A competitor stole 3 of my images and undercut my price — now they’re outselling me. I have an R mark but I’m scared to report them. 600 units in FBA. What would you do?

Quick practical checklist if you decide to report:

1. Register your images for copyright (takes weeks, do it now if you haven‘t)
2. Do a Test Buy from the hijacker — get an order ID
3. Gather all evidence — raw files, metadata, upload date screenshots
4. Reduce your FBA inventory to 200 units max (so retaliation risk is capped)
5. Report through Brand Registry → “Copyright infringement” (not trademark)
6. Do NOT use your main store’s name/email in the complaint — use a generic or secondary contact

If they file a DMCA counter‑notice, you have 10 business days to decide if you‘re willing to sue. Most sellers won’t. So accept that outcome before you start. If you can‘t live with them possibly coming back, don’t report. If you can, go ahead.

Your fear of retaliation is real. But remember: they’re already taking your sales. Every day you wait, they‘re eating your market share. The cost of inaction is already visible — their ranking passed yours. If you don’t act now, in 3 months they might be the main listing and you‘ll be the afterthought. That’s a different kind of loss. Sometimes the risk of fighting is smaller than the risk of doing nothing.

Here’s the hard truth: Amazon does not care who took the photo. They care who can prove legal ownership. If you don‘t have:

• Original layered files (PSD, not flattened)
• Metadata showing creation date BEFORE the hijacker’s listing
• Or better, a copyright registration from the US Copyright Office

…then your complaint is weak. The hijacker will file a DMCA counter‑notice, claim they own the images, and Amazon will reinstate them. You’ll have wasted your time and possibly triggered a brand abuse flag. Don‘t report until your evidence is bulletproof.

One option nobody mentioned: use a third‑party enforcement service like RedPoints or OpSec. These companies manage IP complaints for you. They have dedicated legal teams and direct channels to Amazon. If the hijacker files a DMCA counter‑notice, the service handles the response (or escalates legally). You don’t expose your brand directly. It costs money, but for a product you‘ve invested 2 years in, it’s worth it. I‘ve used one. They removed 12 hijackers in 3 months. Zero blowback to my brand.

Check their other ASINs. If they‘re stealing from you, they’re probably stealing from other sellers too. Look at their storefront. Find 5‑10 other ASINs where the images clearly don‘t match the product. Report those first — from a different IP address, using a different complaint reason (e.g., trademark misuse on those ASINs). If you build a pattern of complaints against the same seller from different angles, Amazon is more likely to take systemic action (suspend their whole account) rather than just removing one listing. Be strategic, not emotional.