How to Remove a Counterfeit Listing on Amazon, Alibaba, and Shopify: A Step-by-Step Guide

You searched your brand on Amazon and found it. A listing selling cheap knockoffs of your product, using your brand name, your product images, and your exact description. Your reviews are being hijacked. Your customers are getting inferior products. Your brand is being destroyed.

This happens to thousands of brand owners every week. The good news: each major marketplace has a takedown process, and with the right approach, you can get counterfeit listings removed — often within 24-72 hours.

Here's exactly how to do it on Amazon, Alibaba, and Shopify.

Before You File Any Takedown: Get Your IP in Order

Takedown requests are significantly more effective — and faster — when you have registered IP. Before filing, make sure you have:

A registered trademark in the country where the infringement is occurring
Copyright registrations on product images, packaging, and marketing materials
Design patents or utility patents on the product (if applicable)
Documentation of your original product: manufacturing records, first sale date, original product images

Without registered IP, you're relying on common law rights, which are harder to enforce and more easily disputed. If you don't have a registered trademark yet, file one — the process takes 8-12 months in the U.S. and having it changes everything about your enforcement options.

Pro tip: Register your trademark with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and your country's customs authority. This allows customs officials to seize counterfeit goods at the border before they ever reach the marketplace.

Part 1: How to Remove Counterfeits on Amazon

Step 1: Enroll in Amazon Brand Registry

Amazon Brand Registry is the single most powerful tool for brand owners on the platform. It gives you:

Access to Amazon's proactive IP enforcement tools
Faster takedown response times
The ability to edit product listings and remove unauthorized sellers
Access to Amazon's Transparency Program (serialization to prevent counterfeits)
Access to Amazon Project Zero (automated counterfeit removal)

Requirements: A registered trademark (in any major jurisdiction) with your brand name matching what's on Amazon.

How to enroll: Go to brandregistry.amazon.com and submit your trademark registration number, the trademark office that issued it, and a list of product categories.

Timeline: Enrollment typically takes 2-10 business days.

Step 2: Identify and Document the Infringement

Before filing, document everything:

Screenshot the infringing listing (URL, ASIN, seller name, price, images)
Purchase a sample of the counterfeit product if possible — physical evidence is powerful
Compare the counterfeit to your genuine product with side-by-side photos
Note the seller's storefront and all other listings that may be infringing
Save all evidence — if the seller removes the listing, you want a record

Step 3: File a Report Through Brand Registry

Select the type of IP violation (trademark, copyright, or patent)
Provide the ASIN(s) of the infringing listing(s)
Explain why the listing infringes your IP
Upload supporting documentation (trademark registration certificate, comparison photos)

Response time: With Brand Registry, Amazon typically responds within 24-72 hours. Without Brand Registry, expect 5-10 business days.

Step 4: Use Project Zero for Automated Removal

If you're enrolled in Brand Registry and counterfeiting is a recurring problem, apply for Amazon Project Zero. This program allows you to remove counterfeit listings yourself — instantly — without waiting for Amazon's review.

It also uses machine learning to automatically detect and remove counterfeits based on your brand's known infringement patterns. This is particularly valuable if you're dealing with high-volume counterfeit operations.

Step 5: Escalate If Amazon Doesn't Act

If Amazon doesn't act within a reasonable timeframe or reinstates the listing after removal:

File a follow-up through Brand Registry citing the original case number
Send a cease-and-desist letter directly to the seller (their contact info may be accessible through Amazon)
File a complaint with Amazon's Legal Department (brand-registry@amazon.com for complex cases)
Consider a Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) complaint for copyright infringement
As a last resort, file a lawsuit — Amazon is required to respond to valid legal process

Part 2: How to Remove Counterfeits on Alibaba and AliExpress

Alibaba operates the world's largest B2B marketplace and AliExpress handles B2C sales — both are significant sources of counterfeit goods. Alibaba Group has invested heavily in IP enforcement, and their tools are more effective than many brand owners realize.

Step 1: Register with the Alibaba IPP Platform

The Alibaba Intellectual Property Protection (IPP) Platform is your primary enforcement tool. Register at ipp.alibabagroup.com.

What you'll need:

Proof of IP ownership (trademark registration certificate, copyright registration, patent certificate)
Company registration documents
Authorized representative documentation (if filing through counsel)

Once registered, you gain access to Alibaba's takedown tools and a dedicated IP protection portal.

Step 2: File a Complaint Through IPP

Through the IPP platform:

Search for infringing listings using your brand name, product name, or images
Select infringing listings and click 'Complain'
Choose your IP right (trademark, copyright, patent)
Complete the complaint form with your IP registration details
Submit supporting evidence

Alibaba's response time: 24 hours for initial review. Listings are typically removed within 24-72 hours if the complaint is valid.

Step 3: Target the Seller, Not Just the Listing

On Alibaba, counterfeiting is often systematic. A single seller may have dozens of infringing listings. Rather than filing individual complaints, target the seller's storefront:

Report the store itself through the IPP platform for repeat infringers
Document the seller's history of violations
Request that Alibaba suspend the seller's account for pattern infringement

Alibaba has a Good Faith Points system that penalizes sellers for confirmed IP violations. Sellers with sufficient penalties face listing restrictions or account suspension.

Step 4: Use Alibaba's Brand Protection Program

For high-volume brands, Alibaba's Brand Protection Program provides proactive monitoring and automated detection of counterfeit listings. The program requires application and acceptance, but significantly reduces ongoing enforcement burden.

Part 3: How to Remove Counterfeits on Shopify

Shopify is different from Amazon and Alibaba — it's a platform that enables independent stores, not a marketplace that hosts listings. When counterfeit products are sold through a Shopify store, you're dealing with an independent merchant who has built their own website using Shopify's infrastructure.

Step 1: File a DMCA/IP Complaint with Shopify

Shopify has a dedicated IP complaint process at shopify.com/legal/ipcomplaints.

What to include:

Your contact information and IP ownership details
The URL of the infringing Shopify store
Specific description of the infringement (which products, which IP rights)
Your trademark registration number or copyright registration
A statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is unauthorized

Shopify typically responds within 5-10 business days. For urgent matters, indicate the urgency clearly in your complaint.

Step 2: Contact the Merchant Directly

While your Shopify complaint is being processed, contact the store owner directly. Whois lookups, the store's contact page, or social media may provide contact information.

Send a cease-and-desist letter that:

Identifies your IP rights clearly
Describes the specific infringement
Demands removal of infringing products within a specific timeframe (72 hours is reasonable)
States the legal consequences of non-compliance

Many counterfeit sellers, particularly smaller operations, will comply with a direct cease-and-desist rather than risk legal action.

Step 3: Target Their Payment Processor and Hosting

If the merchant ignores both Shopify's complaint process and your cease-and-desist, escalate to their payment processor and hosting provider:

File complaints with Stripe, PayPal, or whatever payment processor the store uses — payment processors are highly responsive to IP infringement complaints
If the store uses a third-party domain registrar or hosting provider, file complaints there as well
A store that loses payment processing effectively ceases to operate

Cross-Platform Strategy: What to Do When Counterfeiting Is Systematic

If the same counterfeit operation is appearing across multiple platforms simultaneously, you're dealing with a professional counterfeit network. In this case, platform-by-platform takedowns are playing whack-a-mole.

A more effective approach for systematic counterfeiting:

Identify the source manufacturer — most counterfeit goods come from a small number of factories. Work with an IP investigator in the country of manufacture to identify the source.
Send cease-and-desist letters to manufacturers and distributors, not just retailers.
Register your trademark with customs in key manufacturing and transit countries — China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong are critical.
File a complaint with USTR, EUIPO, or relevant trade authorities if the infringement involves significant cross-border commerce.
Consider litigation against the largest infringers — a single court win creates deterrence across the ecosystem.

Your Counterfeit Takedown Checklist

☐ Trademark registered in relevant jurisdictions
☐ Amazon Brand Registry enrolled
☐ Alibaba IPP Platform registered
☐ Infringing listings documented with screenshots
☐ Counterfeit sample purchased (where possible)
☐ Takedown filed on relevant platform(s)
☐ Cease-and-desist sent to seller(s)
☐ Customs recordation filed in manufacturing countries
☐ Monitoring set up to catch new listings quickly

Dealing with counterfeits on Amazon, Alibaba, or other platforms?
We help e-commerce brands build systematic enforcement programs that remove listings fast and keep them off — across every marketplace where your brand is at risk. Book a free 15-minute brand protection call.

About the Author
Cameron Reid is the founder of CrossBorder IP, where he advises SaaS companies, tech startups, and emerging technology innovators on international IP strategy. With over 20 years of experience spanning Big Law, in-house counsel roles, and startup advisory.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Platform policies change frequently. For specific guidance, consult with a qualified IP attorney.