Everything You Need To Know About Amazon Copyright Infringement

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Everything You Need To Know About Amazon Copyright Infringement

Amazon is one of the biggest online marketplaces, and you can make a considerable profit from selling different items. If you are a seller on Amazon, you should be careful not to violate copyright laws.

Before putting any items on Amazon sale, you should get familiar with how copyright works to avoid committing copyright infringement and to be able to act if someone violates your property rights.

Copyright in a Nutshell

Different copyright acts, such as the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), forbid the usage of copyrighted content without the copyright holder’s permission. If you want to protect your creations, you should learn how to copyright in general.

Copyright is an exclusive right you get over the work you create the moment you make it. This means that you are the only one who has permission to copy, distribute, and display your creation. You can also transfer your copyright to someone else. Different kinds of works can get copyright protection, including:

  • Plays, articles, books, manuscripts
  • Songs, musical compositions, sound recordings, voice recordings
  • Videos, movies, TV broadcasts, video games, paintings, photos

You can register your work at the United States Copyright Office to get extra protection. Another way to mark some piece of work as your own is to write a copyright notice.

Keep in mind that you can’t own copyrights to ideas and facts. Other people can use the same ideas as you, as long as they express them differently.

Intellectual Property Protection on Amazon

Amazon created the option of branding your items on the platform. You can register your product at Amazon Brand Registry to protect your intellectual property rights.

The company allows you to register different kinds of intellectual property, including trademark, copyright, and patent. When you register your brand, Amazon can automatically remove and delete the content that is infringing on your copyrights.

When you want to sell a product, you should use the images you have copyrights on. If you want to use some else’s pictures for marketing purposes, you need to get their permission for it. Otherwise, you are violating copyright laws.

Beware that when you upload your copyright-protected work to Amazon, you give the company the license to use it.

Copyright Infringement on Amazon

Copyright violations can happen on different levels on Amazon. Here is a quick guide to what you can report as a copyright infringement on Amazon:

Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN)-LevelIf you see your text or image on a product or packaging and you didn’t give your permission for its usage, you can report the ASIN for copyright infringement
Seller-LevelIf an offer from the Seller page infringes on your copyright, you can report it. If you do so, the details page and ASIN will not be removed
Image or TextIf you spot your image on a product detail page and it’s there without your permission, you can report copyright infringement. If you report an image or text, the ASIN and product detail page will remain on the site

It may also happen that someone:

  • Steals your ASIN
  • Uses the name of your brand to sell products
  • Tries to make a profit from using your brand without your permission—this excludes the items someone bought from you and is now reselling them

In case you think someone misused your copyright-protected items on Amazon, learn how to report a copyright violation.

How To Report Copyright Infringement to Amazon

When you find out that someone is infringing your copyright on Amazon, you can:

  1. Report copyright violation through the Report a Violation tool if you registered your brand at the Amazon Brand Registry
  2. Fill out the company’s contact us form
  3. Write a letter to the Amazon copyright agent to explain that someone has violated your copyright on Amazon

Here is how you can reach the Amazon copyright agent and what you should include in your copyright claim:

Address

Copyright Agent

Amazon.com Legal Department

P.O. Box 81226

Seattle, WA 98108

Courier Address

Copyright Agent

Amazon.com Legal Department

410 Terry Avenue North

Seattle, WA 98109-5210

USA

Phone

(206) 266-4064

Email

copyright@amazon.com

What To Include

  • Signature of the copyright owner
  • A description and links to both the copyright-protected item and the one that is infringing your copyrights
  • Your contact information
  • A statement that the copyright owner didn’t give permission for the usage of the copyrighted material
  • A statement that the above information is accurate

Use DoNotPay To File a DMCA Takedown Notice in No Time

Making a copyright report on Amazon can be complicated and tiresome since you have to deal with a lot of forms and legal language. Waiting for the Amazon copyright agent to deal with your copyright claim might take a while.

If you want to save your time and nerves when reporting Amazon copyright infringement, use DoNotPay!

With our app, you can enjoy the DMCA protection and file a takedown notice in a few easy steps, without having to deal with any agents! Here is how to do it:

  1. Log in to DoNotPay in any
  2. Choose DMCA Takedown
  3. Provide the name of your original content
  4. Give us the links to your original work and to the item that violates your copyrights
  5. Confirm your contact information
  6. Click on Sign and Submit
  7. Go to the My Disputes tab to see the results

If you want to file a DMCA takedown notice with DoNotPay, you don’t need to have your work registered or to have any proof of ownership.

How To Remove a Copyright Strike on Amazon

In case you get accused of copyright infringement on Amazon, you can do the following:

  1. Solve the issue with the copyright holder by contacting them using the information from the copyright strike notification you get
  2. Ignore it in case you receive a copyright claim letter that comes directly from a seller and not from Amazon
  3. Make a counter-notice

DoNotPay Tackles the Daunting Tasks for You

Do you want to sell some old items on Amazon? Use DoNotPay to learn how long copyright lasts to see whether you might be infringing someone’s copyright when selling such items.

DoNotPay can help you deal with copyright infringement on other popular platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. You can also learn more about copyright claims on YouTube.

In case you have any other issues with Amazon, we are here to help! With our app, you can request a refund for an Amazon digital order or lost package.

Access DoNotPay from any , and get our assistance with other tasks such as:

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