Hey everyone,
I just got hit with a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) on one child ASIN. The parent ASIN and other variations are still selling — parent does about 1,000 units/month. My account has about $2,500 in it.
The case number is 25-cv-05831.
I designed the product myself and had a factory make it. I checked with a third-party tool and didn’t see any similar design patents.
My questions:
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How do I find out exactly what the infringement is? I have the case number but not sure where to look.
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Can I appeal through Amazon Seller Support? Is it worth fighting in court?
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If I settle, what’s a reasonable settlement amount? My account only has $2,500.
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Can I use a different account to list the unaffected ASINs for Q4? Should I file a design patent for those?
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If I don’t resolve it, how much of my account balance will be taken? Will it happen after 3 months?
Any advice would be hugely appreciated. I’m pretty lost here.
Answers (6)
I’ve been through this. The stress is real, but it’s manageable.
My recommendation:
If you have inventory of the infringing ASIN, move it out of Amazon as soon as you can. Have it shipped to a third-party warehouse or liquidate it. Don’t let it sit in FBA — it will just keep accumulating storage fees.
If you don’t settle or fight, Amazon will eventually transfer your frozen balance to the plaintiff. They won’t touch your linked credit card — just the balance in your account. But if you have more sales during the freeze, that money will also get frozen.
So if you’re planning to settle, you can keep selling unaffected ASINs — but understand that those new sales will increase your frozen balance and may increase the settlement demand.
The plaintiff’s law firm (Alioth Law) is relatively new and not as aggressive as GBC or Keith. That works in your favor.
The plaintiff’s law firm is Alioth Law. This case was filed in May 2025 and a TRO was issued in September. The patent is D957,284 — you can find it on the USPTO website.
Some defendants have already settled or been dismissed. One defendant (Danny Halim) filed a pro se response and motion to dissolve the TRO — that’s rare but shows it’s possible to fight.
If your product is genuinely different, you can fight. But litigation costs can hit $10k–20k quickly. For a $2,500 account, settlement is usually the better option.