TikTok Shop Updates Intellectual Property Policy for the U.S. Market
TikTok Shop’s U.S. market now includes AI-edited images, image misuse and unauthorized trademarks in its intellectual property enforcement, while some branded products also require Brand Authorization.
What are the key facts?
- 1TikTok Shop updated its intellectual property policy for the U.S. market
- 2The policy applies to sellers and creators
- 3The policy covers products, Listings, videos, livestreams, store names, profile pictures and promotional content
- 4Unauthorized use of third-party trademarks, copyrights, design patents, product images or brand names is prohibited
- 5AI modification of another party’s original image does not automatically grant usage rights
- 6Some branded products require valid Brand Authorization
- 7Violations may result in Listing removal, account suspension and selling restrictions
What happened?
TikTok Shop announced and updated its intellectual property policy for the U.S. market. The policy expressly applies to sellers and creators, covering products, Listings, videos, livestreams, store names, profile pictures and promotional content. Under the policy, sellers may not use third-party trademarks, copyrights, design patents, product images, brand names or other protected content without authorization. Even if a seller modifies another party’s original image with AI, changes the background or redraws part of it, this does not automatically grant usage rights. For some branded products, sellers must first obtain valid Brand Authorization in the Qualification Center and continuously ensure that the authorization documents are authentic, complete and valid. Following violations, the platform may remove Listings, suspend accounts, withhold balances and restrict selling privileges; serious cases may also lead to further legal action. The policy directly affects sellers using product-upload models, supplier images, cross-border distributors and AI-generated main images. The original text also recommends that sellers maintain files for images and authorization documents and ensure that purchase invoices, brand authorizations, product models and the products actually sold correspond to one another.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
TikTok Shop U.S. is applying intellectual property controls to products, Listings, videos, livestreams, store information and promotional content. AI modifications of other people’s images do not automatically grant usage rights. Sellers lacking image, trademark or brand authorization may face Listing removal, account suspension, balance withholding and selling restrictions.
What should sellers do now?
- 1Within this week, inspect U.S. market products, Listings, videos and livestream materials one by one; remove unauthorized third-party trademarks, brand names and supplier images, and create a reviewed-materials list with the handling result for each item.AI Photo Tagging
- 2Within this week, check Brand Authorization in the Qualification Center, purchase invoices and product models for U.S. market Listings involving branded products. Temporarily stop publishing items with missing or inconsistent information and retain the corresponding authorization files.Listing Optimizer
- 3Within this week, review main images and promotional materials that rely on AI editing, trace the sources of the original images and verify authorization evidence. Replace materials whose usage rights cannot be proven with owned or authorized versions, and complete review records.