Amazon vs. Shopee: Selling Violations Are Banned From the Very Start

When selling on international e-commerce marketplaces, many people run into trouble due to a lack of authoritative information on how trademark and copyright infringement is handled. An account being temporarily locked or disabled with no clear explanation leaves many sellers confused and struggling to find reliable advice.

One common cause of this situation is limited understanding of the trade and legal regulations related to intellectual property protection in the global market. Many people focus only on choosing a sales niche, finding cheap supply sources, or running ads, while skipping the step of checking whether the product deep down infringes on a registered copyright or trademark.

1. Causes and the Importance of Complying with Trademark and Copyright Protection

Quite a few suppliers from countries like China or elsewhere don’t sign technology-transfer agreements or hold an official license when manufacturing commercial products. So when these items are listed and sold on major platforms like Amazon, the trademark or copyright owner can file a complaint and request the marketplace take action, directly affecting the seller.

This is particularly sensitive for Vietnamese sellers due to differences in legal awareness and access to supporting information. This is also a lesson worth paying attention to, to avoid risk in international business.

2. Necessary Steps to Check and Comply with Trademark and Copyright Policies When Doing Business

First, sellers should spend time carefully researching the trademark and copyright protection regulations on the official page of the platform they intend to sell on. For example, Amazon’s dedicated help page on this issue provides detailed guidance to help sellers better understand the rules they need to follow.

Next, to determine whether an intended product infringes on any intellectual property rights, you can check trademark and patent databases such as:

In addition, searching directly on marketplaces such as:

also helps assess the competitive landscape and the legal standing of a product.

3. Important Notes When Entering the International Market

Business owners need to recognize this as a global playing field with very strict intellectual-property-protection regulations, not a domestic market with a much simpler process. Every country has its own laws, and the free trade agreements Vietnam participates in also create fierce competition with many countries in the ASEAN region.

Even though there are still cases of products not fully complying with the law, taking preventive steps early will help sellers limit the risk of unwanted lawsuits or losing their account.

4. Conclusion

Knowledge of trademark and copyright protection law is indispensable when deciding to sell on international e-commerce platforms. Sellers need to equip themselves with the right knowledge or seek proper advice to comply with regulations, ensuring sustainable and safe business operations.