Intellectual Property Infringement

Last updated: April 2026

Principle

At TikTok, we prioritize safeguarding creators and their original products. Ads that infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, including copyright, trademark, and distributing or selling counterfeit goods, are not allowed.


Copyright and Trademark

Policy

We do not allow the use of third-party brands without authorization. Visit our Help Center to read more about our Intellectual Property Infringement Rules for Ads.


Examples of what is not allowed:

  • Use of clips from any unauthorized media sources to promote your product or service

  • Display or use of unauthorized third-party names, logos, or brands in a way that could mislead users about your brand affilitation


Counterfeit

Policy

We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display or promote counterfeit products. The promotion, sale, solicitation, or facilitation of counterfeit products, replicas, and imitations such as pirated digital products without authorization of the brand owner or trademark owner.


Examples of what is not allowed:

  • Non-genuine products passed off as genuine goods of a brand or trademark owner

  • Replicas, imitations, or similar unauthorized items


TikTok Elements

Policy

We do not allow ad content and landing pages to display elements related to TikTok, such as the TikTok logo or descriptions like "TikTok Bestseller". We also do not allow attempts to imply any sponsorship, endorsement, or partnership with TikTok or ByteDance products without our permission.

FAQs

1. IP Protection on TikTok Ads

TikTok takes IP rights seriously and is committed to providing a safe and user-friendly advertising environment.


We prohibit advertisers and users from posting content that violates the IP rights of others in paid ads and other commercial content on TikTok. See more in our TikTok Advertising Policies and Community Guidelines. We regularly review our IP policies and put in place measures to prevent and combat infringing content before and after posting.


1.1 Advertiser Verification and Platform Safeguards

1.1.1 How do we verify business information?

When you create an ad account on TikTok, you'll be asked to verify your business information. See here to understand how to verify your business on TikTok.


1.1.2 What proactive measures does TikTok implement to combat counterfeits and other IP violations in ads and commercial content?

All commercial content and paid ads are reviewed by TikTok before they go live. We have protective measures implemented on TikTok that combine innovative content moderation technology with a robust human moderation team to enforce our Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and Advertising Policies as well as to respond to right holders' reports.


Ads and their associated landing pages will be reviewed based on a range of signals. Once ads are launched, they may be selected for further review for a variety of reasons, including whether people hide, block, report, or otherwise provide negative feedback about the ad.


Actions may be taken against advertiser account if the account is not following our policies. For example, advertiser accounts will be suspended for detected counterfeits, trademark infringement and copyright infringement violations.


1.2 Reporting IP Violations

1.2.1 How can right holders report IP violations in TikTok Ads and other commercial content?

We provide dedicated channels for right holders and their authorized representatives to report counterfeits, trademark infringement, copyright infringements in TikTok Ads and other commercial content, including our online reporting webform. Right holders can report violations in content, accounts, as well as the landing pages.


We have a dedicated global IP Operation team to review the right holder's IP infringement reports against TikTok Ads and other commercial content. If the report is valid with sufficient information, our team will promptly remove the reported content and punish the associated advertiser who posted or paid for the content according to our policies.


We continue to invest and optimize our report mechanism to improve the reporting functions and review efficiency. See more FAQs in Section 2.


1.3 Collaboration with Right Holders

1.3.1 How does TikTok Ads collaborate with right holders to address IP violations?

We appreciate the right holder's feedback and assistance in helping TikTok to enhance our IP protection capability for Ads and commercial content. This collaboration is critical to provide comprehensive detection of infringement.


2. Reporting and Enforcement for IP Infringements

We provide dedicated channels for right holders and their authorized representatives to report counterfeits, trademark infringement, copyright infringements and other IP violations in TikTok Ads and other commercial content, including our online reporting webform.


2.1 Identifying Ads and Commercial Content

2.1.1 How can you identify Ads and commercial content on TikTok?

You will see different kinds of paid ads and commercial content when you use TikTok, which includes:

  • Posts with "Sponsored" or "Ad" icon (paid for by advertisers).

  • Posts with “Paid partnership” icon, which might be based on commission, or partnership with a brand.

  • Posts with “Promotional content” icon, which indicates commercial content to promote their own brand or business.

2.1.2 How can Ads and commercial content be searched on TikTok?

We provide the Commercial Content Library ("Ad Library") and the Commercial Content API for those interested in studying and searching for commercial content on TikTok. These tools provide insight into advertisements and other types of content that promote a brand, product, or service on TikTok.


At this time, only data from Europe is available. Availability in other markets may expand in the future based on our roadmap. Learn more about Ad Library in Ad Library - FAQs.


2.2 Submitting Reports

2.2.1 How to report Ads and other commercial content on TikTok?

If you identify counterfeits, trademark and copyright violations in a TikTok Ad or commercial content, you may file a report directly from the In-App/In-Web report button or from our online webform.


Right holders often leverage our Ad Library to search for suspicious ads and commercial content by using key words. However, please note that Ad Library is a transparency tool rather than an enforcement tool. If you believe the Ad you identified in Ad Library infringes your IP rights, you still need to file the report with our online webform.


We recommend you to provide the Ad library page URL and the Ad ID you identified from Ad Library in the online webform so our team can locate the ad content more efficiently.


2.2.2 Can multiple ads be reported at one time?

Our online webform currently only accepts one URL per report. We are looking into improving the reporting capabilities and will update on any developments in the future.


2.3 Report Review and Outcomes

2.3.1 Why might an IP infringement report be rejected?

We may reject your report for different reasons, such as:

  • we could not locate a TikTok Ad with the information you submit. We may reject your report if you are reporting the TikTok user content or TikTok Shop content instead of paid ads/commercial content. See how to tell ads and commercial content in Section 2.1.1

  • the submitted information/evidence is insufficient for us to confirm an IP infringement exists;

  • the ad content has already been rejected/removed;

  • etc.

2.3.2 What can you do after the report is rejected?

TikTok provides different report channels for different kinds of TikTok content. Please check if you provide the correct URL for TikTok Ads or commercial content when you file a report with our online webform.

  • If you want to report IP infringement in non-commercial content posted by TikTok users, please visit our policy and guidance here.

  • If you would like to report TikTok shop or Tokopedia content, you may use our IPPC tool or the online webform here.

  • If you still want to report a TikTok ad or commercial content, you may file a new report with this online webform again.

If your report was rejected due to insufficient information/evidence and would like to report again, we recommend you to reach out to your attorney and supplement with all necessary & accurate ad location, infringement reasons, and evidence to help our team to make the decision.


2.4 Enforcement Actions

2.4.1 How does TikTok handle infringing Ads and advertiser accounts?

According to our policies, we will promptly remove/ disable the infringing content and / or suspend the associated advertiser account (who posted or sponsored the content) if the IP infringement report is valid. Depending on the severity of the violation, the advertiser account may be suspended temporarily or permanently.


Visit our Help Center to read more about our Intellectual Property Infringement Rules for Ads.

2.4.2 How long does it take to remove an infringing Ad after a valid report?

If your report is complete, valid and clear cut, our dedicated team usually removes the reported ad promptly within 2 working days.


It may take longer to handle complex IP infringement reports. Please be rest assured that we will respond to you after we make a decision.


2.5 Appeals and Dispute Resolution

2.5.1 How can advertisers appeal if their Ad or commercial content is removed?

We will notify you when we remove your ad or commercial content due to right holder's IP infringement reports. You are entitled to appeal following the guidance in our notifications.


As a TikTok user or advertiser, you are responsible for the content you post. If you have questions about IP laws, such as questions about whether your content or your use of another person’s name or brand infringes or otherwise violates another person’s rights, you may want to contact an attorney.


Please note that TikTok is not in a position to adjudicate disputes between third parties. In accordance with our legal obligations, we maintain processes to address IP rights infringement reports and related disputes. Users or rightholders may have other ways to seek resolution, such as out-of-court dispute settlement processes or in-court proceedings under laws in their countries.