Comprehensive Guide to Removing Counterfeits on TikTok: Practical Steps for Brand Protection

TikTok’s explosive growth has transformed it into a global powerhouse for brand engagement—but it’s also become a playground for counterfeiters. In our previous article, we explored the shadowy tactics employed by bad actors on TikTok to exploit the platform’s viral nature in capturing consumers. Now, we take the conversation a step further to help IP/Brand Protections teams take down illicit activities with a comprehensive guide below.

TikTok’s Efforts to Combat Counterfeits

TikTok has made significant strides in protecting intellectual property and combating counterfeit goods on its platform. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, the company took down over 5.7 million ads due to account-level enforcement actions with questionable ad content. To strengthen these efforts, TikTok established an Intellectual Property Protection Center and introduced a robust review process for reported content.

Furthermore, in January 2024, TikTok partnered with luxury giant LVMH, which owns 75 renowned brands including Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, to combat counterfeit sales. This collaboration emphasizes proactive counterfeit detection and improved brand verification.

While these efforts are beneficial, brands must remain vigilant and take additional measures to protect their intellectual property, as relying solely on Tiktok’s initiatives may not be enough given the growing scale of counterfeit activity.

Reporting Counterfeits on TikTok Shop

TikTok has streamlined this process, making it simple and straightforward for rights holders as explained step-by-step below:

Locate the Infringing Content:

Identify the video or content that showcases or promotes the counterfeit product.

Report the Content:

Within the TikTok app, tap the “Share” button on the side of the video, then select “Report,” followed by “Counterfeits and intellectual property.”

If you are not the trademark holder but are reporting a suspected counterfeit, tap “Counterfeit Products,” then “Suspected infringement of others,” and follow the reporting steps.
If you are the IP owner or an authorized representative, select “Intellectual property infringement,” then “Trademark Infringement Report,” and follow the instructions to complete the report.

Provide Supporting Documentation:

You will be required to provide accurate information, including a valid trademark registration certificate, to substantiate your claim. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the denial of your report.

Online Reporting:

Alternatively, you can report counterfeits through TikTok’s online form, which may be more convenient in certain situations.

It is essential to note that TikTok takes intellectual property rights seriously and may take legal action against individuals who intentionally submit misleading or fraudulent reports. This robust reporting system is designed to protect brands, but it also emphasizes the importance of accuracy and thoroughness in documentation.

Supporting Documentation for IP Owners

To streamline the reporting process as an IP owner, having the following documentation ready is essential:

A valid trademark registration certificate
Documentation identifying you as the owner or authorized representative of the trademark
Evidence of the alleged infringement, such as screenshots or links to the infringing content

Providing complete and accurate information not only expedites the review process but also increases the likelihood of successful content removal, helping to maintain the integrity of your brand on the platform.

Appealing Rejected Claims

Despite best efforts, there may be instances where an initial report is rejected. In such cases, TikTok provides an appeals process to challenge the decision through its Counter Notification Forms.

When submitting an appeal, it is crucial to provide all required information, including your contact details and any supporting evidence that substantiates your claim. Appeals that lack valid justification or evidence are generally not accepted, so thoroughness is key.

Addressing and Tackling the Limitations of TikTok’s IP Reporting System

When tackling counterfeits or infringements on TikTok, IP and brand protection teams often face the following challenges:

Reactive Rather than Proactive:

TikTok’s current system primarily relies on brand owners and users to report infringing content. This reactive approach means that counterfeit listings often remain live for some time before they are reported and removed, allowing counterfeiters to capitalize on unsuspecting consumers.

Manual Reporting Process:

The reporting process can be labor-intensive, requiring detailed information about the infringement and often needing to be repeated for each new instance of counterfeit content. This can overwhelm brand protection teams, especially for larger brands with a global presence.

Account and Content Recurrence:

Counterfeiters often create multiple accounts or use bots to continuously upload infringing content. Even when one account is banned, others quickly take its place, perpetuating the cycle.

This ongoing challenge underscores the need for a more comprehensive and proactive approach to brand protection on TikTok.

The Need for a Multi-Faceted Approach for Comprehensive Brand Protection

To effectively combat counterfeits and safeguard intellectual property, brand protection teams must adopt a multi-faceted strategy, which includes:

Comprehensive Digital IP Registration Measures

One of the first steps to strong brand protection is ensuring that brands have comprehensive digital IP registration in place. These measures bolster legal standing and enable quicker, more decisive actions against infringers. Key registration efforts include:

Obtaining Brand Authorization with TikTok Shop: Besides brand registration with national or international authorities, organizations should also secure brand authorization directly from TikTok. This can speed up removing counterfeit content and enhance brand visibility and protection across digital spaces.
Domain Name Monitoring and Social Handle Verification: Securing relevant domain names and social media handles is a critical step in protecting a brand’s digital presence. By utilizing tools like the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) for domain disputes and apps like KnowEM to check the misuse of your social media handles, organizations can proactively protect their brands online.
Tiktok Verification: Obtaining Tiktok verification is essential to establish credibility and authenticity. Verified accounts serve as a clear signal to consumers that they are interacting with the legitimate brand, reducing the risk of counterfeiters or impostors deceiving users with fake profiles. Verification also simplifies the process of reporting and removing infringing accounts.

Advanced Technological Solutions

In addition to legal measures, brands can leverage advanced technology to monitor and report infringements more effectively. Some examples include:

Automatic Monitoring Tools: Deploying automatic monitoring tools plays a vital role in detecting counterfeits on TikTok. These tools work by identifying content, user profiles, hashtags, comments, and engagement metrics that may be linked to counterfeit products.
AI-Powered Monitoring Systems: AI-based tools can review massive amounts of data across platforms to priortize counterfeit listings, fake accounts, and unauthorized use of intellectual property, enabling quicker response times for enforcement actions.

Strong Brand Presence

An essential part of a robust protection strategy is building a solid follower base on TikTok. For example, brands like Netflix and Redbull have gained millions of followers on the platform. This strong presence not only enhances brand equity but also makes it easier to identify and report unauthorized trademark use or imitation accounts, as users and internal monitoring systems can quickly flag these profiles.

Consumer Education and Awareness

Educating consumers about the risks associated with counterfeit products is also a crucial element of brand protection. Brands could develop transparency reports and guides on how to identify counterfeit goods. These include recognizing red flags like unusually low prices, poor-quality packaging, and suspicious sellers. Engaging in consumer awareness campaigns can significantly reduce the spread of counterfeit products by empowering customers to make informed decisions.

By integrating advanced technologies, fostering collaboration with TikTok, and raising consumer awareness, brands can better protect their IP and stay ahead in the ongoing battle against counterfeiters. The key lies in moving from a reactive to a proactive stance, ensuring that infringed content or counterfeit products are identified and removed before it can cause significant harm.

How Can Hubstream Help You?

If you need comprehensive protection, Hubstream’s Brand Protection Case Management Solution can help you combat counterfeits and infringements effectively. Here are some ways Hubstream can assist you:

Unified Data Hub: Integrates online and offline data, enabling teams to align TikTok-specific cases with broader brand protection strategies.

Streamlined Investigations: Customizable workflows and task management optimize collaboration with law firms, customs, and key stakeholders for efficient TikTok infringement resolution.

Advanced Link Analysis: Employs cutting-edge analysis to uncover and dismantle complex counterfeiting networks on TikTok, ensuring targeted countermeasures.

Real-Time Oversight: Provides instant case visibility through real-time dashboards, allowing for agile adjustments in response to TikTok-related infringements.

Scalable Protection: Flexible templates to manage IP and brand protection at any scale, addressing the evolving challenges of TikTok effectively.