DMCA takedown service
DMCA takedown service for brands whose photos turn up on other people's listings
A DMCA takedown service finds copies of your copyrighted material online, usually your product photos, and prepares the notice that asks the platform or host to remove them. Brand Protection Tools does that for small consumer brands: it searches the big marketplaces, lets you confirm each copy, and writes a notice for that platform with the listings and evidence included. Plans start at $99 a month.
What does a DMCA takedown service actually do?
Three jobs: finding, paperwork and follow-up. Finding is the slow part. Someone has to search each marketplace for your photos, check every result against your own listings, and work out which shop is behind it. Then each platform wants its own form, with the right statements and the evidence attached. Then you wait, check, and deal with counter-notices and relistings.
We do the searching and sorting automatically, prepare the notice, and track it after you file. The one thing we leave to you is deciding that a listing is a copy.
What goes in a DMCA notice?
US law (17 U.S.C. 512(c)(3)) says a notice needs, in substance: your signature, the work that was copied, where the copy is, your contact details, a statement that you believe in good faith the use isn't authorized, a statement that the notice is accurate, and a statement, made under penalty of perjury, that you're authorized to act for the owner. Our step-by-step guide walks through each one with an example.
DMCA notice or trademark complaint: which one do you need?
| If the listing... | Use | You need |
|---|---|---|
| uses your product photos | Copyright (DMCA) notice | To own the photos. No registration needed to send it. |
| copies your written descriptions | Copyright (DMCA) notice | To own the text |
| uses your brand name or logo on a fake | Trademark complaint | A trademark. Many platforms ask for the registration number. |
| does both | Either, often both | Whichever rights you hold |
Which platforms accept DMCA notices?
Every major marketplace has its own reporting route, and it pays to use the right one. These are the routes we've checked by hand:
- Etsy: Etsy intellectual property reporting form
- Alibaba.com: Alibaba Group Intellectual Property Protection (IPP) platform
- AliExpress: Alibaba Group IPP platform (covers AliExpress)
- Temu: Temu intellectual property protection page
- eBay: eBay Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) program
- Amazon: Amazon Report Infringement form
- Shopify stores: Shopify DMCA report form
For independent websites, the notice goes to the company that hosts the site. Never to the domain registrar. The full list, with notes, is in where to report copies.
What happens after you file?
The platform reviews the notice and, if it's complete, removes the listing and tells the seller. Removal speed differs a lot between platforms, and we'd rather show you our own measured timings than repeat someone else's, so we'll publish them per platform once we have enough filings to be fair.
If the seller sends a counter-notice, the platform forwards it to you, and the listing comes back 10 to 14 business days later unless you've started a lawsuit (17 U.S.C. 512(g)). That timetable is US law; platforms outside the US, such as Alibaba Group's IP portal, run their own appeal process. We keep your evidence for the life of the listing in case that happens.
How much does a DMCA takedown service cost?
Ours is $99, $249 or $499 a month, depending on how many products we watch and how often we search. Notices are unlimited on every plan. See pricing, or how that compares with the prices other providers publish.
Questions people ask
Do I need to register my copyright before sending a DMCA notice?
No. If you own the copyright in your photos you can send a takedown notice without registering it. US registration matters if you later want to sue. One catch: if you paid a freelance photographer, they usually own the copyright unless your contract assigns it to you, so check the contract first.
Can a DMCA notice remove a counterfeit that uses its own photos?
Usually not. A DMCA notice covers copyright, so it works when they've copied your photos, text or designs. A copy with its own photos is normally a trademark matter, which needs a trademark complaint instead. We prepare both kinds.
What happens if the seller sends a counter-notice?
The platform passes it to you. Under 17 U.S.C. 512(g) it then restores the listing between 10 and 14 business days later, unless you tell it you've filed a lawsuit in that time. We log the counter-notice as its own status so the deadline is in front of you.
Is there any risk in sending a DMCA notice?
Yes, if it's wrong. Knowingly and materially misrepresenting that something infringes can make you liable for damages under 17 U.S.C. 512(f). That's why only you confirm each listing, and why every notice shows you its evidence before you send it.
Should I hire a lawyer instead?
For a lawsuit, a cease-and-desist, or a seller who keeps fighting, yes. For removing listings that plainly use your photos, a correct notice through the platform's own form is usually all it takes.
Is this legal advice?
No. We make software that prepares notices and tracks them. We can't advise on your case.
Sources
Found your photos on someone else's listing?
Send us one product. We'll come back with a real count of the listings we find on the marketplaces we search, the plan that fits, and a link to start.