Amazon Intellectual Property Complaints in Australia: Receiving One, Retractions and Counter-Notices

If you receive an intellectual property (IP) complaint on Amazon.com.au, a rights owner has told Amazon that your listing infringes their trade mark, copyright, patent or similar right. Amazon's notice names the ASINs and the complainant, and Amazon may remove the listing while the matter is open. Your general options are to stop selling the item, show you are authorised or genuine, ask the rights owner to withdraw (retract) the complaint, or dispute it through any counter-notice route shown in Seller Central. This is general information, not legal advice. As of October 2026, Amazon does not publish an Australian decision timeline on a public page.

What does an IP complaint on Amazon actually mean?

Amazon allows rights owners to report listings. For brands, Amazon's Brand Registry is the main route; it is free, and applicants must be the trade mark owner with a trade mark issued by a government office of a country with a corresponding Amazon store. Registered brands can use tools such as Report a Violation. Project Zero, available in Australia, lets eligible brands remove suspected counterfeits themselves, and a notice of complaint is sent to each seller associated with the removal.

A complaint is an allegation. Amazon does not decide whether infringement occurred in a court sense; it applies its own policy to decide what to do with the listing or account. Amazon's seller pages refer to an Intellectual Property Policy for selling in Australia, and the full wording is in Seller Central.

What types of complaint are there?

Amazon's categories may differ from this table. It is our plain-language grouping, so check the wording in your own notice.

What should I do first when I get a complaint?

1. Read the notice and note the ASINs, the complainant and the right claimed.
2. Stop selling the item if there is any chance the complaint is correct. Continuing can turn a listing problem into an account problem.
3. Collect your documents: supplier invoices, authorisation letters, licence agreements, images showing your own photography.
4. Check the product against the claim. Is it genuine, authorised, a parallel import, or your own design?
5. Check your other listings for the same issue.
6. Do not contact the complainant in a hostile way. A calm, factual message works better.

How does a retraction work?

A retraction is the rights owner withdrawing the complaint. Only the rights owner can do it. Typically it works like this:

1. You contact the rights owner, using the contact details Amazon provides in the notice.
2. You explain, politely, why you believe the complaint does not apply, or show your authorisation.
3. If they agree, they notify Amazon through the same tool they used to submit the complaint.
4. Amazon reviews and updates your listing or account status.

Amazon does not publish a time limit for this in Australia. Keep every message in writing and polite. Do not offer money or other benefits in return for withdrawal without legal advice, because that can create separate problems.

What is a counter-notice and when does it apply?

A counter-notice is a formal response disputing a complaint. Whether Amazon offers one, what it requires and what legal statements it asks you to make depend on the type of complaint and Amazon's current process. These details are shown inside Seller Central on the notice, not on public pages. Read them closely: a counter-notice can involve statements made under legal obligations, so get legal advice before you sign one if the stakes are high.

If your response is about the broader account rather than a single listing, the structure in Amazon plan of action may also help.

Can I sell branded products I resell?

Reselling genuine goods is often allowed, but Amazon notes you may need to be an authorised reseller to list some brand names and branded products. The practical protection is paperwork: invoices from the brand owner or an authorised distributor. Where a brand will not authorise you, assume complaints are likely.

Importers should be careful with goods bought abroad. Whether parallel imports are lawful depends on the right involved and Australian law, so check with IP Australia or a lawyer. See IP Australia trade marks for trade mark basics.

What if I am the brand owner and want to complain?

This page is mostly for sellers who receive complaints, but the other side matters too. Brand Registry is free, needs the brand name or logo permanently on the products or packaging and a trade mark, and accepts word marks and design marks containing words, letters or numbers whose text matches the brand name. Once enrolled, you can report suspected infringement. Before you do, be sure of your facts: a false or sloppy complaint can harm an honest seller and damage your own standing.

Good practice for a brand owner is to test-buy suspected fakes where you can, keep records and identify the seller correctly. Project Zero's own page recommends a test buy to confirm a violation before removing offers.

How do complaints affect my account health?

Complaints appear on the Account Health page with other policy issues. Amazon's seller guide tells sellers to keep an eye on account health in Seller Central. Several unresolved complaints over time can weigh on the account, though Amazon does not publish a formula. If you see more than one, treat the pattern as the problem: fix sourcing, not just listings.

What if the complaint is false?

Complaints are sometimes used competitively. If you believe a complaint is wrong, gather proof of your rights and follow the response route in your notice. You can also contact the complainant for a retraction. Do not retaliate with false complaints of your own: Amazon's Project Zero rules say brands must maintain an accuracy rate of at least 99% to keep access, which shows how seriously Amazon treats misuse.

How do I avoid IP complaints?

• Sell only brands you own or are authorised to sell.
• Keep supplier invoices and authorisation letters for every branded item.
• Use your own images and text.
• Check trade marks on IP Australia's database before you name a product.
• Consider registering your own brand; see Amazon Brand Registry in Australia and Transparency and Project Zero.
• Monitor notices weekly; see Account Health Rating.

More context is on the Australia seller hub.

FAQ

What is an Amazon intellectual property complaint? It is a report by a rights owner that your listing infringes a trade mark, copyright, patent or similar right. Amazon notifies you in Seller Central and may remove the listing while it reviews. It is an allegation, not a finding.

Can an IP complaint suspend my Amazon Australia account? It can contribute to restrictions or suspension, especially if complaints repeat. Amazon does not publish a threshold. Read the notice and act on every complaint promptly.

How do I get an Amazon IP complaint retracted? Only the rights owner can withdraw it. Contact them using the details in your notice, show your authorisation or explain why the complaint does not apply, and ask them to retract through Amazon's tool. Keep it polite and in writing.

Can I file a counter-notice on Amazon.com.au? Where Amazon offers one, the option and requirements appear in Seller Central on the notice. Public pages do not describe it for Australia. Because it can involve legal statements, take legal advice before you submit.

Do I need a trade mark to sell on Amazon Australia? Not to sell, but Brand Registry requires a trade mark and the applicant must be the owner. A trade mark helps you act against copycats.

Is this legal advice? No. This page is general information. For a real dispute, speak to an Australian IP lawyer or IP Australia's resources.

Where Blooprint fits

Blooprint does not provide legal advice or handle IP disputes or appeals. Its Amazon Australia account management covers ongoing monitoring of account notices, so a complaint is seen the day it arrives.