Our Amazon Seller account has been deactivated and was unable to get any positive response from seller support for months
Our seller account has been deactivated due to the listing violations. We have submitted several responses to explain the details, however, we only received the generic response from seller support as follows.
-------------------------------------
Thank you for submitting your appeal. We reviewed your appeal but do not have enough information to reactivate your account at this time because it is missing the following information. Please include the missing information listed below in your appeal:
-- Greater detail on the root causes of the infringement.
-- Greater detail on the actions you have taken to resolve the infringement issues.
-- Greater detail on the steps you have taken to prevent infringement going forward.
-- Greater detail on why you believe an error has occurred.
Has your account been deactivated in error?
If you believe there has been an error, please tell us why. Your explanation should include an explanation for how your account has not violated the brand’s intellectual property along with documents mentioned above to support authenticity.
Where do I send this information?
Please submit your appeal to reactivate account by clicking the “Reactivate your account” button on Account Health:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/performance/dashboard?ref=ah_em_mpa
If you want to submit additional information, click on the “View appeal” button and submit additional information as requested.
-----------------------------------------
Here is our latest response.
----------------------------------------
We are writing to appeal for the reinstatement of our seller account, which was suspended due to multiple
copyright infringement complaints. We understand and appreciate Amazon's commitment to protecting
intellectual property rights, and we have taken this matter seriously by thoroughly examining our account,
identifying the root causes, and implementing comprehensive solutions.
ROOT CAUSES:
• Our seller privileges were suspended on October 19, 2021, in response to multiple copyright
infringement complaints related to our product listings. Upon careful investigation, we identified
the following root causes:
• Inadequate Image Sourcing: We regretfully acknowledge that the images used on the product
detail pages of our listings were sourced from our vendor. At the time, we were unaware that these
images had not been originally captured by our vendor. This oversight led to copyright infringement
complaints, for which we take full responsibility.
• Incomplete Supply Chain Documentation: We failed to provide Amazon with the necessary
invoices to validate our supply chain. This omission is an oversight on our part, and we understand
that it is our responsibility as sellers to ensure that our products adhere to all applicable laws,
regulations, and intellectual property rights.
• Lack of Copyright Awareness: Prior to the suspension, our team lacked a comprehensive
understanding of copyright laws and the implications of using copyrighted images. This knowledge
gap contributed to our inadvertent infringement of intellectual property rights.
• Insufficient Vendor Due Diligence: We did not conduct thorough due diligence on our vendor's
image sources and permissions. This oversight resulted in our use of copyrighted images without
proper authorization.
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS:
• To address the root causes and prevent future copyright infringement issues, we have taken the
following corrective actions:
• Immediate Removal of Disputed ASINs: We promptly removed the disputed ASINs from our
inventory list and have committed to refrain from selling under these listings in the future.
• Listing Cleanup: We have deleted all other product listings on Seller Central to ensure that there
are no remaining listings that may violate Amazon's policies. New listings added or created undergo
rigorous vetting and review to ensure strict compliance with Amazon's policies.
• Continuous Education: We have thoroughly read and reviewed Amazon’s Intellectual Property
Policy for Sellers and FAQs for Copyrights, along with other relevant program policies. We are
committed to revisiting these policies on a monthly basis to maintain our familiarity with these
guidelines and to stay current with any potential changes.
• Enhanced Vendor Due Diligence: We have implemented a comprehensive vendor due diligence
process that includes verifying image sources and obtaining written permission or licenses for the
use of images on our product listings. This process ensures that we only use images for which we
have legal authorization.
STEPS TO PREVENT THE ISSUE GOING FORWARD:
• To proactively prevent future copyright infringement issues and maintain compliance, we have
taken the following measures:
• Advanced Copyright Training: Our team has undergone specialized training in copyright laws
and intellectual property rights. This training equips us with a deeper understanding of copyright
issues and ensures that we can identify and address potential infringements proactively.
• Robust Monitoring System: We have implemented a comprehensive monitoring system to
continuously scan our product listings for any potential copyright issues. This automated system
alerts us to any unauthorized use of images or content, allowing for immediate corrective action.
• Regular Audits: We conduct regular internal audits of our product listings and image sources to
ensure ongoing compliance with copyright laws and Amazon's policies. Any discrepancies are
promptly rectified.
• Vendor Compliance Agreements: We have established formal vendor compliance agreements
that outline our expectations regarding copyright and intellectual property rights. Vendors are
required to provide proof of ownership or authorization for any images they provide.
CONCLUSION:
We have taken substantial corrective actions and preventative measures to rectify the issues that led to the
suspension of our seller account. We are committed to maintaining a compliant and ethical presence on the
Amazon marketplace, upholding the highest standards of intellectual property rights protection.
If you require any additional information or documentation to facilitate the resolution of this matter, please
annotate our account accordingly. Otherwise, we kindly request the reinstatement of our seller account, as
we believe that the actions we have outlined above demonstrate our commitment to compliance and the
protection of intellectual property rights.
---------------------------------------
I am frustrated and don't know what to do. Can anyone help?
@Jim_Amazon
@Rose_Amazon
@Stevie_Amazon
@Atlas_Amazon
Our Amazon Seller account has been deactivated and was unable to get any positive response from seller support for months
Our seller account has been deactivated due to the listing violations. We have submitted several responses to explain the details, however, we only received the generic response from seller support as follows.
-------------------------------------
Thank you for submitting your appeal. We reviewed your appeal but do not have enough information to reactivate your account at this time because it is missing the following information. Please include the missing information listed below in your appeal:
-- Greater detail on the root causes of the infringement.
-- Greater detail on the actions you have taken to resolve the infringement issues.
-- Greater detail on the steps you have taken to prevent infringement going forward.
-- Greater detail on why you believe an error has occurred.
Has your account been deactivated in error?
If you believe there has been an error, please tell us why. Your explanation should include an explanation for how your account has not violated the brand’s intellectual property along with documents mentioned above to support authenticity.
Where do I send this information?
Please submit your appeal to reactivate account by clicking the “Reactivate your account” button on Account Health:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/performance/dashboard?ref=ah_em_mpa
If you want to submit additional information, click on the “View appeal” button and submit additional information as requested.
-----------------------------------------
Here is our latest response.
----------------------------------------
We are writing to appeal for the reinstatement of our seller account, which was suspended due to multiple
copyright infringement complaints. We understand and appreciate Amazon's commitment to protecting
intellectual property rights, and we have taken this matter seriously by thoroughly examining our account,
identifying the root causes, and implementing comprehensive solutions.
ROOT CAUSES:
• Our seller privileges were suspended on October 19, 2021, in response to multiple copyright
infringement complaints related to our product listings. Upon careful investigation, we identified
the following root causes:
• Inadequate Image Sourcing: We regretfully acknowledge that the images used on the product
detail pages of our listings were sourced from our vendor. At the time, we were unaware that these
images had not been originally captured by our vendor. This oversight led to copyright infringement
complaints, for which we take full responsibility.
• Incomplete Supply Chain Documentation: We failed to provide Amazon with the necessary
invoices to validate our supply chain. This omission is an oversight on our part, and we understand
that it is our responsibility as sellers to ensure that our products adhere to all applicable laws,
regulations, and intellectual property rights.
• Lack of Copyright Awareness: Prior to the suspension, our team lacked a comprehensive
understanding of copyright laws and the implications of using copyrighted images. This knowledge
gap contributed to our inadvertent infringement of intellectual property rights.
• Insufficient Vendor Due Diligence: We did not conduct thorough due diligence on our vendor's
image sources and permissions. This oversight resulted in our use of copyrighted images without
proper authorization.
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS:
• To address the root causes and prevent future copyright infringement issues, we have taken the
following corrective actions:
• Immediate Removal of Disputed ASINs: We promptly removed the disputed ASINs from our
inventory list and have committed to refrain from selling under these listings in the future.
• Listing Cleanup: We have deleted all other product listings on Seller Central to ensure that there
are no remaining listings that may violate Amazon's policies. New listings added or created undergo
rigorous vetting and review to ensure strict compliance with Amazon's policies.
• Continuous Education: We have thoroughly read and reviewed Amazon’s Intellectual Property
Policy for Sellers and FAQs for Copyrights, along with other relevant program policies. We are
committed to revisiting these policies on a monthly basis to maintain our familiarity with these
guidelines and to stay current with any potential changes.
• Enhanced Vendor Due Diligence: We have implemented a comprehensive vendor due diligence
process that includes verifying image sources and obtaining written permission or licenses for the
use of images on our product listings. This process ensures that we only use images for which we
have legal authorization.
STEPS TO PREVENT THE ISSUE GOING FORWARD:
• To proactively prevent future copyright infringement issues and maintain compliance, we have
taken the following measures:
• Advanced Copyright Training: Our team has undergone specialized training in copyright laws
and intellectual property rights. This training equips us with a deeper understanding of copyright
issues and ensures that we can identify and address potential infringements proactively.
• Robust Monitoring System: We have implemented a comprehensive monitoring system to
continuously scan our product listings for any potential copyright issues. This automated system
alerts us to any unauthorized use of images or content, allowing for immediate corrective action.
• Regular Audits: We conduct regular internal audits of our product listings and image sources to
ensure ongoing compliance with copyright laws and Amazon's policies. Any discrepancies are
promptly rectified.
• Vendor Compliance Agreements: We have established formal vendor compliance agreements
that outline our expectations regarding copyright and intellectual property rights. Vendors are
required to provide proof of ownership or authorization for any images they provide.
CONCLUSION:
We have taken substantial corrective actions and preventative measures to rectify the issues that led to the
suspension of our seller account. We are committed to maintaining a compliant and ethical presence on the
Amazon marketplace, upholding the highest standards of intellectual property rights protection.
If you require any additional information or documentation to facilitate the resolution of this matter, please
annotate our account accordingly. Otherwise, we kindly request the reinstatement of our seller account, as
we believe that the actions we have outlined above demonstrate our commitment to compliance and the
protection of intellectual property rights.
---------------------------------------
I am frustrated and don't know what to do. Can anyone help?
@Jim_Amazon
@Rose_Amazon
@Stevie_Amazon
@Atlas_Amazon
12 replies
Emet_Amazon
Hello @Seller_zayN05oADOAQJ,
Thank you for posting your concerns with your account deactivation.
Our seller privileges were suspended on October 19, 2021, in response to multiple copyright
infringement complaints related to our product listings.
As you mentioned this is an older deactivation. You said this was due to multiple copyright complaints, do you have the original deactivation notice? Due to my limited visibility, this information helps confirm the situation and provide more structured guidance.
-- Greater detail on the root causes of the infringement.
-- Greater detail on the actions you have taken to resolve the infringement issues.
-- Greater detail on the steps you have taken to prevent infringement going forward.
-- Greater detail on why you believe an error has occurred.
• Inadequate Image Sourcing: We regretfully acknowledge that the images used on the product
detail pages of our listings were sourced from our vendor. At the time, we were unaware that these
images had not been originally captured by our vendor. This oversight led to copyright infringement
complaints, for which we take full responsibility.
Typically, when it comes to explaining the root cause within a plan of action, you're required to provide an understanding of not just what took place as you mentioned, but also how these actions violated this specific intellectual property. This also helps show your holistic understanding of the violation.
• Incomplete Supply Chain Documentation: We failed to provide Amazon with the necessary
invoices to validate our supply chain. This omission is an oversight on our part, and we understand
that it is our responsibility as sellers to ensure that our products adhere to all applicable laws,
regulations, and intellectual property rights.
As this is an older deactivation, we will ask for a letter of authorization, showing you and your store was authorized to use these intellectual properties, were there other intellectual property concerns aside from copyright violations that asked to verify the supply chain?
• Lack of Copyright Awareness: Prior to the suspension, our team lacked a comprehensive
understanding of copyright laws and the implications of using copyrighted images. This knowledge
gap contributed to our inadvertent infringement of intellectual property rights.
This would be as noted above a situation where you advise on what happened but now why. You will need to explain why there was no process for this?
Immediate Removal of Disputed ASINs: We promptly removed the disputed ASINs from our
inventory list and have committed to refrain from selling under these listings in the future.
• Listing Cleanup: We have deleted all other product listings on Seller Central to ensure that there
are no remaining listings that may violate Amazon's policies. New listings added or created undergo
rigorous vetting and review to ensure strict compliance with Amazon's policies.
The removal of the listings in this situation, if you cannot show proof of authorization is a good step to help show the inventory is compliant, and how you will verify new listings. I see no concerns with the corrective actions as they offer an explanation on how you resolved these initial concerns.
• Advanced Copyright Training: Our team has undergone specialized training in copyright laws
and intellectual property rights. This training equips us with a deeper understanding of copyright
issues and ensures that we can identify and address potential infringements proactively.
This is an important educational process, can you provide details or insight into what this may look like or cover to offer reassurance on how this will help in maintaining compliance with these policies?
• Robust Monitoring System: We have implemented a comprehensive monitoring system to
continuously scan our product listings for any potential copyright issues. This automated system
alerts us to any unauthorized use of images or content, allowing for immediate corrective action.
What is the system, is it self-made or a known software? Additionally, when using automation, do you have any level of redundancy to ensure it's working appropriately?
• Regular Audits: We conduct regular internal audits of our product listings and image sources to
ensure ongoing compliance with copyright laws and Amazon's policies. Any discrepancies are
promptly rectified.
Can you provide a timeline in which you plan of conducting these audits? What do the audits entail? This one is a little generalized and would require more of an explanation.
• Vendor Compliance Agreements: We have established formal vendor compliance agreements
that outline our expectations regarding copyright and intellectual property rights. Vendors are
required to provide proof of ownership or authorization for any images they provide.
This is a good process to verify compliance of the vendors, however I do want to advise that just listing a product in the manage inventory shows an intent to sell and could infringe upon an intellectual property, this process would need to be implemented prior to listing the product to show a valid preventative step.
Also due to the nature of the situation, I have passed your concerns to the Account Health Support Team to discuss this subject a bit further, they may attempt to reach you by phone so ensure you contact information is up to date.
The forums community and I are here to support you. Please let us know how we can help you from this point forward.
Emet.
Seller_zayN05oADOAQJ
@Emet_AmazonI saw you closed my another thread, but I did not see any of your response in this thread. Can you share your response here?
Seller_zayN05oADOAQJ
Hi @Emet_Amazon, I missed the call from Amazon seller support yesterday. He said that he would call me again in 24 hours. However, I have not received any call from Amazon today.
I got an email from Amazon seller support and here is my response.
-----------------
Questions:
Thank you for submitting information to reactivate your account. We reviewed your appeal and determined that you have not submitted required documents or the documents submitted are invalid. Please include the missing information listed below and resubmit in your appeal.
Please provide any one of the below documents for proving authenticity of your listings:
-- A letter of authorization (LOA) or licensing agreement (LA) directly from the rights owner indicating that you are authorized to use their intellectual property. You can find the contact information of the rights owner in the listing deactivation communication you have received.
-- An invoice directly from rights owner to indicate that your products are original and are purchased from the rights owner directly. You can find the contact information of the rights owner in the listing deactivation communication you have received.
-- Retraction from the rights owner to be sent to Amazon directly. You can find the contact information of the rights owner in the listing deactivation communication you have received.
------------------
Response:
We are not selling any branded products of the right owners. The products we were selling at Amazon were our branded cartridges which are compatible to right owners' printers. So, we are the brand owner of the products we selling.
However, due to the negligence of our ex-employees, they mistakenly used the right owners' images at our Amazon listings. They removed the rights owners' registered trademarks from the images and listed them at Amazon.
When we received the notice from Amazon, the violated listings were all removed immediately.
As a result, we don't have or need the letter of authorization or any type of authorization from the rights owner in order to sell our branded products.
------------------
Please help me forward the response to your support team. And I would be greatly appreciate if they can leave the call back number or direct email address if I am unable to pick up the call.
Lastly, I really appreciate your help on this matter. We have tried many different ways to reach Amazon support team for months and you are the only one offering support to help us.
Many thanks!
Seller_zayN05oADOAQJ
Hi @Emet_Amazon, per the phone conversation with Charlie from Account health support. Here is our official response on the utility patent complaint from Epson. Can you forward it to the Account health team?
Please feel free to contact me if they have any questions.
Thanks.
-----------------
Subject: Response to Account Suspension - Utility Patent Infringement Allegation
Dear Amazon Seller Support Team,
I am writing in response to the recent communication regarding the suspension of our account due to an alleged violation of a utility patent filed by Epson. We appreciate the opportunity to address this issue and provide further information to clarify our position.
Our company specializes in remanufacturing used Epson cartridges, a process that involves the collection of empty or used cartridges, thorough inspection, cleaning, refilling with ink, and rigorous testing to ensure product quality. We are well aware of the rights and legal precedents, notably the case of Impression Products Inc. vs Lexmark International, Inc., where the US Supreme Court ruled that a company's patent claims cease after the first sale.
The precedent set by the aforementioned ruling establishes that once a product is legitimately sold, the patent owner's rights are exhausted. Consequently, customers and subsequent refurbishers have the right to refurbish and sell these products without the risk of infringing upon the original manufacturer's patent claims.
Our operations align with this legal interpretation. We do not infringe upon Epson's patent rights as the cartridges we remanufacture are legitimately obtained, and the process falls within the scope of lawful refurbishment and resale as permitted by the Supreme Court ruling.
In light of this legal precedence and the nature of our business practices, we kindly request that our account suspension be reevaluated. Furthermore, we are prepared to provide any additional information or documentation that may assist in resolving this matter.
We are committed to complying with Amazon’s policies and all relevant laws, and we assure you of our willingness to cooperate fully to rectify any concerns.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to a swift resolution and the reinstatement of our seller account.
Sincerely,
NEW_COMPANDSAVE
---------------------------------------
Seller_zayN05oADOAQJ
@Emet_Amazon - I have not received any response or call from Amazon seller support since I sent the response last Wednesday. May I know when I will have an update from them? Thanks.
Seller_zayN05oADOAQJ
@Emet_Amazon
I have not received any response or call from Amazon seller support for almost a month. May I know when I will have an update from them? Thanks.
Seller_zayN05oADOAQJ
Hi @Atlas_Amazon@Emet_Amazon, I have not yet heard from Amazon seller support. May I know when I will get an update? Thanks.
Seller_zayN05oADOAQJ
Hi @Atlas_Amazon @Emet_Amazon , I still have not yet heard from Amazon seller support. It has been over 6 weeks. May I know when I will get an update? Thanks
