is affected (all associated listings and images are reviewed) | Artwork on the product itself or its packaging |
| Seller level | Listings from a specific seller | The page remains | The actual item you ship (reporting at the listing level is said to require a test purchase) |
| Image/text | Images or text used without permission on the product detail page | The page remains | Which image or text, and where it came from |
Items to record from the notification
- The date of the notification and the affected ASIN/SKU
- The type of right cited (copyright, or a different right such as trademark)
- The content in question (the product, the packaging, a page image, or page text)
- The rights owner's contact information (included in the warning under Amazon's policy)
- What response is requested, and whether a deadline is stated
Amazon says it only handles the type of infringement selected on the report form, and that trademark and copyright require separate notices. Sort out notices received around the same time one at a time. Trademark notices are covered in what to check when a listing is removed over a suspected trademark violation, and an overview by type of right is covered in how to sort out intellectual property warnings.
Amazon itself also identifies violations through machine learning and expert review. The Help page for listings suppressed on suspicion of intellectual property infringement covers trademark rights, and directs sellers to contact Amazon Technical Support directly for "suspected infringement of other intellectual property rights." If the notification itself states how to respond, follow those instructions first. For how to frame what you tell them, see organizing what to say to Technical Support.
Is the content copyrighted? Being allowed to sell the product is separate from being allowed to use the material
Japan's Copyright Act defines a copyrighted work as "a creative expression of thoughts or sentiments that falls within the literary, scientific, artistic, or musical domain" (Article 2, paragraph 1, item 1), and gives literary works, artistic works, and photographs as examples (Article 10). The Agency for Cultural Affairs explains that mere facts, data, common expressions, or ideas do not qualify as copyrighted works, but whether a specific description or product photo qualifies is a case-by-case determination. Copyright arises automatically at the moment of creation, without registration (Article 17, paragraph 2). Whether the incidental-inclusion provision (Article 30-2) or the quotation provision (Article 32) applies to a product page is also decided case by case.
| Content | Use that tends to cause problems | What Amazon's Help says |
|---|---|---|
| Main and sub-images | Copying photos from another company's site, another seller's page, or social media | Photos from a third-party website should not be uploaded without permission |
| Description and product content | Copying text from a manufacturer's site or another company's catalog | Upload only images or text you created yourself or for which you have the copyright holder's permission |
| Artwork on the product or packaging | Illustrations or photos printed on the item without permission | Rights owners can report at the ASIN level or the seller level |
Amazon explains that, generally, a physical item such as a book or CD that was purchased legitimately can be resold without the copyright owner's permission, under the principle of copyright exhaustion (see also Article 26-2 of the Copyright Act; the concept of exhaustion may not apply to every product, so consult a professional if you're unsure). This applies to reselling the physical product itself — it does not mean you may take its images or description text from the manufacturer's site and use them.
Checking permissions: a log of where each asset came from, and the documents behind it
Next, confirm, item by item, who created each asset and what you're actually permitted to do with it. Amazon explains that photos you took yourself of your own product are normally copyrighted by you, the seller. The Agency for Cultural Affairs, however, notes that when photography or design work is outsourced, the party that actually created the work holds the copyright even though you paid for it, and a prior agreement is needed before the party that commissioned the work can use it.
A person who has been granted permission may use the work only "within the scope of the method and conditions of use covered by that permission" (Article 63, paragraph 2), and that right of use cannot be transferred without the copyright owner's consent (paragraph 3). If a manufacturer is itself using images under permission from a photographer or another creator, that permission does not necessarily extend to use by a retailer. Authors also hold a right of integrity (the right not to have their work altered against their will), so also confirm whether you're allowed to edit the material.
| Source | What to confirm | Records to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Shot or created in-house | Who created it and when | Original files from the shoot, records showing the date |
| Outsourced (photography, design, writing) | Whether the contract covers use on Amazon and any editing | Purchase order/contract, correspondence at delivery |
| Provided by a manufacturer or wholesaler | Who owns the rights, and whether use and editing on Amazon are permitted | A document showing the scope of permission |
| Stock asset site | Commercial use, use on an e-commerce site, whether editing is allowed | License type and purchase record |
| Another company's site, another seller, or social media | Whether the rights owner has given permission | The document showing permission was granted (if not, stop using it and replace it) |
Images on a product detail page are shared information common to every seller on that listing, but Amazon's Help cites an example where a different seller copying a rights owner's image and using it on "a different product detail page" can constitute infringement. Don't reuse an image from a shared listing on a new page.
Five items to check in a permission document
Amazon describes a Letter of Authorization (LOA) as a license agreement between the owner of a trademark, design patent, or copyright and a third party, and lists five elements. This Help content is written mainly with trademarks in mind, and an LOA isn't necessarily required for every copyright complaint, but it's a useful checklist for reviewing whatever permission document you have on hand.
- Grantor: the company or brand providing the rights
- Grantee: the company or brand receiving the right to use it (is it in your own name?)
- Scope of the grant: the intellectual property covered and the scope of rights granted
- Geographic scope: the regions where use is authorized
- Term: the authorization period (has it expired?)
Invoices, distribution or reseller agreements, receipts, and delivery notes are not accepted as an LOA. Purchasing documents alone don't establish permission to use images or text.
Choosing your response by situation: reply, request a retraction, dispute, or appeal
| Situation | Response Amazon's materials point to |
|---|---|
| A warning about a product you have never listed on Amazon | Reply to the notification stating that you have never listed it |
| You have a license or distributor relationship with the rights owner | Contact the rights owner and ask them to withdraw the complaint |
| You believe the copyright owner or Amazon removed the listing in error | Reply to the notification, explain specifically why you believe it's a mistake, and provide an invoice or order number showing the product is genuine |
| You've received multiple warnings but are confident you're selling genuine products | File a dispute with a list of the affected ASINs and at least one of: an invoice, an order number, or a document granting authorization from the rights owner (forwarded emails are not accepted) |
| Your account was suspended over an intellectual property infringement notice | File an appeal from your account dashboard, or reply to the suspension notice |
Invoices and order numbers mainly demonstrate that the product itself is genuine. Amazon does not clearly state how it handles documents that support your rights to an image or text, such as original photo files or a commissioning contract, so gather what the notification asks for and follow its instructions.
Don't confuse a "dispute" with an "appeal"
| Item | Dispute | Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | You show with evidence that the violation was detected in error | You acknowledge the violation occurred but show it wasn't intentional |
| When it fits | The material was created in-house, or its use fell within the scope of your permission | Unauthorized use, or use beyond the scope of permission, actually occurred |
| Once approved | The violation is removed as a mistaken determination | Even after the violation is removed, it may still count toward your repeat count within 180 days |
If you choose a dispute when unauthorized use actually did occur, your explanation may be read as inconsistent with the facts. In that case, choose an appeal that lays out your corrective actions instead.
Corrective steps and a sample appeal for cases of unauthorized use
STEP 1. Stop using the content in question and identify every other place the same asset appears
Remove the flagged image or text and replace it with material you created yourself or material whose permission you've confirmed. Text can be corrected by editing the listing in Inventory or through a bulk feed update. Images are replaced by uploading a new image from the listing edit screen (menu names and layouts vary by Help page and product, so follow the guidance in Seller Central). Also check whether the same asset appears anywhere else.
Record screenshots of the product detail page before and after the removal or replacement, along with the date, as supporting material for your appeal. Image updates can take up to 24 hours to appear, and because Amazon may display images from any of several sellers on a listing, the old image can still show even after you've removed it from your own listing. If it's still showing, follow the instructions in the notification and contact Amazon.
If the report is at the ASIN or seller level and concerns artwork on the product or packaging itself, replacing an image or a line of text won't resolve it. Stop selling the affected product, confirm with your supplier whether the item is authorized by the rights owner, and gather whatever the notification requests, such as an invoice or a document granting authorization from the rights owner. A violation confirmed as counterfeit or pirated through a test buy is treated as Critical severity.
STEP 2. Trace the cause down to the specific process step
Use your log of asset sources to trace how the unauthorized material ended up on the listing. Pinning down the exact step that was missing — for example, "we never confirmed the source of the material with our outsourced vendor" or "we only got the manufacturer's approval verbally" — makes your prevention measures concrete.
STEP 3. Submit your response from Account Health
Open the relevant violation in Account Health and follow the instructions to submit your appeal. While suspended, submit supporting documents from [Reactivate your account] at the top of the page. A response to a suspension is said to take up to about two days for a decision, but no review timeframe is stated for an appeal over a removed listing. The suspension process is covered in an overview of the path from account suspension to reinstatement. Professional sellers can also consult an Account Health specialist through Contact Us (preparation is covered in preparing before you contact Account Health Support).
Sample appeal text
Amazon's guidelines ask you to state the facts concisely, show the root cause and your corrective actions along with the date and supporting documents, and provide evidence for every ASIN under review. Below is a sample for a case where an outsourced vendor delivered product images that included a photo from another company's website (a hypothetical example, not an actual case).
Affected ASINs: B0XXXXXXXX, B0YYYYYYYY (all ◯ ASINs listed in the notification)
We had used a photo from a third-party website on the product detail pages for the ASINs above, without the rights owner's permission. The cause was that when we outsourced the creation of these product images, we had no process for verifying the source of the photos and the scope in which we were permitted to use them.
On [date], we removed all of the images in question and replaced them with photos we took ourselves.
To prevent recurrence, starting [date], we now log the creator, source, and scope of use for every image and piece of text before a listing goes live, we have signed an agreement with our outsourced vendor that defines the permitted scope of use, and a staff member other than the creator reviews each asset before it is published.
Attachments: screenshots of the product detail page before and after replacement, the original files of our own photos (showing the shoot date), and the contract with our vendor defining the scope of use
For more on how to structure this, see how to build a plan of action.
STEP 4. Consider asking the rights owner to withdraw the complaint
This can be pursued in parallel with STEP 3. The Account Health Rating materials explain that a violation is removed if the rights owner withdraws their intellectual property complaint. The report-form Help states that a rights owner can only retract a report submitted within the past 365 days. A retraction is something the rights owner sends to Amazon following the instructions in the warning, and whether to do so is entirely up to them.
Note that simply ending the listing or removing it from your inventory does not remove the violation from your Account Health page. A violation is removed when, for example, a dispute confirms the determination was a mistake, an appeal is approved, or you've taken the necessary corrective action — such as removing the infringing content — through the Account Health page. It's said that a violation becomes eligible for removal 180 days after it was added (if your account was suspended based on your Account Health Rating, it remains even after 180 days).
Points to keep in mind when contacting the rights owner
Keep your message limited to the facts and the corrective action you've already taken, and avoid language that pressures them to withdraw or hints at legal action. Because how you apologize or acknowledge the facts can affect a later discussion of legal liability, consider having an attorney review your message before you send it (especially if the correspondence mentions damages). Below is a sample message sent after replacing the material (a hypothetical example).
We had used a product photo taken by your company on our product detail page without permission. On [date], we removed all of the images in question and replaced them with photos we took ourselves. Going forward, we will confirm the source and scope of use of any material before it is published. If you would be willing to consider it, we would greatly appreciate your withdrawing the complaint filed with Amazon.
What not to do, and a note on information from overseas
- Opening a different account to keep selling: As a rule, you may maintain only one account per region you sell in, and any attempt to get around Amazon's systems is subject to suspension regardless of your score.
- Forging or altering a permission document: Creating a permission document under a rights owner's name, or altering its date or scope, is deceptive conduct and can lead to account suspension regardless of your score. Amazon may contact the rights owner directly to verify a letter of authorization.
- Continuing to use an unauthorized image after editing it: Cropping, adjusting colors, or adding text doesn't change the fact that it's being used without permission. Editing can also raise a separate issue, such as infringing the author's right of integrity. Stop using it and replace it with licensed material.
- Reporting a competitor's listing as someone's representative: Reporting on behalf of a rights owner when the report could benefit your own account is not permitted, and can result in your account being terminated.
- Filing a retaliatory report: Submitting multiple inaccurate or false notices can result in your reporting privileges being revoked.
The "DMCA counter notice" you may see referenced in English-language material is a procedure under US policy, and it does not appear on the Japan version of the same Help page. Don't apply an overseas procedure as-is. Also note that copyright infringement can expose you to a claim for an injunction (Article 112 of the Copyright Act) or damages (Article 709 of the Civil Code; the presumption of damages is covered by Article 114 of the Copyright Act) from the rights owner, and criminal penalties (such as under Article 119 of the Copyright Act) also apply. If you're unsure, consult an attorney early.
Preventing recurrence, and preparing in case your own material is used without permission
To check before every listing goes live
- Whether any image or text saved from another page or site has been mixed in
- Whether the artwork on the product or packaging requires the rights owner's permission
- Whether you've logged the creator and source of each asset
Original photo files and outsourcing contracts are also useful for explaining your own rights if you ever receive a complaint. Keep them on file by ASIN.
Conversely, if your own images are used without permission, you can report it through the Brand Registry reporting tool or, even without registration, through the "Report infringement of intellectual property rights" form. On the Seller Forums, there are posts describing a report on an old, no-longer-public image being returned as "not valid" (the reason isn't stated). Keep records that can demonstrate your material is original, as a matter of routine. If you keep receiving reports you suspect are harassment, also see keeping records and reporting suspected harassment.
Frequently asked questions
Q. A rights owner has contacted me directly demanding compensation.
A. This may require a legal response separate from Amazon's own process. Before you reply or agree to any payment, gather the notification and your own records, and consult an attorney.
Q. I received a notice about an image on a shared listing that I never added.
A. First check the report level and the affected ASIN. A shared listing may display an image chosen from among several that other sellers added. If you believe it's a mistake, reply to the notification with your specific reasoning.
Q. I was flagged for copyright infringement over a photo I took myself.
A. Reply to the notification with your specific reasoning for believing it's a mistake. Gather documents that support your rights, such as the original photo files, and follow the instructions in the notification.
Q. Is there no copyright risk with images or text made using AI?
A. It's not that simple. The answer requires a case-by-case judgment, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs has published materials on "AI and Copyright." For AI-made material, too, check before listing that it does not resemble existing images or text, and, as with any other material, record how it was created (such as the tool used and the creation date) in your log.
Summary
Responding to a copyright infringement complaint starts with identifying the specific content in question and confirming the permission behind that material.
- From the notification and your screens, write down the report level, the type of right, and the affected ASIN
- Being allowed to resell a product is separate from being allowed to use its images or text. Check the creator and scope of use for each asset
- Based on what you find, choose between replying to the notification, requesting a retraction, filing a dispute, or filing an appeal. Simply ending the listing doesn't remove the violation
- Because infringement has a low threshold for repeat violations, cut off the cause at the first occurrence and put pre-listing checks and record-keeping in place
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Further reading
Amazon trademark and counterfeit allegations: organizing sourcing evidence and rights information Read article → 
Listings removed for suspected trademark infringement: "Trademark misuse" (商標の悪用) notifications, and checking product details and rights Read article → 
Understanding Amazon intellectual property warnings: rights involved and supporting evidence Read article →