Why did my order/product get blocked for Intellectual Property infringement?

Written by

Sabrina Barnes

If you see an “IP reported” status on your product in My Products, it means the product was blocked due to potential Intellectual Property (IP) concerns. This can happen even if you created the design yourself. Below, we explain why products get blocked, what it means, and what you can do next.

Why was my product blocked?

A product can be blocked for IP reasons in two situations:

A rights holder submitted an IP complaint

A copyright or trademark owner (or their authorized representative) reported your product. In these cases, Printify is legally required to restrict the product.

Complaints can relate to:

Copyrighted artwork or illustrations
Trademarked names, phrases, or logos
Characters or brand-related designs

Printify flagged the product internally

Even without a complaint, Printify may block products that our internal review systems identify as potentially infringing IP. This proactive review helps prevent legal issues and protect merchants, Print Providers, and Printify.

Note

An internal block does not necessarily mean your product was confirmed as infringing — it means it was identified as high risk from an IP perspective.

What part of my product caused the IP block?

An IP block can be triggered by more than just the design.

Your product may be flagged based on:

The design
The product title
The product description

For example, a design may be original, but the title or description could reference a protected brand or trademark.

Common reasons products get blocked

Products are often blocked due to:

Trademarked names, phrases, or slogans
Fan art or “inspired by” designs referencing well-known brands or characters
AI-generated designs that closely resemble existing IP
Fonts, stock images, or graphics without commercial-use rights
Parody or fair use claims that don’t apply to commercial products

Creating the design yourself does not automatically mean you have the right to use it commercially.

What happens when my product is blocked?

When a product has an “IP reported” status:

It will appear as blocked in My Products
You won’t be able to:
- Publish the product
- Create new orders
- Duplicate or replace the product
If the product was already published, it will be hidden from your connected sales channel

You can find blocked products by applying the IP reported filter in My Products.

My Products page showing a product with the status ‘IP reported’ filtered in the product list.

How can I request an appeal?

If you believe your product was blocked incorrectly or you have the rights to use the content, you can submit an appeal. To do this:

Open the product details page
Click Request appeal
Provide any relevant information or documentation

Examples of helpful information include proof of ownership, licenses, or authorization to use the content.

Note

Submitting an appeal doesn’t guarantee that the product will be unblocked. Appeals may be denied if the information provided isn’t sufficient or if the product remains high risk for IP infringement.

Once you submit an appeal, we’ll review it and notify you of the result.

Product details page showing an IP infringement warning with the ‘Request appeal’ button highlighted.

How can I protect my IP as a brand-owner?

If you own intellectual property, you can register it through the IP Registry Form.

Registering your IP helps us verify ownership and reduces the risk of your legitimate products being mistakenly blocked.

How can I reduce the risk of IP issues?

To avoid IP-related blocks:

Don’t use brand names, characters, or slogans unless you have explicit rights
Make sure fonts, stock assets, and AI-generated elements are licensed for commercial use
Review both your design and product text for IP references
Avoid relying on parody or fair use assumptions for commercial products

To learn more, watch our Intellectual Property tips and tricks video: