Hello, this is patent attorney Yongduck Kim of IPLEX IP Law Firm.
This case concerns an online seller facing both product sales suspension and account suspension after an IP complaint, and describes the response that led to account restoration and resumed sales.
Incident Overview
The client, Leisure Damoa, sold fire pits on Coupang. It received an IP infringement notice after using the Coupang logo and related wording on a product detail page. The disputed image appeared as follows:
Coupang suspended sales and the account. Although the client had removed or revised the wording, Coupang requested formal evidence supporting non-infringement before lifting the restrictions.
IPLEX’s Response
We prepared separate opinions addressing copyright and trademark non-infringement.
Key response arguments
Copyright Infringement – Fair Use Application
The opinion treated the logo as a copyrighted work but emphasized that the client's limited use explained purchase benefits rather than promoting a separate brand.
On the facts of this case, we argued that the use qualified as fair use under Article 35-5 of the Copyright Act.
Trademark non-infringement
The opinion also compared the client's fire pits and camping-related goods with the goods and services covered by the relevant trademark registrations.
The logo was not emphasized enough to cause confusion as to source and was used only to announce a “Coupang-channel-only event”; the article explains the conclusion that this did not constitute trademark infringement.
result
Based on the opinion submitted by IPLEX, Coupang acted as follows:
- - Sales of all suspended products resumed.
- - The suspended seller account was restored.
The case shows the typical response flow of the claim of intellectual property rights infringement → statement response → official opinion submission → resumption of sales.
Practical Tips: What Coupang Sellers Need to Know
Using a platform's logo on a product page can lead to a complaint. The legal assessment should consider the following:
- Is the use of a logo just information?
- - Could consumers infer branding or an affiliation that does not exist?
- - Are there grounds for copyright fair use or trademark non-infringement?
The opinion of a professional patent attorney is the key to unlocking and recovering accounts on platforms including Coupang.
Conclusion
Use of a logo or phrase does not by itself establish infringement. The purpose, presentation, relevant rights and applicable exceptions must be assessed together.
With IPLEX IP Law Firm, experienced in dispute resolution, you can overcome the cessation of product sales.
This article reflects the information available when it was published. Contact us to discuss your circumstances.