Shopify · Shopify Acceptable Use Policy

Prohibition on Intellectual Property Infringement

High severity
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What it is

You cannot sell fake or counterfeit products, or use other people's trademarks and copyrights without permission, on Shopify.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Consumers benefit because this provision gives Shopify authority to remove counterfeit product listings, protecting buyers from purchasing fake goods; however, enforcement depends on brand owners or Shopify proactively identifying violations.

Cross-platform context

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

This provision means Shopify can terminate stores selling counterfeit goods and creates a contractual basis for brand owners to request takedowns, supplementing DMCA and trademark law protections.

View original clause language
The following activities are prohibited: Infringing intellectual property rights, including selling counterfeit goods, unauthorized use of trademarks or copyrighted material, or engaging in any activity that violates the intellectual property rights of others.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision engages the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA, 17 U.S.C. ยง 512), the Lanham Act (15 U.S.C. ยง 1051) for trademark infringement, the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. ยง 1526) for counterfeit goods importation, and EU Directive 2004/48/EC (IP Enforcement Directive). The Copyright Office, USPTO, CBP, and EU IPO are relevant authorities. The EU DSA (Regulation 2022/2065) Articles 16-17 require platforms to maintain notice-and-action mechanisms for IP violations.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has authority to investigate the sale of counterfeit goods as unfair or deceptive commercial practices under Section 5 of the FTC Act.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Shopify Acceptable Use Policy
Entity
Shopify
Document last updated
April 29, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 27, 2026
Last verified
April 27, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-003402
Document ID
CA-D-00124
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
6747aef27d272e564823f36257d53e0e81e491f02516c0ffd2b85660b34fcdae
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Shopify | Document: Shopify Acceptable Use Policy | Record: CA-P-003402
Captured: 2026-04-27 12:48:34 UTC | SHA-256: 6747aef27d272e56โ€ฆ
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/shopify/shopify-acceptable-use-policy/prohibition-on-intellectual-property-infringement/
Accessed: May 2, 2026
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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