TikTok Shop raises the bar on brand safety with new IP push in the Philippines

In the age of fast-moving commerce and fleeting digital trends, TikTok Shop is stepping up in the battle for brand protection. Through a string of initiatives timed with World Intellectual Property Day, the platform is doubling down on education, enforcement, and collaboration—all under its ongoing #TikTokShopSmart campaign.

Partnering with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), TikTok Shop recently hosted its IP Bootcamp, a programme designed to give sellers and rights holders a crash course in IP rights and counterfeit prevention strategies.

"At TikTok Shop, we believe that strong intellectual property protection is a key pillar of a trusted online marketplace," said Simoun Salinas, TikTok Shop's public policy manager, in a release. "Proactive stakeholder engagements, such as our Memorandum of Understanding with the IPOPHL and initiatives like IP Bootcamp and participation in the Unreal Campaign, reflect TikTok Shop's continuous investment in safeguarding authenticity in digital commerce."

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The bootcamp was not just a theoretical exercise. Sellers were walked through best practices for identifying and reporting violations, as well as how to navigate the TikTok Shop IP Protection Center (IPPC)—a portal built for brand owners to monitor, report, and take action against infringements in real time.

"Strengthening intellectual property protection requires collaboration between platforms, regulatory agencies, and brand owners," said Nathaniel S. Arevalo, IPOPHL deputy director general for policy, legal affairs and external relations. "Workshops like the IP Bootcamp held in partnership with TikTok Shop ensure that businesses operating in the digital space have access to the right tools and information to protect their innovations and maintain consumer trust."

While merchant education is one side of the coin, TikTok Shop is also reaching younger audiences through the Unreal Campaign, an initiative led by the International Trademark Association (INTA). In a session at Lipa City Colleges, the platform helped students understand the risks of counterfeit products and the broader implications of trademark rights.

"We laud the efforts of the INTA, the IPOPHL, and TikTok Shop for their work in making the subject matter of intellectual property more accessible for students, and we are proud to be part of this initiative," said Eric Masupil, senior high school principal, LCC Silvercrest School.

Between July 2023 and June 2024, TikTok Shop removed 5.2 million products before they could go live and took down nearly 500,000 more for IP rights violations. The platform also acted on over 294,000 livestreams and 503,000 videos flagged for infringement.

The IPPC handled over 188,000 IP rights violation reports within the year, while 32,500 creators and influencers were permanently removed for IP rights breaches. These numbers underscore how deeply counterfeit enforcement has become integrated into the platform's backend systems.

TikTok Shop has formed a global IP rights team and actively promotes its IPPC through local outreach and partnerships with government agencies.

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