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Replicas, counterfeit items, and unauthorised copies policy

Policy overview

Items that bear a company's official brand name or logo can be listed as long as the products were made or officially endorsed by that company.

For a safer buying and selling experience on eBay, we don't allow listings for counterfeit items, fakes, replicas, or unauthorised copies. unauthorised copies include things that are backed-up, bootlegged, duplicated, or pirated—which are all illegal. These kinds of things may infringe on someone's copyright or trademark.

For examples of what you can and can't sell on eBay, see the guidelines below.

Make sure your listing follows these guidelines. If it doesn't, it may be removed, and you may be subject to a range of other actions, including limits of your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account.

Be sure to report listings that offer counterfeit items or replicas. We also encourage you to report listings that offer unauthorised copies of media.

What are the guidelines?

Here are some examples of items that can and can't be listed on eBay (note that this isn't an exhaustive list):

Allowed

  • Homemade movies you own the rights to

  • Music you wrote, recorded, and own the rights to

  • Photos you captured yourself and own the rights to

  • Software you created and own the rights to or have been authorised to sell online

Not allowed

Backup or archival copies of software

Bootleg recordings from concerts or other live shows (see our bootleg recordings policy for more info)

Counterfeits, fakes, or replicas of brand name items like:

  • Handbags (for example, a purse bearing the Chanel® name or logo that wasn't made by Chanel)

  • Scarves

  • Sunglasses

  • Wallets

  • Watches

  • Other accessories

Counterfeit electronics (like cell phones) or software

Counterfeit replacement parts or consumables that weren't made by the manufacturer that the items are labeled with. For example, a battery labeled as a Nokia® cell phone battery that wasn't made by Nokia

Fake autographs

Media (such as CDs, DVDs, flash drive or any other recordable media) containing scanned pages from a book, magazine, manual, or other copyrighted materials that you didn't officially create unauthorised or pirated copies of things like:

  • Movies or videos

  • Audio books and e-books

  • Music CDs or MP3s

  • Photos

  • Software

  • TV programs (including CDs or DVDs containing shows that were taped from television)

  • Video games

Why does eBay have this policy?

It's illegal to sell bootlegs, counterfeits, fakes, replicas, or unauthorised or pirated copies of any product. In order to comply with the law, we don't allow these items to be offered on eBay. This policy also helps protect buyers from getting counterfeit or unauthorised goods, and helps protect rights holders from copyright or trademark infringement.

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