Guidelines for Creating Legally Compliant Listings

Write your own descriptive text for your listing, and take your own photos

Read about copyright basics and eBay's image and text policy

Do not 'borrow' text or images (including photos) from other listings on eBay, a manufacturer's web site, product catalogues or other sources without specific permission from the owner. Just because an image or text may be found elsewhere on the internet does not mean that they are copyright-free. Copyright laws still apply to images and text found on the internet, and manufacturers or other copyright owners may object to the use of images and text that they either own or have created

Ensure that all statements and claims in your listing are true and complete. Rights owners may object to listings that contain false, inaccurate or misleading claims about their products. If you're not sure whether a statement you want to make is true, double-check it and rely only on credible sources. Someone on a message board may sound like they know what they're talking about but you're the one who will be responsible for the content.

Making sure that your listing is accurate and complete will not only help you avoid intellectual property concerns, it will also help buyers understand what they're buying. This will minimise any miscommunication that might lead to a poor transaction and negative Feedback

Examples:

• Don't state in your listing that you are an authorised dealer of an item if you're not

• Don't indicate in your listing that there is a warranty, rebate or other manufacturer incentive for the item if you are not authorised to offer it, or if you're unsure whether you can offer it

• Don't state that an item is 'new' if it's not

If you're selling a brand name product, you can mention the brand name in your listing and include photos that you've taken of the item. However:

• Don't suggest that you're an official dealer/reseller if you're not

• Don't use the manufacturer's text, images (including photos) or logo unless you're authorised to do so by the manufacturer

• Example: If you're selling an Acme brand television, you can mention the Acme brand in your description. But you're not allowed to display a separate image of the Acme logo or state that you're an Acme dealer if you're not authorised by Acme to do so

You can use 'compatible with', 'fits' or 'for' before a brand name in the title of your listing if the item is specifically designed to be compatible with products of that brand

• Don't use 'compatible with', 'fits' or 'for' before a brand name in the title of your listing to describe items that are universally compatible ro that are compatible with an entire product class

• Example: If you're listing charms that can go with charm bracelets, describe your product as 'for charm bracelets' or 'fits charm bracelets' instead of 'fits' or 'for' a particular product or brand of bracelets

• Learn more about search and browse manipulation

Search manipulation (eg using unrelated brands in a listing title in order to attract people searching for those items) is another misuse of brands that isn't allowed on eBay

• Example: If you were listing an Acme TV for sale, you can't mention other television manufacturers in your title simply to attract buyers looking for those items. This kidn of search manipulation isn't allowed on eBay. Only mention the brand name of the manufacturer that actually produced youritem and don't misrepresent your relationship with that manufacturer

• Learn more aboutm trademark basics

You can't list replicas, fakes, counterfeits or other illegal copies on eBay. For example:

• Don't list an item that bears the brand name or logo of a company that did not manufacture or authorise the product

• Don't list homemade or otherwise unauthorised copies of music, movies, television programmes or software

Under the law, it is no excuse to say that you didn't know the item you were selling was a counterfeit or a pirated copy. It's your responsibility to investigate your source for product and stand behind everything you sell.

Learn more about eBay's policy on unauthorised replicas, counterfeit items and unauthorised copies

It is the responsibility of all sellers to ensure that their items do not infringe the rights of any intellectual property owner before listing them on eBay. If you are unsure, we encourage you to contact the intellectual property rights owner with any questions.

Note: We do not and cannot review the items listed on our site prior to posting on eBay, nor are we experts in the products or legal concerns of third parties. Therefore, we cannot pre-approve items to be listed.

eBay encourages intellectual property rights owners who report items through the VeRO Programme to create a page to explain their policies and procedures concerning infringing items.

Review the list of VeRO particpant pages created by rights owners

Note: Not all rights owners have a VeRO participant page. We encourage intellectual property owners to create a page to help our sellers, but they are not obliged to do so. If a particular rights owner is not listed you may need to find an alternate method of contacting them