Amazon Copyright Complaints and DMCA Responses
Amazon Sellers Appeal, operated by ASA Compliance Group and led by Or Shamosh, has handled 5,500+* seller cases since 2016.
We handle account suspensions, listing appeals and compliance cases, from the first review through submissions and follow‑ups.
An Amazon copyright complaint should lead you to a specific image, passage, video or other work. Before choosing an appeal or DMCA counter-notice, establish what was reported, where you used it and what gives you the right to use it. Replacing an image and disputing its removal are different responses.
Identify the work and the action Amazon took
Save the complete notification and any attachments. Record the complaint ID, marketplace, affected ASINs, rights owner, disputed work and deadline. Capture the listing before making changes, including secondary images, A+ Content, video and packaging artwork where relevant.
Then distinguish the action: did Amazon remove particular content, suppress an ASIN, record an intellectual-property violation, or deactivate the account? An image complaint can require a content correction while an account action requires a response to the wider enforcement notice. Do not assume that correcting one image clears every linked issue.
Content rights
Who created the photograph, illustration, text or video? Who owns it now? What permission covers your use?
Amazon case
Which complaint, ASIN and account action must be resolved? What response does the notice request?
Buying the product does not give you every right to its photographs
A product invoice and a content license prove different things. Purchasing genuine stock does not automatically establish permission to copy a manufacturer’s photographs, an agency’s video or another seller’s description.
The U.S. Copyright Office’s photography guidance explains that the photographer is generally the initial author and copyright owner, subject to applicable exceptions. A picture appearing online without a watermark is not automatically free to reuse. If you commissioned photography, read the agreement to establish ownership and permitted use.
For supplier images, trace the permission back to someone with authority to grant it. Check whether the license covers your business, commercial marketplace listings, the relevant territories, editing and the period of use. A supplier forwarding a folder is useful context, but the folder alone may not answer these questions.
Evidence that answers a copyright complaint
| Your position | Useful records | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| We created the content | Original photographs or project files, drafts, shoot records and creator agreements. | Who created it and whether rights were assigned or licensed. |
| We have permission | License, asset ID, invoice and correspondence from the authorized licensor. | The exact work, business, channel, territory, dates and restrictions. |
| The wrong content was identified | Complaint details and a labeled comparison of the reported work and actual listing. | Which specific mismatch can be demonstrated. |
| We used content without adequate permission | Preserved old listing, replacement files, correction record and approval process. | Every affected ASIN and content surface, not only the main photograph. |
Keep original files unchanged. Make annotated copies for the response and label them clearly. A screenshot showing the same image on several websites does not establish which site owns it or whether you have permission.
Choose between correction, permission, retraction and dispute
If the rights are missing, replace or remove the affected content and address Amazon’s requested corrective actions. Explain what changed, which listings were checked and how new content will be approved. Do not claim the complaint was mistaken simply because replacement content is now available.
If you have permission, connect the license to the exact work and use. If the complaint misidentifies your material, show the mismatch. Where a rights owner agrees to retract a complaint, retain the retraction record and confirm the appropriate Amazon status afterward. A private email promising a retraction is not the same as Amazon recording it.
A claim of fair use requires a specific legal assessment. “I gave credit,” “I changed the background” and “it was only a small image” do not settle it. Review the Copyright Office’s explanation of fair use and obtain advice on the actual use before relying on that position.
What a DMCA counter-notice does
A counter-notice is a formal response to a copyright takedown where you have a good-faith belief that removal resulted from mistake or misidentification. It is not a standard reinstatement letter and does not apply to patent or trademark complaints.
The Copyright Office’s Section 512 resources describe the required identification of the removed material and its former location, signature, contact details, sworn good-faith statement, consent to federal-court jurisdiction and acceptance of service. These are consequential declarations. Check the basis for them before signing.
The process includes forwarding the counter-notice to the complainant. The statutory restoration framework generally involves 10 to 14 business days after receipt of a compliant counter-notice, unless the provider is notified of a qualifying court action. This is not a guarantee that Amazon will restore an entire seller account or clear separate policy violations.
Prepare the file before sending the formal response
- Match the notice to the material. Record the complaint ID, removed asset and former URL or location.
- Confirm the rights position. Review the original files, permission and actual use with counsel where needed.
- Use the current Amazon instructions. Keep the notice, response channel, submitted document and acknowledgment together.
- Track the dates and any legal correspondence. Distinguish drafting, sending, receipt and acceptance. Do not start the clock from the first day you noticed a missing listing.
- Check each affected status. Content availability, ASIN availability and account enforcement can require separate confirmation.
A supplier-photo example
“Our supplier gave us the picture” needs a second question
Imagine a supplier sends a product-image folder and a seller uploads it to five ASINs. A photographer later reports one image. The seller has an invoice for the products and an email saying “use these photos.” The missing question is whether that supplier had authority to license the photographer’s work for those listings.
A useful review identifies the image, requests the underlying permission, checks the other four ASINs and preserves the existing content. If permission cannot be established, the seller can prepare original replacement photography and a complete correction record. If a valid license does exist, the response should show its coverage. The invoice alone does not choose between those outcomes.
This is an illustrative scenario, not a reported client result.
When a copyright complaint becomes a court matter
A demand letter, a filed lawsuit and a court order are different documents. If you receive court papers or Amazon identifies a TRO, give counsel the full papers, account notices and deadlines. Do not treat the DMCA waiting period as permission to ignore a court deadline.
Preserve sales, settlement and payout records as well as the disputed content. If funds are restrained, identify the exact order and account involved. Our TRO guide explains the initial case file and release checks.
Prevent the same complaint from spreading across the catalog
Maintain an asset register with the file name, creator, owner or licensor, agreement, permitted use, expiry date and ASINs using it. Keep final exports linked to the original files. This makes an urgent review possible even if the employee or agency that built the listing has left.
- Require agencies to identify stock assets and third-party content in their deliverables.
- Keep evidence of commercial-use permission, including any restrictions on marketplace use or edits.
- Check translated descriptions, A+ modules, videos and packaging for copied material.
- Review the rights record before reusing an old campaign’s content on a new product.
- Assign one person to approve replacement content and verify the published listing.
Common copyright questions
Will deleting the image automatically remove the violation?
Do not assume so. Preserve the correction and follow the response route in the notice. Confirm the content, listing and Account Health status separately.
Can a supplier invoice prove I own the images?
An invoice for goods ordinarily documents the purchase of goods. Look for a separate assignment or license covering the content. The document’s actual terms matter.
Should I send a counter-notice just to get the listing back?
Only use the formal process when the required statements are truthful and the position has been assessed. It can lead to legal proceedings. A correction or documented retraction may fit different facts.
Can the same image cause complaints on several ASINs?
Review every place the asset is used and record each affected complaint. Correcting one page does not necessarily remove the same material from other listings, videos or packaging.
Need help organizing an Amazon copyright response?
Share the notice, disputed material and available ownership or license records. ASA Compliance Group handles the Amazon case and evidence work; legal opinions and court representation require qualified counsel.