Anti-Counterfeit on Amazon, Flipkart & Meesho: The Playbook

Counterfeit goods on Indian marketplaces are a structural problem for D2C brands. Industry estimates put the lost-revenue impact at 5-15% for established brands and higher for fast-growing ones. The platforms have brand-protection tooling — Amazon’s Project Zero and Brand Registry, Flipkart’s Brand Verified, Meesho’s Brand Store, Myntra’s Brand House — and each works to varying degrees. The catch: each tool requires a properly registered trademark and a coordinated takedown operation.

This piece is the practitioner playbook for Indian brands fighting counterfeits across the major marketplaces.

The trademark is the gating right

Every platform’s brand-protection tool requires either a registered trademark or a pending application with a TM number. Without it, takedowns run through slower notice-and-action channels and resolution can take weeks.

The first move for any brand serious about counterfeit defence: file the trademark in the relevant goods class plus Class 35 (online retail). Acknowledgement and TM number arrive within 48 hours. Once registered, enrolment in each platform’s brand-protection program follows.

Amazon — Brand Registry, Project Zero, IP Accelerator

Amazon’s brand-protection stack has three layers:

• Brand Registry — enrolment for any brand with a registered or pending trademark. Unlocks A+ content, Sponsored Brands, brand reporting, basic takedown tools.
• Project Zero — invitation-based program giving brands self-service takedown authority (no Amazon mediation required for proven counterfeits). Available for high-volume, mature brands.
• IP Accelerator — network of vetted IP lawyers (Amazon partners) for trademark filing and takedown services.

For most Indian D2C brands, Brand Registry is the practical starting point. The takedown rate through Brand Registry tooling is materially better than generic listing reporting.

Flipkart — Brand Verified and BSP (Brand Stores Program)

Flipkart’s Brand Verified program requires trademark proof and onboards verified sellers under the brand. Brand Stores allow custom storefront pages and integrated takedown channels. Flipkart’s takedown response is generally slower than Amazon’s but workable with established escalation contacts.

Meesho — Brand Store program

Meesho’s Brand Store opens once trademark proof is verified. Meesho has historically been a counterfeit hotspot due to its lower-price segment focus. The brand-protection program has improved through 2024-25 and now operates similarly to other marketplaces, though the volume of counterfeit reseller activity remains high.

The marketplace will take down the counterfeit. But only if the brand registration is on file.

The takedown workflow

A typical Indian D2C brand operating an in-house anti-counterfeit operation runs the following workflow:

1. Detection — daily search for the brand name on each marketplace, identification of unauthorised sellers and counterfeit listings
2. Triage — categorisation by infringement type (counterfeit goods, unauthorised re-sale, trademark misuse, copyright infringement on images)
3. Documentation — capture screenshots, archive listing pages, document infringement specifics
4. Takedown filing — submit through each platform’s brand-protection portal with appropriate evidence
5. Tracking — monitor resolution, escalate stalled requests through account contacts
6. Pattern analysis — identify repeat offenders for additional action (test purchases, civil notices)

Test purchases and evidence

For repeat offenders or large operations, escalation requires evidence beyond screenshots. The standard escalation step is a test purchase — buying a sample of the suspected counterfeit, verifying the difference from the genuine product (lab analysis for cosmetics, weight/build for electronics, packaging examination for FMCG), and using the evidence for civil notices, customs recordation triggers and platform escalation.

Civil action — when takedown alone is not enough

For repeat offenders running organised counterfeit operations, civil action complements platform takedowns. The standard path:

• Cease-and-desist notice to identified counterfeiters
• Suit for trademark infringement and passing-off in commercial court
• Interim injunction application
• John Doe orders for unidentified counterfeiters operating under shell accounts
• Customs recordation under the IPR Rules, 2007 to stop counterfeit imports at port

John Doe orders for unknown counterfeiters

Many counterfeiters operate under shell accounts, throwaway sellers and unverifiable identities. Indian courts have, since the early 2010s, increasingly granted ‘John Doe’ (Ashok Kumar) orders — interim injunctions against unidentified defendants who can be added to the proceedings as identified. These are useful in piracy and counterfeit contexts where the perpetrator’s real identity is hidden by the platform’s seller anonymity.

Customs as the upstream stop

Marketplace takedowns address counterfeits already in circulation. Customs recordation addresses counterfeits at the border. The two tools work together: with customs recordation in place, the supply chain for marketplace counterfeits gets interrupted at the port. Customs and litigation together are the upstream stopper to marketplace takedowns.

The takeaway

Anti-counterfeit on Indian marketplaces is a structured operation, not a one-off action. The right stack is: registered trademark, enrolment in each platform’s brand-protection tool, in-house detection and takedown operation, customs recordation upstream, and selective civil action against repeat offenders. The total programme cost is modest relative to the revenue impact of counterfeits. Start with the trademark filing — every later tool depends on it.