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¶ Project Zero
¶ Introduction
The self-service counterfeit removal tool is to be used only to remove listings for the sale of counterfeit goods. It is NOT to be used to remove offers for goods that you believe infringe other intellectual property, violate other Amazon selling policies but are not counterfeits, or that you otherwise believe should be removed but are not counterfeits. In addition, the self-service counterfeit removal tool is not designed to enforce counterfeit claims against trade dress or product configuration. If you have a registered mark protecting the shape or design of a product itself and believe that a product infringes that mark, you should report those items through the Report a Violation tool.
When you remove a listing using the self-service counterfeit removal tool, a notice will be sent to the seller informing them that a complaint has been filed against their listing. Although your removals will happen automatically when you use the self-service counterfeit removal tool, Amazon will audit your removals to ensure that you are removing only counterfeit items. If you fail to maintain a high accuracy in removing counterfeit listings, you will lose access to the self-service counterfeit removal tool.
¶ What are counterfeits?
Counterfeiting is a specific type of trademark infringement. A counterfeit is an unlawful total or partial reproduction of a registered trademark—or a mark that is very similar to a registered trademark—in connection with the sale of a product. Counterfeiting requires the use of a registered trademark on the product, packaging, or the product detail page to imply that the product is genuine. A similar looking item sold on a separate product detail page without the improper use of a registered trademark is not a counterfeit, even though the item might look similar or identical to the trademarked product.
¶ Access to the tool
Only rights owners are allowed to access features of Project Zero.
¶ Self-service counterfeit removal:
- Log in on Brand registry account https://brandregistry.amazon.com/
- Click on Protect/ Project Zero
- Choose the Marketplace on the left
- Enter product, brand, order number or up to 100 comma-separated ASINs/product URLs or you can search the asins by image
- once you found the asins choose the offer you are reporting and click "Next" on the right
- If you have multiple registered trademarks, it is important that you select the correct trademark registration number for the item you are removing.
- Amazon does not enforce against trademarks registered with the supplemental registrar through any submission channel.
- We encourage you to conduct a test buy and share the associated order ID whenever possible.
¶ ASIN vs. offer removal
With the self-service counterfeit removal tool, you will have the ability to remove entire ASINs or specific offers on an ASIN. It is imperative that you only remove an entire ASIN if the ASIN itself is for a counterfeit product. If some offers are for the sale of legitimate goods and some are for the sale of counterfeits, you must remove only those specific offers from sellers that you know to be selling counterfeit goods. If you remove an entire ASIN when there are offers for both authentic and inauthentic products listed against that ASIN, your removal will be considered misuse of the tool, even if the action does result in some offers for counterfeit items correctly being removed.
¶ Submission History
You can track the status of the listings you have removed through the self-service counterfeit removal tool in your Submission History. You are encouraged to regularly review your Submission History to ensure that you have been removing items accurately.
¶ Reinstated listings
If you removed an offer and see that the offer has been reinstated, do not use the self-service counterfeit removal tool to remove that listing again, even if you believe that the listing was reinstated in error. If you believe that a counterfeit has been reinstated erroneously, use the “escalate previously submitted issue” contact type within support.
¶ Retractions
If you remove a listing in error, you should immediately file a notice of retraction using the ‘Retract a complaint’ link in Submission History.
¶ Other forms of intellectual property infringement
Again, the self-service counterfeit removal tool is to be used only to remove listings for the sale of counterfeit goods. If you believe that a listing infringes your intellectual property rights but is not a counterfeit, you should continue to use the Report a Violation tool (provided once you enroll in Brand Registry) to report such listings. Notices submitted for other forms of infringement will not lead to an automatic removal of the reported listing but will go through our standard investigation process. Using the self-service counterfeit removal tool to remove non-counterfeit items will be considered abuse of the feature even if the removed listings otherwise infringe your intellectual property or violate Amazon’s policies.