Print‑on‑demand has made it effortless to turn a trending visual into a product. The result? Your trademarks, characters and colourways appearing on goods you never authorised — produced at scale, and sold worldwide.
That’s the new reality for leading brands in the print‑on‑demand era. With low barriers to entry, AI‑generated designs, and global e‑commerce platforms, anyone can create “merch” in minutes and reach millions overnight.
And this isn’t a niche problem. During cultural spikes — like film premieres, sports finals, and viral moments — new listings flood platforms within hours. You’ve seen it already: the ‘Barbiecore’ explosions, the off‑model sports league apparel, and almost‑right colour palettes and logos that still look like your brand.
Counterfeit or unauthorised merchandise?
Illicit merchandise comes in two dangerous forms — and both weaken your brand:
- Counterfeit merchandise: Direct copies of your official products and packaging, often pushed as “official” to trick your customers.
- Unauthorised merchandise: Your logos, characters, typefaces, slogans, or signature colourways slapped on products you never made or licensed.
Either way, it’s theft – and it costs you.
Why the threat is accelerating
- AI design tools lower the creative barrier and make “close enough” look convincing.
- Print-on-demand platforms like Redbubble, Etsy, and TeePublic offer anyone an instant global storefront.
- Social commerce turns a trending meme into a product drop in a single afternoon.
All this means fraudsters aren’t slowing down. They’re speeding up.
Why it matters
- They steal your sales: Infringers ride trending moments and cash in first.
- They dilute your brand: Off-model designs distort your brand language and confuse customers.
- They hijack search results: Fake listings crowd out the real thing, drive up ad spend, and bury your products. This is known as ‘search pollution’.
Detecting illicit merchandise with AI
At SnapDragon, we protect brands with advanced AI detection backed by human expertise. This means faster, broader coverage of key print-on-demand platforms and beyond:
- Logo detection: Finds even the smallest, lowest‑resolution logos hidden inside designs or on product mock‑ups.
- Image similarity: Flags lookalike illustrations, characters and visuals — even when they’re tweaked or stylised.
- Colour detection: Spots distinctive trade dress across products, websites, and social feeds.
You get the intelligence to focus on the threats that matter most – and the speed to stop them before they spread.
Taking down illicit merchandise at scale
Strong IP is your engine; process is your gearbox.
Here’s a proven playbook for how leading brands win:
- Secure your IP everywhere: Protect your trademarks, copyright, and trade dress in every market where you operate.
- Prioritise what hurts most: Whether it’s a dangerous parody or high-volume counterfeit, act strategically.
- Enforce with “global protection, local precision”: Every platform has its own takedown rules. Master them, and use your strongest IP to enforce.
- Deter, don’t just delete: Publish clear fan art guidelines, make official channels obvious, and starve counterfeiters of excuses and attention.
Quick legal note: Some markets allow parody or fair use. Some platforms permit fan art under strict guidelines. Know the rules, or get legal support, so your rights hold up in every jurisdiction.
Success in action
The fight against illicit merchandise is one we’re all too familiar with. When counterfeit merchandise flooded a leading mobile game franchise, we moved fast.
Our powerful AI and expert analysts detected and took down more than 20,000 online listings.
For counterfeiters, it was game over. For our client, it was game on.
"With over 20,000 fake listings taken down in under two years, we've helped protect not just a single brand but an entire gaming ecosystem. Because when you safeguard the characters, the merchandise, and the fans, you protect the future of the game."
Ready to fight back?
If your brand is appearing where it shouldn’t, it’s time to act. SnapDragon can help you spot, prioritise, and remove illicit merchandise — at scale and with precision.
Don’t just play defence. Take back control.
Laura Sodaymay
SnapDragon | Brand Protection Specialist
