Seller Center Verified Rights Owner Program

Verified Rights Owner Program

Protect your IP rights and make sure you're compliant.

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What is the verified rights owner program? More information Seller FAQs Rights owner FAQs
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What is the verified rights owner program?

The Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) program allows owners of intellectual property (IP) rights and their authorized representatives to report eBay listings that may infringe on those rights. VeRO embodies our commitment to provide a safe place to buy and sell, which respects property owners' rights.

More information

What happened to my listing?

What happened to my listing?

If your listing was removed based on a VeRO report, eBay sent you an email with details about why your listing was reported and how to contact the rights owner directly for more information.

If you have concerns or questions about why your listing was removed, please contact the rights owner directly.

Contact us in the following circumstances

  • You can't find the rights owner's email address in your removal notification email.
  • You sent an email to the rights owner, but they haven't replied after 5 business days.

Sellers are responsible for ensuring that any item they list on eBay is authentic and that the listing description doesn't infringe on the rights of others.

Examples of infringements

  • Items that bear the rights owner's trademark—such as a logo—but were not authorized by the rights owner.
  • Unauthorized copies of audio, video, or other media.
  • Unauthorized use of a rights owner's images or text in a listing.

Find more examples in the VeRO Frequently Asked Questions.

I want to report a rights violation

I want to report a rights violation

We appreciate your help in identifying and reporting listings or product pages you believe may infringe on your intellectual property rights.

Reportable listings include

  • Items that infringe on your intellectual property.
  • Counterfeit or replica items.
  • Unauthorized use of copyrighted content in a listing or product page

Ineligible reasons to report a listing

  • Wanting to control where a product is resold by trying to enforce contracts or distribution of goods to authorized sellers (selective distribution).
  • Not allowing the sale if items are below a controlled price point (minimum advertised pricing or MAP).
  • Any terms a brand puts into their contracts that controls the way items are resold (contractual issues).
  • Government-controlled items that are illegal to sell (regulatory compliance issues).

For Rights Owners

If an item or listing infringes on your intellectual property rights, you can report the listing by submitting a Notice of Claimed Infringement (NOCI). If your location or the item you are reporting is in Australia, Germany, Spain, France or Italy, please find a link to the proper NOCI below:

AU / DE / ES / FR / IT

Once your report has been processed, we'll provide you with information on how to submit additional reports, if necessary, through our VeRO reporting tool. The NOCI can be submitted to eBay:

By email

vero@ebay.com

By fax

(801) 757-9521

You can also report alleged copyright infringements via a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notification sent to the eBay designated agent (contact information below) by providing ALL of the following information:

  • A physical or electronic signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright that is allegedly infringed.
  • Identification or description of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed.
  • Identification or description of where the material that you claim is infringing is located on the eBay site, with enough detail that we may find it on the eBay website.
  • Your address, telephone number, and email address.
  • A statement by you that you have a good-faith belief that the use of the allegedly infringing material isn't authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
  • A statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner's behalf.

Contact the designated eBay agent:

By mail

eBay Designated Agent
583 W. eBay Way
Draper, UT 84020

By fax

(801) 757-9521

By email

copyright@ebay.com

VeRO participant profiles

VeRO participant profiles

If you are a Verified Rights Owner, you may create a profile page which allows you to share information about your intellectual property rights with the eBay community.

For example, you can provide information about

  • A list of your intellectual property, including brands, trademarks, and copyrights.
  • The potential consequences of infringing on a company's IP rights.
  • The conditions under which products bearing your IP may be sold.
  • How to contact you with questions or concerns.
  • Other frequently asked questions.

If you would like eBay to post a free VeRO participant profile page for you, contact vero@ebay.com for more information start this process.

These pages listed below give information about the brands' products and legal positions. The rights owners are solely responsible for the content. Please contact rights owners directly if you have questions. This list of brands is not comprehensive of brands with IP rights nor is this a complete list of all Rights Owners currently participating in the VeRO program.

Seller FAQs

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  • What are some reasons my listing may have been reported?

    Trademark infringement
    A trademark is a unique sign (such as a name, word, phrase, logo, or symbol) that a company uses to identify its products or services. For example, eBay is the name of our company, but it's also a trademark used on our site and on various eBay products. Trademark laws are primarily designed to protect consumers from confusing one company's goods or services with those of another.

    Replica and counterfeit
    It's illegal to sell counterfeits, fakes, or replicas of brand-name items. We don't allow these items to be sold on eBay.

    Example

    • Items that weren't made by the manufacturer but the items are labeled with the brand, like a purse that has a Burberry label on it but wasn't made by Burberry.

    Brand name misuse
    You may not use brand names in your listing if the product isn't manufactured by or compatible with that brand. You may use "compatible with," "fits," or "for" before a brand name if the item you are describing is specifically designed to be compatible with the products of that brand.

    Examples

    • A generic case made for an iPhone uses the brand name "Apple".
    • Listing an adidas shoe and adding the brand name "Nike".

    Logo misuse
    If you include logos in your listing descriptions, make sure you're authorized to use them. Using someone's logo without permission is a violation of trademark laws and can be misleading for buyers. Creating a logo that's similar to someone else's can also be a trademark infringement.

    Example

    • Listing a branded item and including logos in your description or images without authorization.

    Warranty
    Listings that contain a misrepresentation regarding an item's warranty are in violation of trademark laws. Information relating to the warranty of a product is considered material information and should never be misrepresented. You should read the warranty or contact the manufacturer to be sure that the warranty is eligible for a buyer before mentioning it in a listing.

    Example

    • Listing a product and including information about the manufacturer's warranty without checking to see if it covers resale of the product.

    Copyright infringements
    A copyright is the legal protection given to authors of creative works such as movies, music, software, photographs, and books, both published and unpublished. Copyright protection prevents others from using the work without permission.

    Image and text
    Using someone else's image or description without permission could violate copyright laws. If you use text or an image that was created by someone else be sure that you have permission to use the text or image.

    Examples

    • Images or text copied from other websites or internet searches.
    • Stock photos and text used without permission.
    • Scans or text copied from catalogs or advertisements.

    Media, software, movies, paintings
    Selling unauthorized copies of media, software, movies, or paintings violates copyright laws. Unauthorized copies include but aren't limited to backup, pirated, duplicated, or bootlegged copies. Copyright protection prevents others from using creative works without permission. It may also limit the right to distribute the copyrighted product.

    Examples

    • Burning unauthorized copies of movies or music and selling the copies.
    • Opened software subject to licensing agreements.
    • CD-Rs or DVD-Rs that include multiple copies of books or images.

    Design right (Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand only)
    Design right applies to the way something looks, the shape and configuration of a product, but not its functionality. Design rights protect designs from being copied and used by someone else.

    Example

    • The shape and material used to create a designer sofa is copied and used to create an imitation or lookalike.

    Patent rights (Europe)
    A patent is a specific set of rights granted to inventors, giving them the right to exclude others from making, using, and selling their invention. Patents are registered with each region's patent and trademark office.

    Parallel imports
    Some products are intended for sale in a specific market or country. The sale of these products into another country or market could violate trademark or copyright laws. We strongly encourage our members to educate themselves about the laws of their own country, as well as the countries where they plan to do business.

    Example

    • Product intended for sale only in the United States is listed for sale to buyers in Europe.
  • How can I create legally compliant listings?
    • Create your own listing content
      Write your own text for your listing and take your own photos. Don't use text or images from other web searches, manufacturer websites, third-party product catalogs, or other sources without specific permission from the owner of the content.
    • Use the eBay Product Catalog to create your listing
      If you're creating a listing that has been added to the eBay product catalog, you can take advantage of images and product details that are already available.
    • Make sure the statements in your listing are accurate
      Make sure that all statements and claims in your listing are accurate and complete. Rights owners may object to listings that contain false, inaccurate, or misleading claims about their brands or products.
    • Use brand names appropriately
      If you're selling a brand-name product, you can mention the brand name in your listing and include photos that you've taken of the item you're selling. However, don't suggest that you're an authorized dealer/reseller if you're not.
    • Review the VeRO participant profiles created by intellectual property rights owners
      We encourage intellectual property rights owners who report items through the VeRO program to create a participant profile that explains their policies and procedures concerning infringing items. If you have questions or concerns about a specific item you're interested in selling, check the VeRO Participant Profiles tab on this page to find the profiles created by rights owners.
  • What happens if I have more than one VeRO violation?

    Sellers who continue to violate intellectual property rights may be subject to a range of consequences, from selling restrictions to full suspension from the site.

  • Why was my listing removed when there are other listings just like it?

    You may see items on eBay that are similar to your listing but haven't been removed. There are a few reasons why this could happen

    • There might be a difference between your listing and the other that isn't obvious.
    • An intellectual property rights owner may have reported your listing as allegedly infringing, but hasn't yet reported the other listings.

    If you see another listing that you think violates the rights of the owner, please email the rights owner.

  • Will my fees be refunded?

    If we removed your listing because of a policy violation, we may refund your fees for that listing, depending on the policy you violated and whether you've violated our policies in the past.

  • What if I think the rights owner made a mistake in reporting my listing?

    If your listing was reported and you believe your listing was removed in error, contact the rights owner directly. The email we sent you about the removal will include the rights owner's contact information. If the rights owner has made a mistake, they should email eBay to retract their report.

  • How can I file a counter notice? (US only)

    Counter notices can only be submitted for US-based copyright reports, in compliance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Find out what information you need to provide when filing a counter notice as outlined under 17 U.S.C. section 512(g)(3). Once we receive a valid counter notice, we'll provide a copy of the notice to the VeRO participant and inform them that the listings will be reinstated after 10 business days if they don't inform us that they have filed an action seeking a court order to restrain you from relisting the items. If you wish to file a counter notice, you can contact us.

  • Did you share my account information?

    eBay may disclose your personal information to other members of the eBay Inc. corporate family or to third parties, as outlined in our User Privacy Notice.

  • Can I relist my item?

    If your listing was removed, don't relist without first finding out why.

    • If your listing was removed due to the way it was described (in image or text), you can edit your listing to remove the content in question and relist.
    • Relisting an allegedly counterfeit item that has been reported through VeRO could result in a range of consequences including, but not limited to, selling restrictions or suspension from eBay. For this reason, the Relist option isn't available for items reported as allegedly counterfeit.
  • Can eBay verify my item?

    No. eBay isn't an expert in the intellectual property rights of third parties. As a result, we aren't in a position to make a judgment as to whether the item you have listed is authorized or legal. This is why we urge you to contact the rights owner directly.

  • I want to contact a rights owner. What should I do?

    When we removed your listing(s), we sent you a message in My Messages which contains the name of the rights owner and their contact information. We encourage you to contact them if you feel your item was removed incorrectly or if you need additional information about why it was reported and removed. If the rights owner has a VeRO participant profile, please read it first as it may answer some of the questions you have. Be sure to include the following information when you contact the rights owner

    • Your eBay user ID.
    • Your eBay email address.
    • The listing number(s) that were removed.
    • Images of your product where possible.
  • Why didn't eBay contact me before removing my listing?

    When eBay receives notice through VeRO that a listing allegedly infringes intellectual property rights, we must remove the listing as soon as possible. Resource constraints prevent us from contacting users prior to removal of allegedly infringing items and/or content from our site.

  • I bought this item on eBay. Why wasn't it removed then?

    Unfortunately, there may be times when listings aren't removed because the rights owner has not reported them to us. If you believe an item is potentially infringing, and it hasn't been removed by eBay, we encourage you to contact the rights owner and inform them of the possible infringement.

  • A rights owner is just trying to eliminate competition. Why does eBay trust rights owners more than sellers?

    VeRO may only be used by rights owners to submit claims of alleged intellectual property infringement. eBay doesn't accept reports from rights owners alleging violations of selective distribution agreements, MAP policies, or other contractual agreements.

Rights owner FAQs

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  • How can I retract a report I made?

    If you've reported a listing in error, you can submit a retraction by emailing the listing information to the VeRO team at vero@ebay.com.

  • What if I don't own intellectual property?

    Since the VeRO program is for rights owners, if you don't own intellectual property rights and aren't their authorized representative, you won't be able to report items through the program.

    However, you can still help by getting in touch with legitimate rights owners (companies or individuals who hold intellectual property rights) and encouraging them to contact us about participating in the VeRO program. You can also inform them of potentially problematic listings.

  • Can I use VeRO to report stolen items?

    The VeRO program can't be used to report stolen items. If you have identified a seller listing items which you believe to be stolen, we ask that you contact the relevant law enforcement body. We can't take action regarding stolen items unless we receive a report from law enforcement. Once this happens, we'll gladly assist them with their investigations.

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