IP Complaint Appeal Playbook: 3 Pathways to Clear Intellectual Property Violations From Your Amazon Account

You just got an email from Amazon with the words “intellectual property complaint” and your stomach dropped. Your listing is gone. Maybe your entire account is at risk. And now you’re wondering if this is the end of your Amazon business.

Take a breath. IP complaints are serious, but they’re also one of the most resolvable issues sellers face on Amazon. At aSellingSecrets , we’ve helped clear IP complaints as part of over 3,000 successful reinstatements with a 97% success rate. The key difference between sellers who recover quickly and those who spiral into account-level problems? Understanding that you have options, not just one appeal path.

This guide breaks down exactly how IP complaints work on Amazon and gives you three distinct pathways to resolution. Think of it as a “choose your own adventure” for getting your listings (and your account) back on track. Some sellers need to go directly to the rights owner. Others need to build an airtight Amazon appeal. A few have grounds for legal counter-notice. You’ll know which path fits your situation by the time you finish reading.

Before you can fight an IP complaint, you need to understand how you got here. The process starts when a brand owner, their attorney, or their authorized representative submits a complaint through Amazon’s Brand Registry or Report Infringement form.

Here’s what happens next:

• Amazon removes your listing immediately. There’s no investigation on Amazon’s side before takedown. The platform operates on a “notice and takedown” model, meaning they act first and let you dispute later.
• You receive a Performance Notification. This lands in your Seller Central account and usually arrives via email too. It identifies the ASIN, the complainant, and the type of IP violation alleged.
• The complaint hits your Account Health. IP complaints appear in your Account Health dashboard and count against your standing. Multiple unresolved complaints can trigger account-level reviews or deactivation.
• A clock starts ticking. While Amazon doesn’t give you a hard deadline for every IP complaint, unresolved complaints compound your risk over time.

The notification you receive will reference one of three IP categories: trademark, copyright, or patent. This distinction matters more than most sellers realize because each type requires a different resolution strategy.

One thing the notification won’t tell you? Whether the complaint is legitimate. Amazon doesn’t verify infringement before removing your listing. That means baseless complaints (including those filed by competitors gaming the system) get the same treatment as valid ones. Understanding this reality is crucial because it opens up resolution options you might not realize you have.

Not all IP complaints are created equal. The type of intellectual property allegedly infringed determines what evidence you need, which pathway makes sense, and how strong your position actually is.

Trademark complaints are the most common IP issues sellers face. They typically fall into two categories:

• Counterfeit claims: The brand alleges you’re selling fake products using their trademark without authorization.
• Unauthorized use claims: You’re selling genuine products, but the brand claims you don’t have permission to use their trademark in your listing.

The resolution approach differs dramatically between these two scenarios. Counterfeit claims require proving your products are authentic (invoices, supply chain documentation, test buys). Unauthorized use claims might require proving you have the legal right to resell (first sale doctrine for genuine goods) or obtaining authorization from the brand.

Copyright complaints usually target listing content rather than the product itself. Common triggers include:

• Using product images owned by the brand or another seller
• Copying product descriptions or A+ content
• Using copyrighted marketing materials without permission

These complaints often resolve faster because the fix is straightforward: remove the copyrighted content and create your own. However, if you believe the content isn’t actually copyrighted or you have a license to use it, you may have grounds for a counter-notice.

Patent complaints are the most complex IP issues. They claim your product (not your listing) infringes on a utility patent or design patent.

• Utility patents: Protect how a product works or functions. These require technical analysis to determine infringement.
• Design patents: Protect how a product looks. These are increasingly common in Amazon complaints and can target products that merely “look similar” to a patented design.

Patent complaints almost always benefit from legal consultation because determining actual infringement requires specialized knowledge. We’ve seen sellers receive patent complaints for products that clearly don’t infringe, but proving that non-infringement requires understanding patent law.

If you’re unsure which type of complaint you’re facing or how different suspension types require different approaches, our guide on Section 3 vs. IP complaints vs. authenticity issues breaks down how each category works.

Here’s something many sellers don’t realize: the fastest way to clear an IP complaint isn’t through Amazon. It’s getting the rights owner to withdraw it.

When a complainant sends Amazon a retraction, your listing can be restored within 24 to 48 hours. No appeal process, no back-and-forth with Seller Performance, no waiting weeks for a decision. The complaint simply disappears from your account.

• You’re selling authentic products with legitimate supply chain documentation
• The complaint appears to be a mistake or miscommunication
• You have an existing (or potential) business relationship with the brand
• The brand is known to be reasonable with authorized resellers

Your Performance Notification typically includes the complainant’s name or organization. Sometimes you’ll find contact information directly in the notice. If not:

• Search the brand’s official website for a contact form or “report counterfeits” email
• Look for their Brand Registry contact through Amazon’s Brand Directory
• Check LinkedIn for brand protection managers or legal contacts
• Search WHOIS records if the complaint came from a specific domain

Your first contact should be professional, concise, and solution-oriented. Here’s what to include:

• Acknowledge the complaint: Reference the specific ASIN and date
• Establish legitimacy: Briefly explain your supply chain and offer to provide documentation
• Request resolution: Ask what they need to verify authenticity and retract the complaint
• Attach evidence: Include invoices, authorization letters, or certificates of authenticity upfront

Keep the tone collaborative, not defensive. Avoid accusations even if you believe the complaint was filed in bad faith. Your goal is resolution, not vindication.

Brands retract complaints when they’re confident you’re selling genuine products through legitimate channels. That confidence comes from:

• Clear invoices showing authorized distributors in your supply chain
• Product photos proving authenticity markers match genuine items
• Your willingness to cooperate with their verification process
• Evidence of a test buy confirming your products are authentic

• Threatening legal action in your first email. This puts brands on the defensive and usually delays resolution.
• Being vague about your supply chain. If you can’t clearly document where you source products, brands assume the worst.
• Contacting them multiple times per day. Follow up professionally, but harassment guarantees non-cooperation.
• Admitting fault when there is none. Don’t apologize for selling counterfeits if your products are genuine.

Sometimes the rights owner won’t respond. Sometimes they refuse to retract despite your evidence. Sometimes you genuinely can’t get authorization. That’s when you turn to Amazon’s appeal process.

Fair warning: this pathway is slower and less predictable than rights owner retraction. But for sellers who’ve exhausted Pathway 1 or can’t pursue it, a well-constructed Amazon appeal can still clear the complaint.

In Seller Central, go to Performance > Account Health and find the IP complaint. Click on the complaint to see appeal options. You may be directed to submit documentation, provide invoices, or write an appeal explanation.

The specific requirements vary by complaint type, but generally include:

• Invoices from the past 365 days showing purchase of the exact ASIN in question
• Supplier information including contact details and business credentials
• Authorization letters from the brand or authorized distributors (if available)
• Product photos showing authenticity markers, packaging, and condition
• LOA chain documentation proving your supplier’s authorization path back to the brand

Amazon’s document reviewers are looking for a clear, unbroken chain from manufacturer to your inventory. Gaps in that chain raise red flags. For detailed guidance on building documentation packages, see our guide on the evidence that gets Amazon sellers reinstated.

Beyond documentation, you’ll need to write an appeal. Keep it focused on facts:

1. Acknowledge the complaint without admitting wrongdoing if your products are legitimate
2. Explain your supply chain clearly and specifically
3. Reference your documentation and what each piece proves
4. Address the specific IP type (trademark, copyright, or patent) and why your listing doesn’t infringe
5. Describe preventive measures you’ll take to avoid similar complaints

Sellers have reported a troubling pattern: IP appeals receiving seemingly automated rejections with generic responses. If your initial appeal gets rejected with a form response that doesn’t address your specific evidence, you’re likely experiencing this.

When this happens:

• Don’t keep submitting the same appeal. Multiple identical submissions can flag your account for further review.
• Enhance your documentation. Add more evidence, more detailed explanations, or stronger proof of authorization.
• Consider escalation paths. Executive email escalations or phone support may get your appeal in front of human reviewers.
• Know when to get help. Complex IP appeals often benefit from professional assistance, especially when initial appeals fail.

If you’ve already had an appeal rejected, our guide on what to do when your Amazon suspension appeal gets rejected covers recovery strategies for denied appeals.

This pathway isn’t for everyone. But if you have solid legal grounds to believe the IP complaint is false, abusive, or filed in error, a formal counter-notice puts the burden back on the complainant.

• False or abusive complaints: A competitor filed a complaint with no legitimate IP basis to knock out your listing
• First sale doctrine applies: You’re reselling genuine products you legally purchased and the trademark owner has no right to restrict resale
• No actual infringement exists: The patent doesn’t cover your product, or your content is original
• Fair use applies: For copyright complaints, your use of the content qualifies as fair use

For copyright complaints specifically, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act provides a formal counter-notice procedure:

1. You submit a counter-notice to Amazon stating under penalty of perjury that the content was removed due to mistake or misidentification
2. Amazon forwards your counter-notice to the complainant
3. The complainant has 10-14 business days to file a lawsuit against you
4. If they don’t file suit, Amazon typically restores your content

This process has teeth because it requires the complainant to actually sue you or lose their takedown. Many false complaints evaporate when faced with this requirement.

We strongly recommend working with an intellectual property attorney before filing any counter-notice. Here’s why:

• Counter-notices are made under penalty of perjury, meaning false statements have legal consequences
• Determining whether you actually infringe requires legal analysis you may not be equipped to perform
• Filing a counter-notice can escalate to litigation if the complainant decides to sue
• An attorney can often resolve the matter through direct negotiation before formal filings

This pathway has risks. But for sellers facing clearly baseless complaints (especially those from competitors weaponizing the IP system), it may be the only way to protect your business.

Regardless of which pathway you pursue, start gathering documentation immediately. Having these materials ready accelerates every resolution option.

• Invoices from your supplier for the exact ASINs affected (past 365 days minimum)
• Invoices from your supplier’s supplier if available (deeper chain documentation strengthens your case)
• Purchase orders and payment records
• Supplier business licenses and registration documents
• Distribution agreements or authorization letters in the chain

• Photos of your actual inventory including UPC codes, lot numbers, and authenticity markers
• Certificates of authenticity if the brand provides them
• Test buy results comparing your products to known genuine items
• Brand-specific authenticity features documented with photos

• Any previous correspondence with the brand or authorized distributors
• Emails showing attempts to verify authenticity or obtain authorization
• Records of any authorization you’ve received, even if informal

• Screenshots of your listing before takedown
• Proof of original content if you’re contesting a copyright claim
• Evidence that your images and descriptions were created independently

A single IP complaint affects one listing. Multiple unresolved complaints can threaten your entire seller account.

Amazon monitors the ratio of IP complaints to your overall selling activity. While there’s no published threshold, sellers with multiple complaints (especially from different rights owners) face increased scrutiny. At a certain point, Amazon may initiate an account-level review that considers all outstanding IP issues together.

• Multiple IP complaints across different brands or ASINs
• Your Account Health dashboard showing red or critical status
• Rejection of appeals that previously would have been accepted
• Notifications referencing “repeated” or “continued” policy violations

Some IP situations resolve with straightforward documentation and a well-written appeal. Others don’t. Professional help becomes valuable when:

• You’ve had multiple appeals rejected despite strong documentation
• The complainant won’t retract despite your evidence of authenticity
• You’re facing account-level suspension rather than listing-level issues
• The IP complaint is part of a pattern of attacks on your account
• You don’t have time to manage escalations while your business bleeds revenue

At aSellingSecrets, IP complaints are among the cases we handle regularly. Our team has cleared IP issues for sellers ranging from single-listing takedowns to account-level deactivations involving multiple complainants. If you’re unsure whether your situation requires professional help, our guide on DIY Amazon seller reinstatement helps you assess your situation honestly.

Once you’ve cleared your current IP complaint, the last thing you want is another one. Prevention requires ongoing attention to your supply chain, your listings, and your relationship with the brands you sell.

Not all suppliers who claim authorization actually have it. Before taking on new products:

• Request the full Letter of Authorization chain (from brand to distributor to your supplier)
• Verify authorization directly with the brand when possible
• Check if the brand has a published list of authorized resellers
• Be skeptical of “too good to be true” pricing on branded products

Sometimes you’re the victim. Sometimes you’ve unknowingly stepped over a line. Know the difference:

• Legitimate complaint: You’re selling products you can’t document, using images you didn’t create, or selling products that actually infringe on a patent
• Abusive complaint: A competitor is using IP claims to eliminate legitimate competition without actual infringement

If you’re regularly receiving complaints on products you’re confident are legitimate, you may be dealing with competitor abuse. Document everything and consider whether Pathway 3 (legal counter-notice) applies.

If you own your own brand, enrollment in Amazon Brand Registry provides protection against IP abuse:

• Greater control over your product listings
• Tools to report infringement by others
• Automated protections against known bad actors
• Transparency reporting on IP complaints filed against your brand

Check your Account Health dashboard weekly, not just when problems arise. Monitor for:

• New IP complaints you may have missed
• Changes in your account health rating
• Policy warnings that could escalate to complaints

Consider Amazon Shield+ protection for proactive monitoring and compliance support that catches issues before they become complaints.

Timelines vary significantly based on your pathway. Rights owner retractions can clear within 24-48 hours once the complainant submits the withdrawal. Amazon appeals typically take 1-3 weeks for initial response, though complex cases or appeals requiring escalation can extend to several weeks. Legal counter-notices follow statutory timelines (10-14 days for the complainant to respond) plus Amazon’s processing time.

You cannot sell the specific ASIN that’s been taken down while the complaint is unresolved. However, unless your account has been suspended entirely, you can continue selling your other products. This is why resolving IP complaints quickly matters. The longer a complaint sits unresolved, the more it affects your overall account health and the greater the risk of account-level action.

No response within 7-10 days usually means you need to move to Pathway 2 (Amazon appeal) or Pathway 3 (legal counter-notice). Continue documenting your outreach attempts because Amazon’s appeal team considers evidence of good-faith efforts to resolve directly with the complainant. Some sellers have success with multiple contact attempts through different channels before giving up on Pathway 1.

Resolved IP complaints eventually age off your account health metrics. The timeline varies, but cleared complaints (whether through retraction, successful appeal, or counter-notice) don’t permanently mark your account. However, unresolved complaints remain active and can compound with additional complaints to create account-level risk. Resolution is always better than letting complaints sit.

Unfortunately, yes. Amazon’s notice-and-takedown system can be abused by bad actors filing complaints without legitimate IP rights. This is exactly why Pathway 3 (legal counter-notice) exists. It provides recourse when complaints are baseless. If you’re experiencing what appears to be competitor abuse, document everything carefully, and consider consulting an IP attorney about your options. Filing false IP complaints can have legal consequences for the complainant, but you’ll need professional guidance to pursue those consequences.

IP complaints feel overwhelming, but they’re solvable. The sellers who recover fastest are those who understand their options and act strategically rather than reactively.

Start by identifying which pathway fits your situation. If you’re selling authentic products with solid documentation, Pathway 1 (rights owner retraction) often provides the quickest resolution. If the rights owner won’t cooperate, Pathway 2 (Amazon appeal) with strong evidence can still clear the complaint. And if you’re facing clearly false or abusive complaints, Pathway 3 (legal counter-notice) protects your right to sell legitimate products.

Not sure which path is right for you? Dealing with multiple complaints or account-level risk? Get a free consultation with our team. We’ve handled IP complaints as part of our 3,000+ successful reinstatements and can help you determine the best approach for your specific situation.

Your Amazon business is worth fighting for. Now you know how.