How to Prepare an Evidence Package for Counterfeit Product Operations

In operations addressing trademark infringements, standardised evidence storage is as important as detection. When employees collect screenshots in different formats, operational quality deteriorates over time.

A standard evidence package makes each case comparable, traceable and transferable to a platform or legal team when needed.

Create a case ID

Track each case with a unique case ID so recurring records involving the same seller or product can be linked.

Minimum data fields

Case ID
Platform
Listing URL
Seller
Product
Price
Detection time
Risk category
Screenshot
Images

Document the risk rationale

Instead of a general label such as “suspicious”, record specific reasons such as a price anomaly, logo imitation, risky wording, serial number problem or verified previous case.

File integrity

For critical cases, a file-naming standard, hash value or change history can be used.

Action history

Platform notification
Submission time
Ticket number
Platform response
Removal time
Rejection reason
Repeat detection

Permissions and access

Evidence packages can contain seller or user data, so access permissions should be restricted by task.

Dashboard integration

Centralised case data can support KPIs such as takedown success rate, recurrence rate, seller risk and platform SLA.

Operational implementation and measurement

In a brand protection operation, treat case identification, the minimum data fields and the documented risk rationale as parts of the same case record, not as independent checks. For each finding, record the source, product, seller, channel, date and time, risk rationale and action taken in structured fields wherever possible. This supports both individual case review and comparison of the same seller’s or product group’s behaviour over time.

Instead of focusing on total alert volume, track the verified risk rate, false-positive rate, review time, repeat-seller rate and action outcome together. In particular, record the operational answer to “Is an evidence package only for the legal team?” and use expert feedback in subsequent detections. Over time, the monitoring system can become decision support that helps the brand team prioritise cases more accurately, rather than merely finding more records.

Decision matrix and escalation approach

Sound decisions require a verification step between detection and action. Keep case identification, the minimum data fields and the documented risk rationale traceable within the same case record. Even a strong signal must not be treated as a definitive infringement finding without assessing commercial impact, data reliability and false-positive risk together. Low-confidence cases can be directed to further data collection, medium-confidence cases to expert review, and high-confidence, high-impact cases to the brand’s defined escalation process.

As the operation matures, measure not just how many records are found, but which records turn out to represent genuine risk. Track source freshness, verification rate, false-positive rate, repeat sellers or accounts, average review time and action outcome together. Linking a recurring risk to its previous case allows the team to use earlier evidence and decisions instead of starting its investigation from scratch. This turns brand protection from isolated screenshots into an auditable, comparable risk management system that can improve over time.

B10 Digital Agency’s approach

B10 Digital Agency evaluates counterfeit products, unauthorised sellers, brand impersonation and digital channel risks using seller, product and channel data, beyond individual listings. The aim is not merely to find infringements, but to turn recurring digital risks into a measurable operational system.

Frequently asked questions

Is an evidence package only for the legal team?

No. Brand protection, e-commerce, legal and operations teams can use the same case record.

Is a screenshot necessary for every case?

It is useful in most monitoring operations because digital content can change.

Is using a hash mandatory?

Not for every operation; assess it against evidence-integrity requirements.

Why retain the platform response?

Rejection reasons and success rates improve the quality of subsequent submissions.

What Evidence Should Be Collected When Counterfeits Are Suspected on a Marketplace?
What Data Should a Brand Prepare When Procuring a Counterfeit Takedown Service?
Why Are Marketplace Brand Infringement Reports Rejected? 10 Critical Gaps

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