Appeal Guidelines for IPR Penalties

10/24/2025

Manage Orders

Appealing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Violations

At TikTok Shop, we work hard to create a secure and trustworthy environment for all of our users. The protection of others' intellectual property rights is a critical factor in keeping our platform secure. As a result, we take action against sellers or creators who breach our TikTok Shop Intellectual Property Policy and related guidelines.

If you receive a notice or warning of infringement and believe the rights owner or TikTok Shop made an error, you may appeal or dispute the claim by raising a ticket/appeal in the Seller Center.

The Appeal Process

It is important to note that the appeal process and timeline differ depending on if you are a seller or creator.

For Sellers

Filing an Appeal and Monitoring Your Appeal Status	Please login to your TikTok Shop Seller Center Click on the "Shop Health" tab and navigate to the "Violation Records" tab Click on the "Appeal" button to file an appeal Once done, you can click on "Appeal Details" to monitor the status of your appeal
Appeal Timeline	For each violation, sellers can file up to two appeals. The first appeal must be filed within thirty (30) calendar days from the date the violation notification was issued. The second appeal must be filed within fifteen (15) calendar days after the rejection of the first appeal.

For Creators

Filing an Appeal and Monitoring your Appeal Status	Please login to your TikTok Shop Seller Center Click on the "Account Standing" tab and navigate to the "Violation Details" tab Click on the "Appeal" button to file an appeal Once done, you can click on "Appeal Details" to monitor the status of your appeal
Appeal Timeline	Creators may file one appeal for each violation. The appeal must be filed within thirty (30) calendar days from the date the violation notification was issued.

Supporting Documents for Appeal

When submitting appeals, TikTok Shop requires sellers and creators to provide supporting documents to help us with our investigation. The table below sets out the supporting documents that sellers or creators must provide during an appeal for different types of alleged intellectual property rights violations.

Please ensure that you submit the relevant supporting documents that correspond to your alleged violation type.

Category	Violation Type	Description	Supporting Documents Required (Only 1 Required)
Trademark	Counterfeit products	The listed product is alleged to infringe on another's trademark rights as it involves the sale or promotion of counterfeit products.	Letter of Authorisation from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to use trademark for the complained products / rights to sell or promote the complained products) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
			Proof of Purchase from the Brand Principle or Internationally recognised wholesale/Retailer with legitimate sources issued within the last 12 months Sellers must submit proof of purchase (either a receipt or invoice) that includes the following information: Purchase date Seller information Buyer information Purchase item information Price of purchase item
			Trademark Certificate from the Government, national Intellectual Property office, European Union Intellectual Property Office or World Intellectual Property Organization Sellers must submit a Trademark Certificate that includes the following information: Trademark information Trademark certificate issuance country Trademark Owner name Validity period Trademark classification
	Wrong Association	The listed product infringes on another's trademark rights as the associated trademark is for a different product.	Letter of Authorisation from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to use trademark for the complained products) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
			Trademark Certificate from the Government, national Intellectual Property office, European Union Intellectual Property Office or World Intellectual Property Organization Sellers must submit a Trademark Certificate that includes the following information: Trademark information Trademark certificate issuance country Trademark Owner name Validity period Trademark classification
	Over Use	Using another's trademark in the product listing image(s) to promote the product / service predominantly without the authorisation of the trademark owner.	Letter of Authorisation from the Trademark Owner or Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to use trademark for the complained products) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
Copyright	Piracy	The listed product allegedly infringes on another's copyright as a pirated copy.	Letter of Authorisation from the Copyright Owner or Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to use copyright material) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
			Proof of Purchase from the Brand Principle or Internationally recognised wholesale/Retailer with legitimate sources issued within the last 12 months Sellers must submit a proof of purchase document (either a receipt or invoice) that includes the following information: Purchase date Seller information Buyer information Purchase item information Price of purchase item
	Unlawful Access	The listed product infringes on another's copyright as it provides unauthorised access to copyrighted work.	Letter of Authorisation from the Copyright Owner or Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to use copyright material) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
	Unlawful Reproduction	The listed product infringes on another's copyright as it involves the sale of products featuring unauthorised copyrighted work, or unauthorised reproductions of copyrighted work.	Letter of Authorisation from the Copyright Owner or Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to use copyright material) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
			Proof of Purchase from the Brand Principle or Internationally recognised wholesale/Retailer with legitimate sources issued within the last 12 months Sellers must submit proof of purchase (either a receipt or invoice) that includes the following information: Purchase date Seller information Buyer information Purchase item information Price of purchase item
			Proof of Prior Sales/Prior Use of Complained Copyright Material Sellers must submit proof of prior sales / prior use that includes the following information: Date of prior sales / prior use Item (product / artwork) of prior sales / prior use
	Content Infringement	The listed product infringes on another's copyright as copyrighted work is used as listing content.	Letter of Authorisation from the Copyright Owner or Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to use copyright material) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
			Proof of Prior Sales/Prior Use of Copyright Material (which has received prior complaints) Sellers must submit proof of prior sales / prior use that includes the following information: Date of prior sales / prior use Item (product / artwork) of prior sales / prior use
			Illustration of Differences Sellers must submit an illustration of differences that includes the following information: Legible image / illustration of the allegedly infringed content and the listed product; and the differences between the two
Registered Design	Design Infringement	The listed product was reported to be infringing on the registered design of another party.	Letter of Authorisation from the Registered Design Owner or authorised Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to sell or offer for sale the products with the registered design) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp or signature of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
			Illustration of Differences Sellers must submit an illustration of differences that include the following information: Registered design: front, back, top, bottom, left, and right information of listing product and IPR certificate image / illustration.
			AND any other additional supporting materials to support why you believe your product is non-infringing
Patent	Patent Infringement	The listed product was reported to infringe on another party's patent.	Letter of Authorisation from the Patent Owner or Level 1 Distributor Sellers must submit a letter of authorisation that includes the following information: Name of authorising party Name of authorised party Authorised rights (rights to sell or offer for sale the products with the registered patent) Authorised country Authorisation period Stamp or signature of the authorising party (if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity) Signature of the IPR Owner (or representative if the IPR Owner is a corporate entity)
			Illustration of Differences Sellers must submit an illustration of differences that includes the following information: Why the listed product does not infringe a patent. For example, differences between the features or functionalities of the listed product in comparison to claim(s) of the alleged patent.
			AND any other additional supporting materials to support why you believe your product is non-infringing

Supporting Document Samples

Below are some samples of what the supporting documents may look like. Note that the list below is non-exhaustive and the documents may differ depending on the local Intellectual Property Offices, Intellectual Property Rights Owners, Distributors and Retailers.

Appeal Outcomes

If the appeal is successful, TikTok Shop will remove any penalties issued and restore any withdrawn privileges.
If the appeal is unsuccessful, TikTok Shop will maintain the penalties issued and the withdrawal of privileges.

If you would like to learn more about the appeals process, please visit our TikTok Shop Intellectual Property Policy (, ,, , , ).

Common Appeal Rejection Reasons

Missing Supporting Material	You have not submitted any supporting materials in your appeal. Please submit a new appeal with supporting documents that correspond to the violation type as per the Appeal Guidelines above.
Valid Initial Rejection	The initial appeal rejection is correct and the penalty will be maintained.
Unclear Supporting Material	Your material is illegible or not clear enough. Please submit a new appeal with supporting documents of a higher resolution or clarity.
Invalid Supporting Material	Your material is insufficient to prove non-violation or is not applicable to the violation type. Please submit a new appeal with supporting documents that correspond to the violation type as per the Appeal Guidelines above.
Irrelevant Supporting Material	Your supporting materials do not match the violation type. Please submit a new appeal with supporting documents that correspond to the violation type as per the Appeal Guidelines above.

For a successful appeal, we recommend that you first verify the root cause of the violation and submit the corresponding supporting materials in accordance to the Appeal Guidelines set out above. If you are unsure of the local IP laws and regulations, please seek professional legal advice.

PreviousRequired Supporting Materials When Appealing Logistics Issues