Quick answer. Amazon’s Anti-Counterfeiting Policy requires every product sold on Amazon to be authentic and prohibits bootlegs, fakes, pirated copies, illegally replicated products and products that infringe another party’s intellectual property. By selling on Amazon you agree to provide records of authenticity when Amazon asks. If you sell inauthentic products, Amazon may suspend or terminate your account and any related accounts, withhold payments and dispose of the inventory at your expense, and it works with rights holders and law enforcement on legal action. Your protection is a supply chain you can document with supplier invoices on demand.

The policy applies to every seller, including sellers who never meant to sell anything fake. Amazon places the duty to source, sell and fulfill only authentic products on each seller and supplier, and it enforces against the product in the listing. A seller who bought from the wrong source carries the same account risk as one who knew. The difference between the two shows up in what the seller can prove and in the legal exposure outside Amazon.

What the Policy Says

Amazon states that products offered for sale on Amazon must be authentic and that the sale of non-authentic products is strictly prohibited. Failure to follow the policy may result in loss of selling privileges, funds being withheld and disposal of inventory in Amazon’s possession.

Products the policy prohibits

• Bootlegs, fakes or pirated copies of products or content.
• Products that have been illegally replicated, reproduced or manufactured.
• Products that infringe another party’s intellectual property rights.

The third category is wider than most sellers expect. A genuine product can still infringe if the listing uses a rights owner’s trademark or copyrighted images without permission, and Amazon handles those cases under its Intellectual Property Policy alongside counterfeit claims.

What you agree to by selling on Amazon

• The sale of counterfeit products is strictly prohibited.
• You may not sell products that are not legal for sale, such as products that have been illegally replicated, reproduced or manufactured.
• You must provide records about the authenticity of your products if Amazon requests that documentation.

The third commitment is the one that decides most cases. Amazon does not need to prove a product is fake to act. It asks the seller to prove the product is real, and a seller who cannot produce acceptable records has no defense inside Amazon’s process.

What Amazon Can Do Under the Policy

Two parts of this list carry beyond one account. The phrase “and any related accounts” means a second account linked by owner, payment method or other signals can be deactivated with the first. The civil penalties Amazon lists include the loss of amounts received from the sales, the harm sustained by the rights holder, statutory and other damages, and attorney’s fees.

See also Facts You Need to Know About Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Amazon Seller Insurance Requirements.

Related guide. What Is a MAP Policy? Minimum Advertised Price Explained for Amazon Sellers.

How Counterfeit Complaints Reach Your Account

Amazon says it works with manufacturers, rights holders, content owners, vendors and sellers to detect inauthentic products, and that it removes suspect listings based on its own review. A case reaches your account through one of three routes.

Rights owner notices

Rights owners report authenticity concerns to Amazon, often through Brand Registry, which Amazon describes as its authoritative service for managing and protecting brands. The notice names the ASIN and the type of infringement. Amazon says you can view counterfeit complaints on the Account Health page in Seller Central.

Amazon’s own detection

Amazon removes suspect listings based on its own review, without a rights owner filing. Its 2024 Brand Protection Report states that proactive controls blocked more than 99 percent of suspected infringing listings before a brand had to report them, and that more than 15 million counterfeit products were identified, seized and disposed of in 2024. A seller can receive an authenticity action without any complaint from the brand.

Customer reports

Amazon backs purchases with its A-to-z Guarantee and states that it promptly investigates authenticity concerns. Buyer complaints that an item is not genuine are one more signal on the ASIN, and Amazon says it will take all appropriate actions to protect customers, sellers and rights holders.

Brand programs that raise the bar

Brands also use Transparency, Amazon’s program for verifying products as genuine at the unit level. The 2024 report states that more than 2.5 billion product units have been verified through it. Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit works with law enforcement, brands and other partners, and Amazon states it has pursued more than 24,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals since it launched in 2020. For a seller, these programs mean branded products are checked and the brand is watching.

Counterfeit Claims Versus Other IP Complaints

The type of notice decides the response. Amazon’s Intellectual Property Policy separates cases where the alleged infringement is on the product or packaging from cases where it is on the detail page.

• Counterfeit or trademark infringement on the product or packaging. Amazon says to use the Account Health dashboard to provide an invoice or order ID that shows the product is authentic. Amazon then re-evaluates the notice, and the content may be reinstated.
• Infringement on the detail page. The fix is usually removing the rights owner’s content from the listing, followed by Amazon’s re-evaluation.
• A license or relationship with the rights owner. If you hold a license or other agreement that covers the IP named in the notice, contact the rights owner who filed it and ask for a retraction. Amazon says content may be reinstated when it receives one.

Read the notice wording before you gather anything. Sellers lose time sending invoices for a detail page image complaint, or editing a listing when the claim is about the product itself.

Records Amazon May Ask For

Amazon says it may request documentation, such as invoices, showing the authenticity of your products or your authorization to list them. You may remove pricing information. Documents edited in any other way, or misleading documents, violate the policy and lead to enforcement against your account. When appealing, sellers are typically asked for invoices or letters of authorization, and if the products are confirmed genuine, Amazon removes the enforcement claims from the account.

What an acceptable invoice contains

Amazon’s invoice requirements page defines an invoice as a document issued directly by a supplier recording the final transaction of goods. It sets out what the document must show.

• Supplier information. The supplier’s name, phone number, address and website. Amazon says it will not share this with its retail team or other sellers.
• Issue date. A clearly displayed date within the 365 days before you received the performance notification.
• Quantity. Enough units to cover your sales volume and in-stock inventory for each cited ASIN over the past 365 days.
• Product identifiers. Product names, model numbers or UPC, EAN or ISBN, with variation details such as color or style that match the listing, and every component for bundles.
• Format. PDF or image files in .jpg, .png or .gif, no larger than 10MB.

Amazon may contact the supplier to verify the document and keeps supplier information confidential. That is why the supplier’s contact details must be real and reachable.

What Amazon will not accept

• Invoices sent by email or third-party sharing instead of through Seller Central.
• Sales quotes, pro forma invoices or any document issued before a completed transaction.
• Self-issued invoices, or invoices where the supplier appears to be the same business as the buyer.
• Invoices that are digitally manipulated or in editable formats such as .xlsx or .docx.
• Invoices that are illegible, low resolution, inconsistent or missing required details.

When Amazon rejects invoices in an appeal, the Performance Notifications page states the reasons. Read it before resubmitting, because sending the same rejected document again does not change the result.

What to Do When You Receive a Counterfeit Complaint

1. Read the notice and the ASIN list. Note the ASINs at the bottom of the notification, the type of claim and the date you received it. The 365-day invoice window counts back from that date.
2. Stop the exposure. Pause or close the affected offers while you investigate, and stop inbound shipments of the same stock.
3. Trace every unit. Match the units you sold and hold for each ASIN to supplier invoices. Find any gap where sales exceed invoiced quantity.
4. Check the supplier. Amazon’s own checks include business licenses, a physical presence, business reputation and a web presence that government resources and brand websites confirm.
5. Choose the response route. Submit invoices or order IDs for product claims, fix the listing for detail page claims, or request a retraction where you hold a license or relationship with the rights owner.
6. Submit from Account Health. Select Submit appeal next to the violation and follow the instructions on that page, because each violation type has its own requirements.
7. Fix the sourcing gap. Whatever allowed the problem, such as an unverified wholesaler or mixed stock, must change before the next order.

Our rights owner complaint service responds to counterfeit complaints and retraction requests. If your account has been suspended, our Amazon suspension and reinstatement team builds the supply chain appeal. To keep complaints from building up, see our Amazon account health maintenance service.

Building the Appeal for a Suspended Account

When the account itself is deactivated, the appeal has to answer for every cited ASIN. Amazon’s appeal guidance asks sellers to be clear, concise, factual and direct, to explain every issue and its root cause, and to list specific actions with dates of changes or documentation. It names unverifiable suppliers, inventory management issues and quality control issues as examples of root causes.

We build the plan of action in four parts.

• Root cause. State where each unit came from and why that source failed. An honest cause, such as buying from a wholesaler who could not show a link to the brand, is stronger than a vague claim of an isolated error.
• Immediate actions. List what you did with dates, such as removing the listings, disposing of or returning the stock, and ending the supplier relationship.
• Preventive measures. Describe the supplier vetting, invoice filing and incoming inspection steps that now apply to every new purchase.
• Supporting evidence. Attach invoices for every ASIN under review, covering the requested timeframe. Amazon suggests highlighting the ASINs, supplier name or supplier terms in each document.

Amazon also asks sellers to leave out product promotion, references to other support cases and emotive language. A long story about the business does not help. Matching documents do.

Which Sourcing Channels Hold Up in a Review

Amazon does not publish a list of approved channels. It publishes what an acceptable record looks like, and each channel either produces that record or does not. We assess sources by the document they generate and by whether the document traces back to the brand.

Manufacturer or brand owner

Buying direct produces the strongest record. The invoice comes from the party that made the goods, the product identifiers match the brand’s catalog, and a verification call from Amazon reaches a business that can confirm the sale. Many brands also issue a letter of authorization to approved resellers, which answers the second half of Amazon’s request, your authorization to list the product.

Authorized distributor

An authorized distributor is the next strongest source when you can show the authorization. Ask the distributor for written proof of its relationship with the brand, such as a distribution agreement extract or a letter from the brand, and keep it with the invoices. A distributor that will not show any link to the brand is a wholesaler in practice, whatever it calls itself.

Unauthorized wholesale and liquidation

Wholesalers and liquidators can sell genuine goods, but their invoices often fail the tests that matter. Common gaps are missing supplier websites, product descriptions without model numbers or UPCs, mixed lots that do not match listing variations, and quantities that do not line up with sales by ASIN. When the brand files a complaint, the seller has an invoice from a business the brand does not recognize.

Retail and online arbitrage

Buying from stores or other websites to resell produces receipts, not supplier invoices. Amazon’s invoice page defines an invoice as a document issued directly by a supplier recording a completed transaction of goods, with supplier contact details and identifiers that match the listing. Sellers who source this way should expect authenticity requests on branded items and plan their records accordingly.

Letters of authorization

Amazon names letters of authorization as one of the documents sellers are typically asked to provide. A letter is only as good as its source. It should come on the brand’s or distributor’s letterhead, name your business, describe the products or brands covered, and carry a date and contact details that a reviewer can check. A letter that a reviewer cannot confirm with the issuer creates the same risk as an edited invoice.

Mistakes That Make a Counterfeit Case Worse

• Editing invoices. Removing prices is allowed. Changing anything else, including quantities, dates or product names, violates the policy and leads to enforcement.
• Submitting retail receipts as supply chain proof. A store receipt rarely shows the supplier contact details, product identifiers and quantities that Amazon’s invoice requirements list, and it does not show a link to the brand.
• Using pro forma or self-issued documents. Amazon lists both as unacceptable.
• Invoices that do not cover sales. Amazon requires quantities that cover sales and in-stock inventory for each cited ASIN over 365 days. A small invoice against large sales shows a gap.
• Arguing with the rights owner in the appeal. Disputes with the brand belong with the brand. The appeal is about your records.
• Opening a new account. Amazon’s policy reaches related accounts, and a new account tied to a suspended one is exposed to the same action.
• Relisting the same stock. Moving the same inventory to a new listing or a different condition does not change where it came from.

First-Time Versus Repeat Cases

A first complaint on one ASIN, backed by clean invoices from a manufacturer or authorized distributor, is a document problem. Submit the records through Account Health and Amazon re-evaluates the notice.

Repeat cases are a pattern problem. Amazon’s Intellectual Property Policy states that Amazon terminates the accounts of repeat infringers in appropriate circumstances. Each new complaint is reviewed against the earlier ones, and the appeal has to show what changed in sourcing since the last case. A seller with several complaints across different brands needs a full supply chain review, not another set of invoices.

Cases with no acceptable records at all sit in a different category. If the stock came from a source that cannot issue a proper invoice, the honest course is to remove the product, account for the units and fix the sourcing before appealing.

Legal Exposure in the US, UK and EU

Amazon’s enforcement is separate from the law. Amazon states that it works with rights holders and law enforcement worldwide to take and support legal action against sellers and suppliers that knowingly violate the policy.

United States

Federal law at 18 U.S.C. 2320 makes it a crime to intentionally traffic in goods while knowingly using a counterfeit mark on or with them. For a first offense, an individual faces a fine of up to 2,000,000 dollars, imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both, and a person other than an individual faces a fine of up to 5,000,000 dollars. The statute defines a counterfeit mark by reference to marks registered on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The knowledge element is why Amazon’s legal action language targets sellers who knowingly violate the policy, while account enforcement does not depend on intent.

United Kingdom and European Union

Amazon’s UK help page carries the same Anti-Counterfeiting Policy text as the US page, including suspension or termination of related accounts and disposal of inauthentic products in fulfilment centres at the seller’s expense. EU stores apply the same policy. Trademark law in the UK and EU is national or regional, so a rights owner can pursue claims in the courts of the country where the goods were sold. Sellers on several stores should treat a complaint in one store as a risk in all of them, because the same stock and suppliers usually serve every region.

How to Build a Sourcing Process That Holds Up

Know your supplier

Buy from manufacturers, brand owners or authorized distributors whose identity and business details you can verify. Amazon’s suggested checks are official business documents such as licenses, a physical business presence, business reputation and a web presence you can confirm through government resources and brand websites. A source that will not issue proper invoices is a risk you carry into every sale.

Keep complete invoices

Each invoice should show the supplier’s name, phone number, address and website, your business as the buyer, product identifiers that match your listings, and quantities that cover what you sell. File them by ASIN and by date so you can produce 365 days of records for any ASIN on the day a notice arrives.

Match listings to products

Make sure the brand, model, variation and condition on each listing match the product you hold. Amazon’s product detail page rules set how listings must be written, and a mismatch between the listing and the unit generates authenticity complaints from buyers.

Inspect incoming stock

Check new batches against known genuine units before listing them or sending them to FBA, especially after a supplier change. Look at packaging, labels, serial or batch codes and Transparency codes where the brand uses them.

Protect your own brand

If you own a brand, a registered trademark lets you enroll in Amazon Brand Registry. Brand Registry contains brand names, brand profile data such as trademarks and logos, and the accounts that hold roles for the brand, which gives you the tools to report counterfeits of your own products.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Amazon’s anti-counterfeiting policy?

It is Amazon’s rule that every product sold on Amazon must be authentic. It prohibits fakes, bootlegs, pirated copies, illegally manufactured products and products that infringe intellectual property, and it requires sellers to provide authenticity records when asked.

Can Amazon destroy my inventory for counterfeit?

Yes. The policy allows Amazon to dispose of inauthentic products in its fulfillment centers at the seller’s expense.

Can I remove prices from invoices I send to Amazon?

Yes. Amazon allows pricing to be removed. Any other edit, or a misleading document, is a violation of the policy.

Does the policy apply if I did not know the product was fake?

Yes. The policy makes each seller responsible for sourcing only authentic products, and Amazon acts on the product. Knowledge matters for legal action, which Amazon directs at sellers who knowingly violate the policy, and for criminal liability under federal law.

Where do I see counterfeit complaints?

Amazon says counterfeit complaints can be viewed on the Account Health page in Seller Central. The appeal for each violation starts from the same page.

Protect Your Account From Counterfeit Claims

If you have received a complaint or want your sourcing reviewed, submit your case for a free assessment, or book a consultation.

Get Help With Your Amazon Case

Our rights owner complaint team can take the case from here. You can also see all our marketplace suspension services.

Sources

• Amazon Seller Central, Amazon Anti-Counterfeiting policy
• Amazon Seller Central UK, Amazon Anti-Counterfeiting Policy
• Amazon Seller Central, Intellectual Property Policy
• Amazon Seller Central, Invoice requirements for appealing a policy violation
• Amazon Seller Central, Complete an appeal questionnaire to reinstate selling privileges
• Amazon Seller Central, Policies included in Account Health Rating
• Amazon Seller Central, Intellectual property for Rights Owners and Registered Agents
• About Amazon, Amazon Brand Protection Report 2024
• Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, 18 U.S.C. 2320, Trafficking in counterfeit goods or services