How to Report a Stolen Amazon Influencer Video

Finding your video on someone else’s listing is frustrating, and it happens more often than it should. In Amazon influencer communities, people regularly share stories of merchants re-uploading their videos, sometimes cut into pieces for another marketplace, and of other accounts copying them. Here is how to report a stolen video.

Where to report it

Amazon’s official channel is the Report Infringement form. Anyone can use it, so you do not need a seller account.

On the form, choose copyright as your concern. You will be asked to confirm that you are the owner of the content, or authorized to act for the owner. The exact wording and options can change, so read each step on the form itself.

A tip: the video copyright email

In the r/Amazon_Influencer community, influencers recommend a second route for videos: filling out the copyright claim form and sending it by email to video-copyright@amazon.com:

• Fill in every field. Incomplete claims tend to bounce back.
• In “details of rights infringed,” add the link to your own original video.
• If you are claiming for your own video, repeat the claim details in the “secondary details” field.

Use the official form first, and treat the email as a backup.

What to prepare before you file

Gather these first, so you can fill in the form in one go:

• A link to your original video, such as the post on your storefront or the listing where you first published it.
• A link to where the copy appears, such as the product listing or the other account’s storefront.
• The marketplace, for example amazon.com or amazon.ca.
• Proof the video is yours: your raw footage and the date you first uploaded it.
• A short, factual description, such as: “This video was created and first published by me on [date]. It was uploaded to this listing without my permission.”

Three things that make a report go smoother

1. File one report per marketplace. Each Amazon store handles reports on its own. If your video shows up on amazon.com and amazon.ca, report it on each.
2. Report every copy. If a merchant uploaded your video to their listing and another account posted it too, report each copy separately.
3. Keep the confirmation and follow up. Replies can take several business days. If Amazon asks you to verify your identity, resubmit with the information they request.

Why some sellers do this, and most don’t

In my experience, Amazon sellers fall into two broad groups. Some are building a brand for the long term and follow US rules and Amazon policy closely. Others chase short-term sales in the gray areas of the rules, and they are usually the ones behind stolen videos.

My brand is in the first group. We never reuse an influencer’s video without asking first and getting written permission, and when we send samples, we keep the influencer updated on shipping. That is normal for a brand that plans to be around for years.

How to lower the risk next time

Before you work with a seller, take a minute to check their storefront:

• Their other listings. A real brand usually has a consistent product line.
• Their marketing copy. Clear, accurate copy is a good sign. Exaggerated claims and keyword stuffing are not.
• The Product Videos section on their listings. If it is full of influencer-style videos posted by the brand itself, ask whether those influencers agreed to it.

And always keep your original files. They are your best evidence if you ever need to report a copy.

Want to start your next partnership on the right foot? Read What Amazon Influencers Should Put in Their First Message to a Seller. Have a story about a stolen video? You can reach me on the Contact page.