Counterfeit or unauthorized goods: You may not use Shopify's Services to sell, purchase, or facilitate the sale of counterfeit goods or goods that infringe on another's intellectual property rights, including goods with unauthorized use of a trademarked brand name, logo, or design.
This provision exposes merchants to both Shopify enforcement actions and direct civil liability from brand owners under the Lanham Act, and Shopify may act on IP complaints from brand owners without independently verifying the claim's validity.
Shopify's AUP primarily affects merchants who build businesses on the platform, as prohibited product categories and enforcement provisions can result in sudden store suspension that disrupts both merchant operations and end-customer shopping experiences. Consumers who shop at Shopify-powered stores benefit from the platform's prohibitions on deceptive practices, counterfeit goods, and fraud-facilitating tools, though the policy does not itself create enforceable consumer rights against merchants. You can protect your business by maintaining independent backups of your customer data, product listings, and order history outside of Shopify's platform.