E-commerce is where trademark infringement happens most often in Vietnam. An infringing product can reach thousands of customers within a few hours. This article explains the conditions and the process for reporting infringement on each platform, the limits of platform channels, and when to escalate to legal measures.
- Businesses and brand owners that sell online
- E-commerce and marketing teams
- In-house legal staff in charge of brand protection
Level: basic, practical. Based on: the platforms’ public policies; the Law on Intellectual Property. Includes: process for each platform; escalation table.
Key points- All three platforms require you to verify ownership before they handle a report. A trademark protection title (văn bằng bảo hộ) is close to mandatory.
- The common logic: verify once, then use the verified account to report many infringements later.
- Verify as soon as you have the protection title, because this step alone takes several days.
- Platform channels only remove products and suspend shops. They give no compensation and do not stop the infringer from moving to another channel.
- Large-scale infringement needs administrative, civil or criminal measures as well.
The good news is that the major e-commerce platforms all have their own portals for reporting intellectual property infringement. If a business uses them correctly, a brand owner can get listings taken down much faster than through traditional litigation.
1. Background: platforms are tightening control of counterfeit goods
Under pressure from consumers and regulators, the large platforms have invested heavily in anti-counterfeiting technology:
- Shopee: combines AI with manual review based on sellers’ invoices and documents. It identifies sellers through the chip in their citizen ID card (CCCD) using NFC, and connects data with the authorities to cross-check tax codes.
- Lazada, TikTok Shop: use AI and machine learning together with moderation teams to review large volumes of products every day.
If a business provides full evidence of ownership up front, takedown requests are now handled at a much better rate and speed than before.
2. Prerequisite: legal proof of your rights
Trademark registration certificate
The protection title issued by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam. It is the most important basis for a platform to accept that you have the right to report.
Legal entity status
Documents proving the business’s legal entity status.
Power of attorney
When you authorise a lawyer or representative to handle the matter.
Why you should not delay registering your trademark
A business selling online without a protection title does not only risk a competitor registering first. A platform may also refuse it “official store” status, or it may lack grounds to request a takedown when its own images and brand are copied. See Trademark registration at the IP Office of Vietnam.
3. The process on each platform
Shopee: Brand IP Portal
A portal dedicated to brand owners.
- Register an account on the Brand IP Portal.
- Verify your rights: upload a clear scan of the trademark registration certificate (this takes several days).
- Submit a report: paste the links to the product and shop; choose the infringement type “unauthorised use of trademark”.
Timing: a response in about 3–7 days (according to Shopee).
Lazada: IPR Portal
Log in with a seller account or a brand owner account.
- Log in and submit your documents through the IPR Portal.
- Provide evidence: fill in the information and upload the protection title.
- Create a takedown request with the links and a description of the conduct.
TikTok Shop: IP Protection Center
TikTok’s Intellectual Property Protection Center.
- Go to the Intellectual Property Protection Center.
- File a complaint through the form, attaching the legal basis and information on the infringing products and shop.
If Shopee finds an infringement, the product is removed and the shop receives penalty points. The account may even be locked if the infringement is serious or repeated.
The common logic on all three platforms:
- Hold a protection title. This is the basis for your rights to be recognised.
- Verify your rights once. Do it as soon as you have the title; it takes several days.
- Report many infringements. Use the verified account.
4. Limits of platform channels: when to escalate
Platform reporting is fast but limited
- It only removes products and suspends shops on that platform.
- It gives no compensation for damage.
- It does not stop the infringer from moving to another channel or opening a new shop.
| Measure | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Administrative (market surveillance authority (Quản lý thị trường), Science and Technology Inspectorate, economic police) | The infringement is clearly at a business scale, and you need penalties and fast preventive measures beyond the platform |
| Civil (a lawsuit at the People’s Court) | You need to claim compensation for damage, force the conduct to stop, or obtain an apology and public correction |
| Criminal | The infringement is on a serious scale and shows signs of a criminal offence |
Choosing the right channel, and sometimes using several channels at once, usually decides how effective enforcement is, far more than stopping at a platform report. For the overall framework and the channel selection chart, see IP management for businesses.
Let an FC Legal lawyer assess whether you need to escalate to administrative or civil measures. Send the links to the infringing shops and the status of your protection title.
5. Proactive monitoring instead of only reacting
A business with a widely known brand should set up regular monitoring on the main platforms (checking brand keywords and distinctive product images), rather than acting only when customers or partners report a problem. This is part of the “monitoring and protection” stage in the IP management cycle: the earlier you detect infringement, the lower the cost and the damage.
Instruct FC Legal lawyers to handle infringement on e-commerce platforms
We work with you from verification until the infringement is fully dealt with.
- Verifying your brand owner account on each platform
- Preparing report files to each platform’s standard
- Escalating to administrative or civil measures when needed
Please do not send confidential documents or personal data through the form.
Sources: Shopee, Brand IP Portal (intellectual property protection policy); Lazada, IPR Portal; TikTok, Intellectual Property Protection Center; National Assembly, Law on Intellectual Property and its implementing documents.
This article is for reference. It is compiled from the public policies of the e-commerce platforms and current Vietnamese law. Each platform’s policy may change over time, so check the latest information directly on each platform’s reporting portal. It does not replace legal advice on a specific case.
Prepared by the FC Legal legal team and reviewed by FC Legal’s managing lawyer. Updated 30 September 2026.
