Domains, platforms, and web abuse
Marketplace abuse
Marketplace abuse is the sale of counterfeit goods, the operation of scam storefronts, or the misuse of a brand's name and images in listings on e-commerce and classified platforms.
Forms it takes
- Counterfeits listed under the brand's name, often with the brand's own product photography.
- Grey-market or unauthorised resale presented as official.
- Listings that exist only to collect payment and never ship.
- Seller accounts and storefront names that imitate the brand or an authorised retailer.
Why it is a brand-protection problem
The customer bought from what looked like the brand and received something else, or nothing. The refund request, the safety complaint and the review all land on the brand. Beyond the individual sale, persistent counterfeits erode the price of genuine goods and the trust that lets a brand sell online at all.
Enforcement routes
The large platforms run rights-owner programmes that let a verified brand report infringing listings directly, and they generally act faster on reports that come through those programmes than on generic complaints. Enrolment needs proof of the trademark. For platforms without a programme, the route is the standard intellectual-property or fraud report. Test purchases produce the strongest evidence, but they need a documented process and a budget.
Related terms
Sources
External guidance is general. Adapt it to your legal, regulatory and operational requirements.