Facebook takes intellectual property rights seriously and provides tools for rights holders to report infringing content. If you believe an advertisement on Facebook infringes your intellectual property rights, such as your trademark, copyright, or patent, you can submit a report to Facebook’s Intellectual Property Operations team for review.
Here are some quick answers about reporting advertisements on Facebook:
– You must be the rights holder or an authorized representative to report an infringing advertisement.
– Submit your report through Facebook’s online form at https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/634636770043106. You cannot report advertisements through Facebook’s standard reporting flows.
– Provide a detailed description of why you believe the ad infringes your rights and include any relevant registration certificates.
– Facebook reviews reports and disables ads that violate its ad policies and intellectual property policies.
– Rights holders may see repeat instances of infringement as advertisers try different accounts and content. Persistently report infringing ads as you see them.
How to Locate the Infringing Advertisement
To report an infringing advertisement on Facebook, you first need to locate the specific ad itself. Here are some tips for finding the advertisement:
– If you saw the ad on Facebook’s desktop website, right click on the ad and choose “Copy Link Address” to get the direct URL for that specific ad.
– On the Facebook mobile app, tap and hold on the ad and choose “Copy Link” to get the ad’s URL.
– If you can’t easily copy the ad’s link, take a screenshot of the ad that clearly shows the content, ad creative, and the advertiser’s username, page name, or ID number.
– An ad’s permalink URL will look something like:
https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=[AD_ID_NUMBER]
– The ad ID number is what uniquely identifies the ad creative itself for reporting purposes.
– You can also search for a username or page name in Facebook’s Ad Library to browse active ads from an advertiser.
Information Needed for Your Report
When submitting your report to Facebook, provide as much detail as possible about the allegedly infringing advertisement:
– **A link to the specific ad:** This is required and is the most important piece of information for Facebook to investigate your report.
– **Description of the alleged infringement:** Explain what copyrighted material, trademark, or patent is being infringed and how the ad infringes your rights.
– **Registration certificates:** If applicable, attach the copyright, trademark, patent registration, or other proof that you hold the rights to the intellectual property in question.
– **Additional information:** Include the advertiser’s username, page name, business name, and any other details about the ad or advertiser. Providing complete information helps expedite Facebook’s review.
Link to the Ad
The link allows the reviewer to locate the exact ad creative being reported. Without it, reviewers may not be able to find the ad itself among all ads running on Facebook’s platforms.
Description of the Infringement
In your description, be as specific as possible in explaining:
– The intellectual property being infringed (copyrighted images or videos, trademarked slogans or logos, patented inventions, etc.)
– How that intellectual property is being infringed in the advertisement (unauthorized use of content, copycat branding, infringing product designs, etc.)
– How you hold the rights to the intellectual property (copyright owner, trademark registrant, patent holder, licensee, authorized agent, etc.)
Registration Certificates
Including registration records lends credibility to your claim:
– For copyright, attach the registration certificate from the U.S. Copyright Office or foreign copyright agency.
– For trademarks, provide the registration certificate from the USPTO, EUIPO, or national IP office.
– For patents, include documentation showing you as the granted patent owner or licensee.
Additional Advertiser Information
Providing the advertiser’s username, page name, website, and other identifying details allows Facebook’s reviewers to more easily investigate the ad account and advertiser to check for violations.
How to Submit Your Report
To submit a report of intellectual property infringement to Facebook:
1. Go to Facebook’s online reporting form at https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/634636770043106.
2. Select “Report Intellectual Property Infringement” as the topic.
3. Select “Copyright Infringement” or “Trademark Infringement” as the category.
4. Fill out the form with all available information about the infringing ad:
– Link to the ad (required)
– Description of the alleged infringement
– Applicable registration certificates
– Advertiser’s username, page name, website, etc.
5. Check the box confirming you are authorized to submit the report.
6. Click the “Send” button to submit your report for review.
Online Reporting Form
Facebook does not allow rights holders to report ads through its standard reporting flows for posts and other content. Ads must be reported through the dedicated online form for intellectual property complaints.
Using the online form ensures your report is properly categorized and directed to the Facebook team that handles advertisement issues.
Complete the Form Thoroughly
The more information you provide up front, the faster Facebook can investigate and take action on valid reports of infringement.
Make sure to include all available details, especially a link directly to the infringing ad and documentation of your IP rights.
Authorized Representative
Only rights holders or their authorized representatives can submit infringement reports. Confirm that you are authorized before submitting the form.
What Happens After You Submit a Report
After you submit your report about an infringing advertisement, here is what typically happens:
– **Review by Facebook:** The Facebook ads review team investigates your complaint and the allegedly infringing advertisement. This review may take 1-2 business days.
– **Disabling of confirmed infringing ads:** If the ad is found to infringe Facebook’s policies and your intellectual property rights, Facebook disables the ad to remove it from circulation.
– **Notification to the advertiser:** Facebook informs the advertiser that their ad has been taken down and why. Policies violated are cited.
– **Additional account restrictions:** Facebook may limit or disable the advertiser’s ad account if they are a repeat offender posting infringing ads.
– **Follow up with rights holder:** If needed, Facebook may contact the rights holder for additional information during the review process.
– **Restoration of mistakenly removed ads:** In rare cases ads are mistakenly removed. If this happens, the advertiser can appeal the decision and may have their ad restored.
Timeframe for Review
Facebook strives to review all infringement reports within 1-2 business days. Reviews may take longer if there is a backlog of reports or if additional information is needed from rights holders. Be patient as Facebook processes your complaint.
Restrictions and Disabling of Accounts
To enforce its rules, Facebook may limit advertisers from creating new ads or disable ad accounts entirely if they repeatedly post infringing ads. These restrictions protect your rights.
Appeals Process for Advertisers
If an advertiser believes their ad was removed by mistake, they can appeal the decision through Facebook’s ads support process. A small percentage of ads are restored this way after reviewing the appeal.
Other Facebook Tools for Rights Holders
In addition to reporting individual infringing ads, rights holders can also use other Facebook tools to protect intellectual property:
– **Rights Manager:** Use Rights Manager to easily search for and manage infringing content across Facebook and Instagram. You can request takedowns in bulk.
– **Commerce & Ads IP Tool:** Use this tool to search for and report listings of counterfeit goods across Facebook apps. It helps you find and remove illicit commerce content.
– **Brand Registry for Instagram:** Brands can sign up for Brand Registry to get quick access to content tagging features on Instagram and enhanced profile verification.
– **Trusted Partner Program:** Join the Trusted Partner Program to have dedicated support, training resources, and other benefits when reporting intellectual property issues.
Rights Manager Tool
Rights Manager allows rights holders to search for matching video and image content, then request takedowns with just a few clicks. This is easier than reporting infringements one by one.
Commerce & Ads IP Tool
Facebook created this specialized tool specifically to combat the sale of counterfeit goods. Brands can search listings and remove fake product listings across Facebook’s apps.
Brand Registry
The Instagram Brand Registry gives businesses access to branded content filters, instant username verification, and new account support for maintaining their brand presence.
Trusted Partner Program
Facebook offers enhanced support and direct channels of communication for repeat victims of intellectual property infringement. Ask about joining the Trusted Partner Program.
Special Cases: Reporting Facebook Itself as the Advertiser
If you believe Facebook itself is running advertisements that infringe your intellectual property rights, the reporting process works differently:
– You cannot use the standard online form for reporting ads from Facebook. That form is for reporting third-party advertisers.
– Instead, email [email protected] with your infringement complaint about ads being run directly by Facebook or Instagram.
– Provide the same information: links to the ads, description of the infringement, your IP registrations, and other supporting details.
– The Facebook IP team will review your complaint and contact you to resolve confirmed issues.
– For complaints about Facebook or Instagram ads, email [email protected] for assistance. Do not use the standard online reporting form.
Email Facebook Directly
To report infringing ads being run by Facebook or Instagram themselves, you must email the complaint directly rather than using the standard online form.
Provide the Same Information
Even though you are emailing the complaint, provide all the same details as you would through the online form: links, descriptions of infringement, documentation of your rights, etc.
Facebook Will Contact You
The Facebook IP Operations team will investigate and reach out to you directly if they find that Facebook-run ads are infringing on your intellectual property rights.
Conclusion
Reporting infringing ads on Facebook requires clearly documenting your claim and submitting it through the proper channels. Include the ad’s direct URL, describe how it infringes your rights, attach registration documents, and provide complete advertiser information.
For complaints about third-party advertisers, use the online reporting form. For Facebook’s own ads, email [email protected]. Providing complete details allows for the quickest resolution. Facebook disables confirmed infringing ads, notifies advertisers, and may restrict repeat violators.
With the right information and persistence, you can get infringing advertisements removed from Facebook. Protect your intellectual property by responsibly reporting violations.