TikTok Shop Requires Co-Branded Authorization: U.S. Co-Branded Product Sellers Must Prepare Permission Documents
TikTok Shop U.S. requires products using multiple brand elements to submit co-branded authorization or joint-license documentation.
What are the key facts?
- 1Products displaying multiple brand elements must apply for co-branded authorization
- 2Sellers must submit a copy of a co-brand license agreement
- 3An incomplete authorization chain may result in delisting or account penalties
What happened?
TikTok Shop U.S. published its Cobranded Brand Authorization requirement. For products displaying a seller’s own brand together with another brand’s mark, name, or logo, sellers must apply for co-branded authorization and submit a copy of a co-brand license agreement proving the authorization relationship.
Applicable products include co-branded products, authorized collaboration products, IP merchandise, cross-brand gift sets, and products displaying multiple brand marks. The requirement differs from ordinary brand registration or original-image protection. The platform may require sellers to prove lawful use rights for every brand element. If product images also use another seller’s protected original images, sellers may need to submit separate image-use authorization.
Sellers without a complete authorization chain may face delisting, intellectual-property complaints, sales restrictions, or account penalties. The requirement particularly affects cross-border sellers who source co-branded products from factories but cannot obtain formal documents from brand owners.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
U.S. listings for co-branded products, IP merchandise, cross-brand gift sets, and products with multiple brand marks may be required to prove lawful use rights for every brand element. Products lacking a co-brand license agreement or image authorization may face delisting, intellectual-property complaints, sales restrictions, or account penalties.
What should sellers do now?
- 1This week, screen all U.S. listings for co-branded products, IP merchandise, and cross-brand gift sets. Record each brand mark, name, or logo in the product and create an authorization-document checklist for every brand element.Listing Optimizer
- 2Request copies of co-brand license agreements from factories and partner brands. Verify that the authorizing party, authorized products, and brand elements correspond, complete a document archive table, and pause promotion of listings lacking a complete authorization chain.Listing character checker
- 3Check whether the main and detail images use other sellers’ protected original images. Mark the source of each image and obtain image-use authorization where needed, then produce a U.S. co-branded product image-authorization review table.AI Photo Tagging