This guide is Part 2 of Red Points’ 3-part Amazon brand protection series
- Part 1: How to remove a counterfeit from Amazon (step by step) — gather your IP documentation and identify the infringement before filing
- Part 2: How to report copyright, trademark, and patent infringement on Amazon ← You are here
- Part 3: Amazon brand protection programs — Brand Registry, Project Zero, Transparency, and Brand Gating explained
TL;DR — What you’ll learn
- Amazon offers two reporting paths: the public Report Infringement form (open to anyone) and Brand Registry’s Report a Violation tool (faster, more powerful, requires trademark registration).
- Copyright, trademark, and patent infringement each follow a different reporting process on Amazon and cannot be combined in a single submission; file separately for each type.
- Amazon’s APEX program handles patent disputes for U.S. utility patents only. The initial filing is free; the full evaluation costs each party $4,000 (refunded to the winner), with an average resolution time of approximately 7 weeks.
- Project Zero allows Brand Registry brands to remove confirmed counterfeit listings immediately, but only for counterfeits, and only for brands maintaining a 99% accuracy rate on their RAV reports.
- Each Amazon marketplace (amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.de, etc.) operates independently; a successful complaint on one store does not affect the others.
Why reporting Amazon infringement matters
Amazon’s third-party marketplace hosts hundreds of millions of product listings from sellers around the world. Most are legitimate. But a meaningful share are not: selling counterfeits, stealing product images, hijacking listings, or using brand names without any authorization. For rights holders, this results in lost revenue, brand dilution, and customer confusion. Because Amazon moves so quickly, an infringing listing can cause thousands of dollars in damage before it is manually spotted.
What are the two ways to report infringement on Amazon?
Amazon offers two distinct reporting routes: the public report infringement form and the Amazon Brand Registry. Choosing the right one from the start saves considerable time.
Path 1: Amazon’s public Report Infringement form
Available at amazon.com/report/infringement. No Amazon Seller or Vendor account required — any Amazon account works. Open to any rights owner or authorized agent. Best suited for one-off reports or brands not yet enrolled in Brand Registry.
Path 2: Amazon Brand Registry — Report a Violation (RAV)
Available inside Amazon Brand Registry to enrolled brands. Faster, more powerful, and unlocks additional enforcement tools, including Project Zero, Amazon Transparency, and APEX for patent disputes. If your brand has an active registered trademark (or, in some countries, a pending application), this is the path worth setting up first.
What qualifies as copyright, trademark, or patent infringement on Amazon?
Before filing a report, it’s worth being precise about what each type covers. Filing the wrong category is one of the most common reasons complaints are delayed or rejected.
Copyright infringement occurs when someone uses your original creative work without permission. On Amazon, this most often means product photos, product descriptions, A+ Content, instructional manuals, or packaging text copied onto another listing.
Trademark infringement occurs when a seller uses your registered brand name or logo without authorization — in a product title, storefront name, listing description, or bullet points — in a way likely to cause customer confusion.
Patent infringement occurs when a seller manufactures or sells a product incorporating your patented invention without a license. On Amazon, pursuing this effectively requires a registered U.S. utility patent to access Amazon’s dedicated APEX enforcement program.
Important
One listing can infringe multiple rights simultaneously. A counterfeit product might use your trademark and your copyrighted images at the same time. In that case, you must file separate reports for each type; Amazon does not allow them to be combined.
How to report copyright infringement on Amazon
What does copyright protect on Amazon?
Copyright protects original works of authorship. For brand owners and sellers, the most commonly infringed assets are product photography, product descriptions, and bullet copy, A+ Content, instructional manuals or packaging text, and branded graphics or design elements. Copyright protection arises automatically at the moment of creation; no registration is needed to own the right. However, registering with the U.S. Copyright Office gives you significantly stronger legal standing if the matter escalates.
Note: Watch for “AI-cloned” imagery where sellers use generative AI to modify your photos just enough to bypass simple filters. Amazon now uses “Visual Fingerprinting” to detect these.
How to report copyright infringement manually: step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Gather Evidence. You need the ASINs and a URL to the original work.
- Step 2: Access the Form. Sign in to the public portal or RAV.
- Step 3: Select “Copyright”. You must file separate reports if a listing also infringes a trademark.
- Step 4: Describe the Work. Be specific. Vague descriptions (e.g., “they took my photo”) are the #1 cause of rejection in 2026.
- Step 5: Identify ASINs. List every variant (size/color) individually, or the unclaimed ones will stay live.
- Step 6: Submit. Save your Case ID for follow-up.
If you’re enrolled in Brand Registry, log in and navigate to Protect > Report a Violation. Search Amazon’s catalog by keyword, ASIN, or image, select Copyright as the violation type, and follow the guided flow. Brand Registry provides real-time complaint tracking and allows batch submissions, significantly faster than the public form.
How to report trademark infringement on Amazon
What does trademark protect on Amazon?
Trademarks cover brand names, logos, and slogans. Common 2026 violations include Listing Hijacking and unauthorized use of a brand name in a product title.
A registered trademark is generally required. A pending application is not sufficient for the standard Report Infringement form, though Brand Registry does accept pending applications from certain trademark offices for enrollment.
The “Brand Catalog Lock”
Enrolled brands should activate “Brand Catalog Lock” within Brand Registry. This prevents unauthorized sellers from suggesting “edits” to your listing titles or images, a common tactic for hijackers.
How to report trademark infringement manually: step-by-step instructions
- Step 1: Have your trademark registration details ready. You’ll need your registration number, the jurisdiction (e.g., USPTO for the U.S., EUIPO for Europe), and specific evidence of the violation like screenshots, URLs, and ASINs.
- Step 2: Access the Form. Go to amazon.com/report/infringement
- Step 3: Select “Trademark”. Provide your registration number and jurisdiction. Describe specifically how the listing infringes your mark, for example, “the product title uses our registered mark ‘X’ without authorization.”
- Step 4: Enter ASINs. Use the RAV tool for proactive keyword and image searching.
- Step 5: Submit.
How to report trademark infringement via Brand Registry (RAV)
Brand Registry’s RAV tool is particularly powerful for trademark enforcement. Once enrolled, you can proactively search the entire Amazon catalog, by keyword or image, for potential violations.
Brand Registry also unlocks Project Zero for qualifying brands. Project Zero allows enrolled brands to immediately remove confirmed counterfeit listings without waiting for Amazon to review the complaint. Note that Project Zero is specifically for counterfeit removal; other infringement types (trademark misuse, copyright violations, patent claims) still go through RAV. Eligibility requires a 90% acceptance rate on RAV reports over the previous six months; maintaining access requires a 99% accuracy rate.
How to report patent infringement on Amazon (APEX)
What is Amazon’s APEX patent program?
Amazon handles utility patent disputes through APEX (Amazon Patent Evaluation Express), launched formally in 2022 after a beta period. APEX is significantly faster and less expensive than federal litigation, producing a non-binding evaluation that Amazon will enforce within its platform. Patent infringement is the most technically complex of the three types to pursue on Amazon.
APEX key facts
- Only valid, issued U.S. utility patents qualify; design patents, pending applications, and foreign patents are not eligible.
- You can report up to 20 infringing ASINs per APEX submission.
- If accused sellers choose not to participate, their ASINs are removed automatically, no evaluation needed.
- If sellers do participate, both parties pay a $4,000 deposit directly to a neutral patent attorney evaluator; the winning party’s deposit is refunded.
- Briefing timeline: patent owner has 21 days to submit, seller has 14 days to respond, patent owner has 7 days for an optional reply, evaluator issues a decision within 14 days.
- Average time to final resolution: approximately 7 weeks.
- After a successful outcome, you receive an APEX ID to report future infringement of the same patent more efficiently.
How to file a patent complaint via APEX manually: step-by-step
APEX is only accessible through the Amazon Brand Registry.
- Step 1: Access Report a Violation in Brand Registry. Log in to Brand Registry and navigate to Protect > Report a Violation.
- Step 2: Select Patent as the violation type and opt into APEX. Enter your U.S. utility patent number. Amazon will review the submission to confirm it meets APEX eligibility criteria.
- Step 3: Identify the infringing ASINs and prepare your claim chart. Provide specific ASINs and a clear, claim-by-claim explanation of how the accused product infringes your patent. Prepare a formal claim chart before submitting; vague submissions are significantly more likely to be challenged.
- Step 4: Sign the APEX Agreement. If Amazon accepts, they’ll send you an APEX Agreement to complete and return. Amazon then contacts accused sellers and gives them three weeks to decide whether to participate.
- Step 5: Evaluation proceeds (if sellers participate). Both parties wire $4,000 to the neutral evaluator. Briefs are submitted on the schedule above. The evaluator issues a decision.
- Step 6: Amazon enforces the outcome. If the evaluator finds infringement, listings are removed. If not, they stay up, but your $4,000 deposit is returned.
Design patents and non-Brand Registry users
Design patents cannot be used in APEX. Suspected design patent infringement can be reported via the public Report Infringement form by selecting “Other” and describing the violation. If you don’t have Brand Registry, you can also report suspected utility patent infringement via the public form, but the APEX enforcement mechanism is only available through Brand Registry.
What happens after you file an infringement report on Amazon?
Amazon’s standard response time for copyright and trademark complaints is 1 to 3 business days. If you receive no response within that window, resubmit with additional supporting documentation.
When Amazon accepts a complaint, the infringing listing should be removed or suppressed. Watch carefully, Amazon sometimes marks a product “unavailable” rather than fully deleting the listing. If it persists in any form, resubmit the complaint.
- Check every marketplace separately. Each Amazon store (amazon.de, amazon.co.uk, amazon.co.jp, etc.) operates independently. A successful complaint on amazon.com has no effect on other regional stores.
- Keep thorough records. Document every report filed, every case number, every Amazon response, and every action taken. This is critical if the same seller reappears or if you ever need to escalate.
- Watch for counter-notices. If a seller disputes your claim, Amazon may contact you for additional information. Sellers have 10 days to respond to accepted claims before removal proceeds.
- Monitor for reappearance. Bad actors frequently relist under new ASINs or new seller accounts after being removed. Active monitoring is essential to prevent the same seller from returning.
What are the most common mistakes when reporting Amazon infringement?
- Filing the wrong infringement type. A listing using your brand name is a trademark issue, not a copyright issue. The wrong selection delays or invalidates the complaint.
- Missing ASINs. Products sold in multiple sizes, colors, or bundle configurations often have separate ASINs. If you only report one, the others remain active.
- Insufficient rights documentation. Vague descriptions like “they copied my product” without specific documentation consistently slow down or kill complaints. Be precise about what was copied, from where, and how.
- Misusing reporting tools. Amazon tracks complaint accuracy. Filing bad-faith or inaccurate reports can result in your reporting privileges being suspended. Project Zero specifically requires a 99% accuracy rate to maintain access.
Manual reporting vs. Red Points’ AI-led enforcement: which is right for your brand?
While both approaches have a role, the core challenge is whether manual reporting can match the volume and sophisticated speed of modern infringement. Below is a comparative analysis of manual reporting versus the scale provided by Red Points’ Amazon Brand Protection Services:
| Factor | Manual Reporting Via Amazon’s public form or Brand Registry RAV | Automated Enforcement Red Points’ Amazon Brand Protection software |
| Detection | Reactive – You must find the infringement yourself — typically after a customer complaint or manual search | Proactive – 24/7 automated scanning using keyword search, image recognition, and machine learning across Amazon’s full catalog |
| Speed | Hours to days per report — manual review, evidence gathering, and form submission required for each listing | Violations are detected and reported automatically in near real time, before significant sales are lost |
| Scale | Limited – Practical for occasional violations; becomes unmanageable at dozens or hundreds of listings | Unlimited – Handles high-volume enforcement across thousands of listings without additional headcount |
| Coverage | One marketplace at a time — international stores require separate manual submissions | Monitors Amazon globally alongside other major marketplaces (Walmart, eBay, etc.) from a single dashboard |
| Evidence quality | Depends on the brand’s own documentation practices; variable across team members | Consistent, structured evidence capture with screenshots, ASIN data, and documentation compiled automatically |
| Cost | Free to file, but staff time and opportunity cost are significant at scale | Platform fee (see pricing; delivers strong ROI at volume through recovered revenue and reduced team hours |
| Best for | Brands with low infringement frequency, a single primary marketplace, and capacity for manual monitoring | Brands with recurring violations, large product catalogs, international presence, or limited internal IP enforcement resources |
Key takeaways
- Amazon offers two reporting paths: the public Report Infringement form (open to anyone) and Brand Registry’s Report a Violation tool (requires enrollment, significantly more powerful).
- Copyright, trademark, and patent infringement each follow a different reporting process and cannot be combined; file separately for each type.
- For patent disputes, Amazon’s APEX program requires a valid issued U.S. utility patent. The initial filing is free; the full evaluation costs each party $4,000, refunded to the winner, with an average resolution time of approximately 7 weeks.
- After filing, verify the listing is fully removed — not just marked “unavailable” — and repeat the process for every Amazon marketplace where the violation exists.
Read part 3: Amazon brand protection programs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need a registered trademark or copyright registration to file a report?
For copyright, no protection arises automatically at creation, though registration strengthens your legal position if the matter escalates. For trademark, a registered mark is generally required for effective enforcement. For patents, a valid issued U.S. utility patent is required for APEX.
What’s the difference between the public Report Infringement form and Brand Registry’s RAV tool?
The public form handles individual complaints and is open to anyone with an Amazon account. Brand Registry’s Report a Violation tool lets you search Amazon’s entire catalog proactively, submit batch reports, track complaint status in real time, and access advanced enforcement tools, including Project Zero and APEX. Brand Registry is free to enroll in and significantly more powerful.
How long does Amazon take to respond to an infringement report?
Copyright and trademark complaints typically receive a response within 1–3 business days. APEX patent evaluations take approximately 7 weeks from initiation to final decision.
What if Amazon doesn’t remove the listing after I file?
Resubmit with additional documentation and greater specificity about the violation. If the issue persists after multiple attempts, consider consulting an IP attorney about legal options including cease-and-desist letters or litigation.
Can I report infringement across multiple Amazon marketplaces at once?
No. Each Amazon marketplace operates independently. Submit separate reports for amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.de, and any other stores where the violation exists.
What is APEX and does it cost anything?
APEX (Amazon Patent Evaluation Express) is Amazon’s dispute resolution program for U.S. utility patent infringement. The initial filing is free. If accused sellers choose to participate in the full evaluation, both parties deposit $4,000 with the neutral evaluator — the prevailing party’s deposit is refunded.
What is Project Zero and how is it different from Report a Violation?
Project Zero is an advanced counterfeit removal tool available to Brand Registry brands with a proven enforcement track record (90%+ acceptance rate on RAV reports over six months, and 99% accuracy rate to maintain access). Unlike RAV, Project Zero allows brands to remove confirmed counterfeit listings immediately without waiting for Amazon’s review. It applies strictly to counterfeits — other infringement types still go through RAV.
Do I need a lawyer to file an Amazon infringement report?
Not for standard copyright or trademark reports. For patent disputes via APEX, legal support is strongly recommended — infringement briefs and claim charts require patent-specific expertise.
Can the same listing infringe both copyright and trademark?
Yes, and it’s common. A counterfeit product may simultaneously use your brand name (trademark) and your product photography (copyright). You must file separate reports for each infringement type — Amazon does not allow them to be combined in a single submission.
