Marketplace sellers vs AI “listing copiers”: demand letters for AI-generated counterfeit or look-alike products

Published: December 5, 2025 • AI, Demand Letters

You spend months dialing in a winning listing:

unique design
polished photos
SEO-tuned title, bullets, and description

Then a few weeks later:

a suspiciously similar product appears on Amazon or Etsy,
with AI-generated images that look a lot like yours, and
a description that reads like your copy put through a thesaurus.

This article is about how to hit back with targeted demand letters when:

a competitor is clearly using AI tools to clone your design and listing, and
they’re doing it on Amazon, Etsy, or similar marketplaces.

We’ll mix:

your IP rights,
anti-counterfeiting rules,
platform policies, and
the data-scraping / AI angle

into demand-letter templates you can adapt (or turn into generators).

Contents

🧬 What AI “listing copying” looks like in practice

🔍 Situation	What you actually see on the marketplace	Likely tech behind it
Look-alike product, look-alike listing	Product design nearly identical; same colorways, layout, and packaging style. Title and bullets read like your copy with synonyms. Pricing and keywords mirror yours.	Competitor fed your URL, photos and text into an AI listing tool or generic LLM to “rewrite everything” at scale. (Sell on Amazon)
AI-generated “inspired” design	Artwork, pattern, or graphic that is a “stylized” version of yours: same composition, motifs, phrases, but drawn in a slightly different style.	Image or design model trained or prompted on your listing images; AI art tool used to generate “new” variants. (The Atlantic)
Obvious counterfeit	Photos show your brand name, logo or packaging – but seller is not you. Or product is low-quality knockoff shipping from another country.	Classic counterfeiting, but AI tools used to mass-generate listings/descriptions and copy your branding across hundreds of SKUs quickly.

Whether they used AI or a human VA doesn’t really matter to your legal theory. The AI angle is helpful for narrative and evidence (it often explains the pattern), but the core is still:

“You’re using my protected content and designs without permission, at scale.”

⚖️ Rights you can invoke against AI listing copiers

On Amazon, Etsy and similar platforms you’re usually sitting on several overlapping rights.

🧩 Right / tool	How it applies to AI listing copiers
Copyright	Protects your original listing text, photos, and artwork. AI “rewrites” that stick closely to your structure and wording, or derivative graphics that clearly trace to your design, can be infringing derivatives.
Trademarks & trade dress	Your brand name, logo, and sometimes distinctive packaging/overall look can be protected as marks or trade dress. Amazon explicitly bars counterfeit goods and misuse of trademarks in listings. (Amazon Seller Central)
Design / utility patents	If you’ve patented a product shape, mechanism or ornamental design, AI-generated look-alikes can be patent infringement regardless of how they were created.
Platform IP & anti-counterfeiting rules	Amazon: strict anti-counterfeiting policy, Brand Registry, Report Infringement forms; repeat offenders can be suspended or banned. (Amazon Seller Central) Etsy: prohibits counterfeit items and IP infringement, lets IP owners file takedown notices. (Etsy)
Unfair competition / passing off	When the look-alike listing free-rides on your reputation or confuses buyers (“is this the same shop?”), you can frame it as unfair competition and deception.

Your demand letters should talk in these terms, not just “they copied me.”

🧾 Evidence kit before you send any demand letter

Before you write, quietly assemble a mini-dossier:

✅ Item	Why it matters
Your original listing URLs	Anchor dates and show you are the source. If possible, grab Wayback or earlier screenshots.
Copied listing URLs	Each infringing ASIN/Etsy listing, plus search pages showing both side by side.
Side-by-side visuals	Screenshots of your images vs theirs. Highlight matching poses, backgrounds, props, packaging, or composition.
Text comparison	Table with original title/bullets vs their AI-tweaked copy: identical phrases, structure, keyword order.
Proof of registration	Trademark certificates, design/utility patents, copyright registrations where you have them.
Platform IDs	Seller name, store name, ASIN/SKU, shop link, any obvious connection to other accounts.

You want the recipient (or their lawyer) to see this and immediately think, “Okay, this is serious and well-documented.”

🎯 Strategy: who you send and in what order

For AI listing copiers, your targets typically are:

🎯 Target	When to write	Main leverage
Copycat seller	Whenever the listing is clearly derived from yours.	Put them on notice, demand takedown and non-repeat commitments, hint at platform complaints and legal claims.
Manufacturer / supplier	If you can identify the factory / wholesaler behind multiple clones.	Cut off production at the source, especially for patented or clearly branded designs.
Platform (Amazon/Etsy/etc.)	In parallel or after if seller ignores you.	IP complaint forms, Brand Registry tools, repeat infringer policies, potential account suspensions.

The demand letters below are written to work alongside platform complaints, not instead of them.

📩 Template A – Demand letter to AI listing copier (Amazon/Etsy seller)

This one is written platform-neutral. You can toggle:

[Platform] → Amazon, Etsy, eBay, etc.
[Listing ID] → ASIN, listing ID, etc.

[Your Letterhead / Brand Name]
[Date]

By Email and [Platform Messaging]
[Seller Name / Store Name]
[Seller Email if known]
[Platform Store URL]

Re: Unauthorized copying of my product design and listing on [Platform] – cease and desist

To Whom It May Concern:

I am the owner of the [Brand Name] brand and the original creator of the following product(s) sold on [Platform]:

“[Your Product Title 1]” – [Listing URL]

“[Your Product Title 2]” – [Listing URL]

These listings, including the product design, product images, and descriptive text, were created by me (or under my direction) and are protected by intellectual property laws, including:

Copyright in the original photographs, artwork, and product descriptions;

Trademark rights in the [Brand Name] name and logo [and any registered marks, e.g., Reg. No. ______]; and

[If applicable] Design/utility patent rights in the [brief description of patented feature], including U.S. Patent No. [______].

It has come to my attention that you are selling products on [Platform] that copy or closely imitate my design and listing content without authorization. By way of example:

Your listing “[Infringing Product Title]” at [URL] uses images that substantially replicate my photographs for [Your Product Title], including identical poses, arrangement, background, and styling.

Your title and bullet points track my original listing text, with only minor synonym changes and reordering, consistent with an AI-generated rewrite of my content.

You are not authorized to:

reproduce, adapt, or display my images or artwork;

copy or machine-rewrite my listing text; or

sell counterfeit or confusingly similar products under or alongside my [Brand Name] brand.

Your activities constitute, at minimum:

copyright infringement of my protected images and text;

trademark infringement and/or unfair competition to the extent you are using my brand identifiers or creating consumer confusion; and

violations of [Platform]’s intellectual property and anti-counterfeiting policies, which prohibit counterfeit products and listings that infringe others’ IP.

Demand

Accordingly, I demand that you:

Immediately remove from [Platform] all listings that copy or closely imitate my product design, images, and/or listing text, including but not limited to:

[List each infringing listing URL and ID]

Cease and desist from any further reproduction, AI-generation, AI-assisted rewriting, or other use of my images, artwork, or listing text in connection with your products, on [Platform] or elsewhere.

Within [7] days of the date of this letter, provide written confirmation that:

all infringing listings have been permanently removed;

you have deleted any stored copies of my images and listing text from your systems and AI tools; and

you will not in the future create new listings that copy or derive from my designs and content without my express written permission.

If you do not comply within this timeframe, I will pursue all appropriate further steps, which may include:

submitting formal IP complaints to [Platform], including under its anti-counterfeiting and intellectual property policies, which can result in listing removal and account suspension; and

pursuing legal remedies, including injunctive relief and monetary damages, without further notice.

Nothing in this letter is a complete statement of my rights, nor a waiver of any rights or remedies, all of which are expressly reserved.

Sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your Name]
[Title]
[Brand / Company Name]
[Contact email and address]

🧪 Template B – Platform-escalation letter (Amazon / Etsy style)

You’ll usually also submit through online forms, but a concise letter phrased for legal / seller performance teams can help when things escalate or when you’re asked for “narrative support.”

[Your Letterhead / Brand Name]
[Date]

By Online Form and Email
[Amazon / Etsy] – Intellectual Property / Legal Department

Re: Request for removal of infringing and AI-generated look-alike listings – [Brand Name]

To Whom It May Concern:

I own the [Brand Name] brand and related intellectual property, including:

Product designs and artwork used in my listings on [Platform] under seller account [Your Seller Name];

Original photographs and listing text for those products; and

[Registered trademarks / patents, if applicable].

I am writing to report and seek removal of multiple listings that copy or AI-generate look-alike versions of my products and listing content in violation of my rights and [Platform]’s policies on intellectual property and counterfeit goods.

Original works

My original listings include (non-exhaustive):

“[Your Product Title 1]” – [URL]

“[Your Product Title 2]” – [URL]

These include unique [artwork/design/features] that I created and original photographs and descriptions authored by me.

Infringing listings

The following listings by [Infringing Seller Name(s)] appear to be AI-generated or AI-assisted copies of my products and listing content:

“[Infringing Product Title A]” – [URL / ASIN]

“[Infringing Product Title B]” – [URL / ASIN]

As shown in the attached comparison document:

The product images replicate my original compositions, color schemes, and design elements with minimal cosmetic changes, consistent with use of generative AI tools trained on my listing images.

The titles and bullet points follow the same structure, sequence of information, and unique wording as my original descriptions, with only minor synonym substitutions characteristic of automated rewriting.

Policy and legal concerns

These listings violate my copyrights, trademark/trade dress rights, and [Platform]’s intellectual property and anti-counterfeiting policies. They also contribute to the broader problem of AI-generated, low-quality content flooding marketplaces and confusing customers about the source and authenticity of products. (About Amazon)

Request

I respectfully request that [Platform]:

Promptly remove the above-identified infringing listings and any substantially similar listings identified in the attached comparison;

Treat this as notice of ongoing infringement by the associated seller accounts, in accordance with your intellectual property and anti-counterfeiting policies; and

Take appropriate measures under your repeat infringer or counterfeit seller rules if you determine that these sellers are systematically copying other brands’ content.

I am willing to provide further documentation, including:

Registration certificates;

Additional side-by-side comparisons; and

Design/source files showing my original creative work.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your Name]
[Brand / Company Name]
[Seller account name / ID]
[Email]
[Address]

🛡️ Template C – Letter to suspected manufacturer/supplier behind AI-generated clones

If you trace multiple clones back to one factory / wholesaler, this letter is how you pressure the source.

[Your Letterhead / Brand Name]
[Date]

By Email and Courier
[Manufacturer / Supplier Name]
[Address]
[Email]

Re: Unauthorized manufacture and distribution of look-alike
based on my protected design

Dear [Name / Sir or Madam],

I am the owner and designer of the [brief product description – e.g., “hand-illustrated floral journal cover”] sold under the [Brand Name] brand.

It has come to my attention that you are manufacturing and supplying products that closely imitate my design, which are then being sold on marketplaces such as [Amazon/Etsy] by various third-party sellers. In particular:

Your catalog listing for “[Supplier Product Name]” at [URL or catalog ref] uses artwork and a layout that is substantially similar to my original design sold under [Your Product Title], including [briefly list unique elements].

Multiple marketplace listings for this product (examples attached) use AI-generated or AI-modified images derived from my original product photos and design.

I have not authorized you or any of your customers to reproduce, adapt, or use my design or related artwork. Your manufacture and sale of these look-alike products, and your customers’ subsequent marketing of them, constitute:

Infringement of my copyright and other intellectual property rights; and

Unfair competition and free-riding on the reputation of my [Brand Name] products.

Demand

I demand that you:

Immediately cease manufacturing, advertising, and supplying products that copy or closely imitate my design, including the product currently marketed as “[Supplier Product Name]” and any variants.

Provide a written accounting within [10–14] days identifying:

all customers to whom you have supplied the infringing products; and

the quantities supplied to each customer.

Confirm in writing that:

you have permanently discontinued the infringing products;

you have instructed your customers to remove infringing marketplace listings; and

you will not use my designs or artwork in any future products without my prior written authorization.

If you do not comply, I will consider all appropriate further action, including:

notifying the legal and intellectual property teams of the marketplaces where your products are being sold; and

pursuing legal remedies against you and, where appropriate, your downstream distributors.

I reserve all rights and remedies.

Sincerely,

[Signature]
[Your Name]
[Brand / Company Name]
[Email]
[Address]

🔧 Turning this into a repeatable system (and productized service)

For your blog / tools, this topic is perfect for:

🧰 “AI Listing Copier Response Kit”

Interactive generator
- Inputs: platform, original listing URL(s), copycat URL(s), brand name, registered IP, supplier info (if known).
- Outputs:
  - Letter A (to copycat seller)
  - Optional Letter B (platform escalation narrative)
  - Optional Letter C (manufacturer)
Evidence checklist PDF
- A one-pager users can download, walk through, and then come back to the generator.
Upsell path
- “If the platform does not respond or you’re dealing with multiple jurisdictions / high revenue, here’s how to get professional help reviewing and sending these on attorney letterhead.”

The AI angle will only get hotter: both Amazon and Etsy are embracing generative tools while simultaneously tightening originality and anti-counterfeiting enforcement. Sellers who understand how to combine IP rights + platform rules + AI narrative will be in the best position to protect their niches.