Guide

How to report a TikTok Shop seller or affiliate creator

Last checked against the sources below: October 20, 2026. Watchword re-checks these sources every week. This page summarizes TikTok Shop’s US policy pages and TikTok’s help pages. It is not legal advice.

A brand that finds a TikTok Shop seller selling counterfeits of its products, or a creator video making claims about its products, has two kinds of reporting route on TikTok. This page sets out, from TikTok’s own pages, which route fits which problem, the steps TikTok gives, and what TikTok says happens after a report. Whether a report is the right step in a given case is a question for counsel.

The short answer. For counterfeits and other intellectual property problems, TikTok Shop says rights owners can report through its Intellectual Property Protection Center (IPPC) or its online IP web form, and only rights owners or their authorized representatives may file. For other problems, TikTok’s pages describe the in-app Report flow. For a video or LIVE: tap Share or press and hold, tap Report, pick a reason such as “Related to Shopping,” and tap Submit. For a product: tap the three dots, then Report.

Which route fits which problem

Problem	Route TikTok describes
Counterfeit products, or a seller using your trademark without authorization	IPPC or the TikTok Shop IP web form
Your trademark used without authorization in a video or LIVE	IPPC, complaint type “Unauthorized Use In Video/Live Content”
Copyright	IP web form, IPPC, or TikTok’s designated agent
Utility patent	Email to the address on TikTok Shop’s IP policy page, with the documents it lists
Your copyrighted photo or video used in someone else’s video or LIVE	IPPC, complaint type “Unauthorized Use In Video/Live Content”
Misleading claims or other shopping problems in a video, LIVE or product	In-app Report

TikTok Shop says counterfeit sales include “the unauthorized display of brand names, logos, or trademarks in product images, product descriptions, livestreams, or videos without the brand owner’s authorization.”

Reporting counterfeits and IP problems through the IPPC

Who can file. TikTok Shop says: “Only IPR owners or their authorized representatives may file an IPR infringement notice.” It warns that a misleading or fraudulent notice “can lead to liability for damages or other legal penalties.”
The four steps. TikTok’s IPPC guide lists: “1. Create an account,” “2. Verify your identity,” “3. Register your IP,” “4. Submit and manage complaints.”
Register first. The guide says you can submit a complaint “after we have approved your application to register your IP asset,” and the asset “MUST be active in the country where you want to protect it.”
Filing a complaint. On the Complaint Management page, click Submit New Complaint, then “Select the Complaint Type and Country and search for the product, video, or LIVE you want to report.” Trademark complaint types include “Counterfeit,” “Wrong Association,” “Overuse” and “Unauthorized Use In Video/Live Content.”
Seller accounts. TikTok says a brand can link its seller account to its IPPC account, which syncs brand authorizations from Seller Center.

Reporting a video, LIVE or product in the app

TikTok Shop’s Creator and Content Policy Guide (dated October 9, 2026) gives these steps.

Short video. Tap the Share button or press and hold the video. Tap Report and select “Related to Shopping” or “Selling Counterfeit Products.” Choose the subcategory, add details if possible, and tap Submit.
LIVE. Tap the Share button at the bottom left or press and hold the LIVE. Tap Report and select “Inaccurate Promotion” or “Intellectual Property and Counterfeit Products,” add details if possible, and tap Submit.
Product. TikTok Shop’s shopper blog post (November 2024) says to tap the product, tap the three dots, tap Report, select the issue and tap Submit.

Reason labels can differ between TikTok’s pages and may change in the app.

What happens after a report

IP notices. TikTok Shop says it “reviews notices and, where a violation is found, takes action against the reported content and seller.” Enforcement actions its policy lists include removing or restricting listings, suspending accounts and withholding balances.
IPPC complaints. TikTok says it will email you the outcome, which also shows on the Complaint Management page. A rejected complaint cannot be appealed; you submit a new one.
Appeals. TikTok Shop says sellers can raise up to two appeals per case and creators one, and that after a successful appeal it removes penalties and restores withdrawn privileges.
Your contact details. For IP notices, TikTok Shop says it “may provide the account holder with your contact information.” For general reports, TikTok’s help page says it will not disclose your identity to the person you report, except where required by law or necessary to handle the report.
In-app reports. We did not find a TikTok Shop page saying whether or how the reporter hears back.

What TikTok Shop says it will not act on

Notices “based solely on distribution agreement violations, unless a separate IPR infringement has occurred.”
Notices “based only on a product’s sale price,” including prices below a Minimal Advertised Price (MAP) or MSRP.
On its IP web form, notices against parallel import or grey market products, except where the law expressly prohibits them. The form says you can instead request the seller’s details to take the issue up directly.

What this means for a brand team

The IP routes are built for counterfeits and trademark misuse. For a creator video that makes a claim about your product, the route TikTok documents is the general in-app Report, and we did not find a US Seller Center feature for reporting an affiliate creator’s claims. To report a video, a brand first has to know it exists. For the brand’s side of affiliate content, see Is a brand responsible for what TikTok Shop affiliate creators say?

Watchword is built to flag creator videos about your brand on TikTok Shop for your team to review, covering disclosures, product claims, and brand safety. Start with a free Dark Reach Check.

Get a free Dark Reach Check

Common questions

How do I report a TikTok Shop seller selling counterfeits of my brand?

TikTok Shop says rights owners or their authorized representatives can report through the Intellectual Property Protection Center (IPPC) or the TikTok Shop IP web form. In the IPPC you create an account, verify your identity, register your IP, then submit a complaint against the product, video or LIVE.

How do I report a TikTok Shop video?

TikTok Shop’s guide says to tap the Share button or press and hold the video, tap Report, choose “Related to Shopping” or “Selling Counterfeit Products,” pick a subcategory, add details and tap Submit.

Can a brand report an affiliate creator’s misleading claims to TikTok?

Any user can report a video through the in-app Report flow, and TikTok’s guide lists “Related to Shopping” as a reason. We did not find a US Seller Center feature specifically for reporting an affiliate creator’s claims.

Will TikTok Shop act on a seller selling below MAP?

TikTok Shop’s IP policy says it will not process notices based only on a product’s sale price, including prices below a Minimal Advertised Price (MAP) or MSRP, and will not act on distribution agreement violations alone.

Will the seller see who reported them?

For IP notices, TikTok Shop says it may provide the account holder with your contact information. For general reports, TikTok’s help page says it will not disclose your identity, except where required by law or necessary to handle the report.

Sources

This guide summarizes public guidance and public policy pages. It is not legal advice. For decisions about your program, talk to your counsel.