Shopify · Shopify Acceptable Use Policy · View original document ↗

Intellectual Property Infringement Prohibition

Medium severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Rare · 1 of 343 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

Shopify prohibits merchants from selling counterfeit goods or using another party's intellectual property without authorization, including trademarks, copyrights, and other protected content.

This analysis describes what Shopify's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision requires merchants to ensure all products and content on their Shopify stores do not infringe third-party intellectual property rights, with violations potentially resulting in account suspension in addition to independent legal liability.

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
3
Months Monitored
Apr 3, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 646 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

End consumers shopping on Shopify-hosted stores have a stated platform-level assurance that merchants are prohibited from selling counterfeit goods; however, enforcement depends on Shopify's review processes and rights holder reporting mechanisms.

How other platforms handle this

Acorns Medium

By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such Content in any and all media or distri...

Xbox Medium

When you share, post, or upload content that is covered by intellectual property rights (like photos or videos) in or in connection with our products, you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, publicly per...

HubSpot Medium

As between the parties, Customer retains all right, title and interest in and to the Customer Data. Customer grants to HubSpot and its Affiliates a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free right to collect, use, copy, store, transmit, modify and create derivative works of Customer Data, in each case t...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
You may not use the Shopify Services to offer, sell, or facilitate the sale of: Counterfeit goods: Sale of counterfeit goods or use of another's intellectual property without authorization or in a manner that otherwise infringes on another's intellectual property rights.

— Excerpt from Shopify's Shopify Acceptable Use Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision interacts with the Lanham Act (trademark), the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C.) in the United States. Internationally, it engages with the EU Trademark Regulation, TRIPS Agreement obligations, and applicable national IP laws. The DMCA provides a separate notice-and-takedown mechanism that operates alongside this AUP provision. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. Counterfeit goods and IP infringement are among the most commonly litigated e-commerce compliance issues. The provision does not specify a review or pre-clearance mechanism for merchants uncertain about IP clearance, placing the compliance burden on merchants. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU merchants face additional obligations under the EU's Digital Services Act regarding counterfeit goods, which imposes due diligence requirements on online marketplaces. US merchants should be aware of the INFORM Consumers Act, which imposes disclosure requirements on high-volume third-party sellers. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Merchants sourcing products from third-party suppliers should conduct supplier due diligence to identify counterfeit goods risk. Dropshipping merchants face particular exposure given limited visibility into supplier product authenticity. Legal teams should ensure vendor contracts include IP compliance representations and warranties. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Merchants should conduct trademark clearance searches for their product names and brand assets and maintain documentation of licensing agreements for any third-party IP used in their stores. Review of supplier agreements and product sourcing documentation is advisable, particularly for merchants in high-counterfeit-risk categories such as apparel, electronics, and luxury goods.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has enforcement authority over deceptive practices including the sale of counterfeit goods that mislead consumers
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

DSA
European Union

Provision details

Document information
Document
Shopify Acceptable Use Policy
Entity
Shopify
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 27, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000827
Document ID
CA-D-00124
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
6747aef27d272e564823f36257d53e0e81e491f02516c0ffd2b85660b34fcdae
Analysis generated
April 27, 2026 12:48 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Shopify
Document: Shopify Acceptable Use Policy
Record ID: CA-P-000827
Captured: 2026-04-27 12:48:34 UTC
SHA-256: 6747aef27d272e56…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/shopify/shopify-acceptable-use-policy/intellectual-property-infringement-prohibition/
Accessed: July 4, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Shopify's Intellectual Property Infringement Prohibition clause do?

This provision requires merchants to ensure all products and content on their Shopify stores do not infringe third-party intellectual property rights, with violations potentially resulting in account suspension in addition to independent legal liability.

How does this clause affect you?

End consumers shopping on Shopify-hosted stores have a stated platform-level assurance that merchants are prohibited from selling counterfeit goods; however, enforcement depends on Shopify's review processes and rights holder reporting mechanisms.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Shopify?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Shopify.