Contents
- 1 Why Amazon Merch Accounts Get Closed?
- 1.1 Case Study 1: Upload Ass/Penis/Pussy Words & Try To Mention Basketball Team
- 1.2 Case Study 2: Upload Racist/ Sensitive Words
- 1.3 Case Study 3: Upload Design With Full Name Of Famous Song
- 1.4 Case Study 4: Metadata Issues (Use (e.g., gift, perfect for birthday), promotional phrases (e.g., free shipping, best seller), or other unrelated metadata (e.g., 100% quality guaranteed, new product) is prohibited)
- 1.5 Case Study 5: Copyright Violation - Upload Design Similar With Product Of Gucci
- 1.6 Case Study 6: Using Movie Characters in Designs (Trademark ≠ Copyright)
- 1.7 Case Study 7: Risky Keywords – "Zombie Squad"
- 1.8 Case Study 8: Copy Designs Of Another Store
- 1.9 Case Study 9: Make Design Similar To Logo Of A Brand
- 1.10 Case Study 10: Get Rejection Frequently & Do Politic Design
- 1.11 What makes it appealing:
- 1.12 Case Study 11: Upload Heavy Violation Involving Memes, Famous Songs, And Characters From Songs
- 1.13 Case Study 12: Repeated To Do Design Reference To Violence, Impolite & Disrespect National Symbols
- 1.14 Why Amazon Closed Your Account
- 1.15 Even if your design was supportive, Amazon automatically flags this kind of content to avoid social or political disputes.
- 1.16 My Honest Observation
- 1.17
- 1.18
- 1.19 How to Avoid This in the Future
- 1.20 Case Study 13: Using Trademark Keywords, Name Of Sport Team, Design Has Picture Of Weapons
- 2 Why Your Account Was Closed
- 3 What I Checked
- 4 Summary — Main Reasons for Closure
- 5 Detailed Design Analysis
- 6 Confirmation of Violation – “4th of July Women Subtle Pro Democracy Shirt”
- 7 What To Do If Your Amazon Merch Account Gets Closed?
- 8 Where To Buy Amazon Merch On Demand Account?
- 9 Join Special Group Of Sonny To Learn Free
Welcome! If you’re wondering why an Amazon Merch account might get closed or how to avoid it, you’ve come to the right place. This guide shares real-life cases based on my own experience, my team, and feedback from customers. Learn from these mistakes to keep your account safe!
Why Amazon Merch Accounts Get Closed?
Case Study 1: Upload Ass/Penis/Pussy Words & Try To Mention Basketball Team
Issues
What Kind Of Violation Customer Has Made?
Here’s a detailed breakdown of how her actions might have breached these policies:
- Political Posts
While the customer mentions having very few political designs, it’s important to note that “Offensive or Controversial Content” is prohibited. Even a few political posts can be seen as controversial, especially if they promote or incite certain ideologies.
- Design about “Free Scottie”
Without more context, it’s challenging to pinpoint the exact issue, but it could fall under several prohibited categories:
“Offensive or Controversial Content”: If the design had any elements that could be seen as promoting or glorifying certain views.
“Content related to human tragedies and natural disasters”: Depending on the context of “Free Scottie,” it might be interpreted as relating to a specific event or tragedy.
- “Bring ya ass Minnesota”
This design might have violated policies under:
“Offensive or Controversial Content”: The phrase “bring ya ass” could be seen as using profanity or being inflammatory, which is not allowed.
“Illegal or Infringing Content”: Even if the phrase itself is not trademarked, using a well-known sports team’s locale in a manner that could imply endorsement or affiliation might still be problematic.
- Use of Words like “Penis” and “Pussy”
Using explicit or obscene language clearly violates the “Sexually obscene content” policy. Even though these were not placed on children’s shirts, the use of such language in any listing is against Amazon Merch’s guidelines.
Case Study 2: Upload Racist/ Sensitive Words
The Issue
The termination likely resulted from the upload of content that Amazon deems inappropriate or offensive, in this case, a design with racist elements. Amazon has strict policies against such content to maintain a respectful and inclusive platform.
Case Study 3: Upload Design With Full Name Of Famous Song
The Issue
The customer’s Tier 10,000 Amazon Merch account was terminated due to a content violation. The specific design in question was titled “Chillin’ Like a Villain,” which is associated with a famous song title. The account was terminated immediately after the design was reported.
Potential Reason
The primary reason for the account termination is likely a violation of Amazon Merch’s content policy concerning the use of copyrighted or trademarked material. In this case, the phrase “Chillin’ Like a Villain” is a well-known song title, which may be protected by copyright or trademark laws.
What Kind Of Violation Customer Has Made?
The customer violated Amazon Merch’s content policy by using a song title in their design. This can be categorized as:
- Intellectual Property Violation: Using content that incorporates intellectual property (such as trademarks, copyrights, or the name or likeness of others) without proper authorization.
- Trademark Infringement: The phrase “Chillin’ Like a Villain” may be trademarked by the song’s owner, leading to a potential trademark infringement issue.
- Copyright Infringement: The use of a song title, which is likely copyrighted, constitutes copyright infringement if the customer does not have documented rights to use it.
The Issue
The customer’s Tier 10,000 account closure stemmed from a design associated with birthdays that contained the term “gift” within its metadata, including the title, bullet points, and description. This contravenes Amazon’s stringent content policy.
What Kind Of Violation Customer Has Made?
The customer inadvertently violated Amazon’s content policy by integrating unrelated information, such as the term “gift,” within the metadata of their design. This transgression falls under the category of metadata issues, as delineated by Amazon’s stringent guidelines.
Make sure your listing’s metadata doesn’t result in inaccurate search results or impair customers’ ability to make good buying decisions. We do not allow metadata containing information unrelated to the design, such as suggested use (e.g., gift, perfect for birthday), promotional phrases (e.g., free shipping, best seller), or other unrelated metadata (e.g., 100% quality guaranteed, new product). Please ensure the title, feature bullets, or description match the design.
Case Study 5: Copyright Violation - Upload Design Similar With Product Of Gucci
Issues
Customer upload “Year of snake” design then account close so this account is in high risk of having issues.
Customer’s content is ok, but his design have already use the design, the image as the product of Gucci and try to mention it “Snake Luxury Collections”, luxury product in a brand name.
Once try to re-design, copy design of big brand such as Gucci, it will be closed or being report immediately by other seller, loyal on Amazon. This is the main reason make your account close immediately right after uploaded it.
Case Study 6: Using Movie Characters in Designs (Trademark ≠ Copyright)
This is a set of 4 designs with titles like “Dracula Unleashed,” “Frankenstein Unleashed,” “Mummy Unleashed,” and “Wolfman Unleashed.” As a newbie, you might think these are just normal designs. However, using these could lead to your account being closed almost immediately because “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” “Mummy,” and “Wolfman” are all characters from the movie House of Monsters and are protected by copyright.
Common mistakes new sellers often make:
- “I checked the trademark, so it should be fine, right?”
- “My design is live, so there are no issues.”
Let’s clarify a few important points here:
1. Trademark and Copyright Are Different
- Just because a name isn’t trademarked doesn’t mean it’s safe to use. Copyright typically applies to names, characters from movies, famous individuals, and brands.
- Amazon strictly enforces trademark violations, but they are even more stringent when it comes to copyright issues, as they involve multiple legal concerns in the U.S.
2. Amazon’s System Might Not Detect Violations Immediately
- Your design may initially get approved because Amazon’s bot may not immediately recognize the violation if you don’t directly mention the names or characters in the title or bullet points (this is known as “tricking the Amazon bot”).
- However, once your design goes live, competitors or dedicated teams will likely report it for infringement. If Amazon employees manually review the design, they can catch your attempt to bypass the rules.
Final Thoughts
- Amazon is a massive platform with strict policies. If you want to take shortcuts or try to make quick sales, you have to be prepared for the risks.
- If you only have one account, think carefully and always check for yourself before moving forward. Don’t rely solely on what others say. A good mentor will teach you the right methods, but they won’t give you a niche because that leads to competition from others who are doing the exact same thing as you.
Case Study 7: Risky Keywords – "Zombie Squad"
Scenario:
You notice that popular keywords like “Zombie Squad” is trending. You think incorporating them into your designs will boost your sales. However, after using these keywords, some sellers are facing account closures, and you realize there might be more risk than reward.
What Went Wrong:
1. Zombie Squad:
“Zombie Squad” is more than just a generic phrase—it’s the name of a popular game with 313,889 reviews on Google Play. This means the phrase is protected under trademark and copyright laws.
- Tricking the System: Some sellers attempt to bypass Amazon’s bots by avoiding direct mention of “Zombie Squad” in their titles. Instead, they split the keywords like this:
- “Zombie” + “Kids Halloween Colorful Matching” + “Squad” + “Costume.”
- This may allow their design to slip past Amazon’s automated detection temporarily. However, this tactic only provides a short-term advantage. Once the design is live, competitors or loyal team are quick to report it. Manual review by Amazon employees can easily detect the infringement, leading to an account suspension or closure.
Case Study 8: Copy Designs Of Another Store
This is the most popular mistakes of newbie. That is copy design of another and re-post. Make money never easy like that.
Here is an example:
One seller uploaded this, and then get close account after that.
- Title: Cute Axolotl of the World For Girls Boys Kids Women
- Brand Name: Funny Kawaii Axolotl
After checking, Sonny found that he hire designer to do this design, he just send idea to designer and let them work. Not check. He think design do it by his own ideas of design.
But we found that design is copied from another brand on Amazon. He copied designed and remove background of the original design and change background. The rest is the same.
So, as you can guess the result, account got close because the original store report him
Case Study 9: Make Design Similar To Logo Of A Brand
Every year, new sellers fall into the trap of using symbols or designs that seem harmless but are actually protected by big brands.
Case 1
One common example is the use of the “M” symbol in Halloween designs, which many don’t realize is strongly associated with M&M, the popular candy brand.
Sonny do a survery but less people know what is violation of this design.
The Problem:
In the U.S., this symbol is instantly recognized as part of the M&M branding. Even if the seller thinks the symbol has no specific meaning, it can still violate intellectual property laws.
Result:
Amazon may either remove your design or, worse, close your Merch by Amazon account without any warning.
Case 2 – Customer got close due to using product of Gucci
It is notable that you upload “Year of snake” design then account close so this account is in high risk of having issues.
Your content is ok, but you have already use the design, the image as the product of Gucci and try to mention it “Snake Luxury Collections”, luxury product of a brand.
Once try to re-design, copy design of big brand such as Gucci, it will be closed or being report immediately by other seller, loyal on Amazon. This is the main reason make your account close immediately right after uploaded it.
Case Study 10: Get Rejection Frequently & Do Politic Design
*This is one case close of customer”
You have received list of rejection from the time you get account is date Oct 9, 2024, 10:06 PM. From 2024, you violate alot and got rejection alot. In 2025, from March 2025, you got rejection almost every month, and all is relate to trademark/ copyright.
Use of trademarked or copyrighted content
Designs not suitable for youth sizes
Uploading without properly understanding Amazon’s guidelines
Then on July 16, 2025, at 8:50:54 AM, the account was permanently closed by Amazon. This happened shortly after you submitted a portfolio of generated designs. Although the political themes in those designs may seem acceptable at first glance, they are considered sensitive topics on Amazon’s platform. Given your past record of repeated rejections, this history may have contributed to the account closure — even if the final designs were not extreme.
One of the final designs submitted: “I like my freedom extra crispy”.
Let’s break it down under Amazon Merch’s Content Policy:
What makes it appealing:
Patriotic and humorous
Plays on word (“extra crispy” sounds like fried chicken but implies bold patriotism)
Often sells well to US audiences who like bold, freedom-themed designs
What makes it risky:
“Freedom” + “extra crispy” can be interpreted as:
Pro-violence or war-glorifying
Anti-government or extremist
A reference to burning things/people, especially if paired with military or firearm visuals
Amazon has rules against:
Content that promotes or glorifies violence
Content that could be interpreted as hate speech or political extremism
Potentially offensive political references
Even if you don’t mean it that way, a customer report or bot flag could result in:
Rejection of the design
Content policy warning
Worst case: account termination (especially if repeated)
Case Study 11: Upload Heavy Violation Involving Memes, Famous Songs, And Characters From Songs
“One case close from customer”
Despite getting account from 22 April but Mr. X has receiving several warnings between May 16 and Jul 17, 2025, Amazon identified repeated issues with your design submissions, including:
Submissions that violate Amazon’s Content Policy – Guidelines
Designs that incorporate intellectual property (e.g. trademarks, copyrighted content, or likeness of others) without proper rights
Youth-sized products containing adult content, profanity or sexual references
And most notably, heavy violation involving memes, famous songs, and characters from those songs
Here is some pictures we noticed in the mail, below is a summary of some key rejections Amazon reported:
- 6 rejection Fri, May 16, 10:08 PM, Awesome Like My Daughter Funny Fathers Day Gifts For Dad. We are contacting you because your submission appears to violate our Content Policy – Guidelines
- 5 rejection date Fri, Jun 27, 2:28 AM Just A Dad With The Milk Funny Daddy Fathers Day Gifts. We are contacting you because your submission appears to violate our Content Policy – Guidelines.
- 3 rejection date Sun, Jun 29, 3:13 AM Its Beer Can Not Beer Cant Funny Drinking Lover Men. We are contacting you because your design appears to violate our Content Policy – Content incorporating intellectual property (such as trademarks, copyrights, or the name or likeness of others) that you do not have the right to use.
- 1 rejection date Mon, Jun 30, 11:16 PM, Amity 1975 Summer Sunset Ocean Surf Vacation. We are contacting you because your design appears to violate our Content Policy – Content incorporating intellectual property (such as trademarks, copyrights, or the name or likeness of others) that you do not have the right to use.
- 3 rejections date Sat, Jul 5, 2:55 AM, – Nacho Gulf No More Est 2025 Vintage Sunset Design. We are contacting you because your design appears to violate our Content Policy – Content incorporating intellectual property (such as trademarks, copyrights, or the name or likeness of others) that you do not have the right to use.
- 1 rejection date Thu, Jul 17, 4:02 PM (8 days ago) Classic smoking cat duo meme funny burnout rooftop humor tee. We are contacting you because your submission appears to violate our Content Policy – Youth sized products that contain adult content, profanity and/or sexual references.
Then on July 21, the account was permanently closed by Amazon.
After you submitted your portfolio of 16 AI-generated designs, we also found multiple examples that potentially violated copyright laws or used names and characters from trending memes and viral songs, especially from the Italian Brainrot culture. These types of content are not allowed on Amazon, especially when they cause customer confusion or imply ownership of copyrighted material.
Here is a list of the AI-generated designs you submitted and the reason each may violate Amazon’s policy:
- Design 1: Ballerina cappuccin ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 2: Bobrito bandito ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 3: bombardiro crocodilo ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 4: Bombini gusini ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 5: Boneca ambalabu funk ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 6: Brr brr patapim song ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 7: Capu cappuccino assassino ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 8: Chimpanzini bananin ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 9: Italian Brainot ➤ You use character make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 10: Frigo carmello buff fardello ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 11: Lirili larila brainrot ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 12: Tralalero tralala ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 13: Trippi troppi troppa trippa ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 14: Trulimero trulichina ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 15: Tung tung sahur ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
- Design 16: Udin din din din dun ➤ Name of a song, you use character and name of it make customer misleading you are owner of the meme or you got report because this is copyright → Copyrighted
Case Study 12: Repeated To Do Design Reference To Violence, Impolite & Disrespect National Symbols
Why Amazon Closed Your Account
After reviewing your recent uploaded designs, I found that your account was closed for serious Content Policy violations.
Amazon’s detection system automatically scans your titles, keywords, and artwork. When it sees risky or copyrighted content — especially social, political, or medical topics — it flags your account for permanent closure.
Below is a breakdown of your main design groups and their issues
1- Sensitive or Violent Content
Some of your designs such as “Let’s Make Leukemia Extinct”, “I Beat Booboos Before Breakfast”, and “Leukemia Picked the Wrong Kid” were intended to raise awareness. However, Amazon’s policy strictly prohibits any designs that appear to reference disease, death, or violence, even indirectly.
Phrases involving extinction or fighting cancer are interpreted as violent or medical content, which is disallowed.
Designs showing children holding swords or weapons were automatically flagged as violence-related.
Searching Amazon today shows that all these titles — “Leukemia Picked the Wrong Kid”, “I Beat Booboos Before Breakfast”, “Let’s Make Childhood Cancer Extinct” — have already been removed from the marketplace, proving Amazon actively deletes them for violations.
Other seller just do normal, cute design
2- Use of Flag or Political Elements
Your “Stupid Trees” design with the United States flag pattern is considered sensitive national or political imagery.
Amazon restricts using national symbols in non-official or humorous ways — this falls under “disrespectful or misleading use of national symbols.”
3- Cultural and Activist Designs (“I Wear Red for My Sisters”)
You also uploaded “I Wear Red for My Sisters” designs connected to the MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women) movement. While your intention was likely positive, this content is highly sensitive for three reasons:
It references a real social-justice movement, which Amazon classifies as political content.
It includes faces of real or AI-generated women wearing Native-inspired clothing, which Amazon treats as use of protected likeness or cultural identity.
You uploaded multiple versions of the same title with different faces, which looks like spam behavior.
4- Spam / Duplicate Uploads
Uploading 20–30 versions of the same design (same artwork, different single words like “Mom,” “Dad,” “Gigi,” etc.) is automatically flagged by Amazon’s algorithm as spammy behavior.
The system assumes the seller is trying to flood search results unnaturally or dominate keywords, which violates Amazon’s policy against repetitive content.
2- Unclear or Misleading Niche
The words like “Mommy,” “Gigi,” or “Squad” without a clear theme or context make Amazon unsure what the design represents.
If your title or description doesn’t clearly show whether it’s for family, gaming, or fun humor, Amazon may mark it as unclear or misleading metadata, which can trigger warnings or removals.
3- Possible Misuse of Style or Game Elements
The color and font style in your designs look like they could be inspired by popular games or animated themes.
If the style looks too similar to a well-known franchise or licensed artwork, Amazon may flag it as a potential copyright risk, even if you didn’t mean to copy it.
4- Quantity Over Quality
Instead of uploading many similar designs at once, Amazon prefers unique and well-differentiated listings.
Uploading too many designs that look alike within a short time increases your account’s risk score — and if one design is reported or found risky, Amazon may take action on all of them at once.
My Honest Observation
I’m not sure what exact niche you were targeting — maybe family gifts, or a trend you saw online.
But based on experience, uploading too many similar designs under unclear niche direction is very dangerous for any account.
Amazon’s algorithm doesn’t understand your intention — it only looks at patterns.
So when it sees a “mass upload” of similar content, it interprets it as low-quality or automated spam, and that’s when accounts get closed suddenly.
5- Adult / Inappropriate Humor
I noticed that some of your designs include visual elements that Amazon treats as sensitive or inappropriate for general audiences.
For example, your “poop” themed designs — such as “Sorry I’m Late I Had to Poop” and “I Poop A Lot” — use cartoon feces with human features.
While the same phrases may appear on Amazon from other sellers, those listings only use text-based humor or very simple icons. They avoid showing an actual poop image.
This is the difference that triggers Amazon’s moderation system.
Amazon’s content policy clearly states that listings must be:
“Suitable for a general audience and not include vulgar, graphic, or offensive imagery.”
So while some sellers can still sell text humor about “poop,” your artwork crosses the visual line that makes Amazon automatically flag and remove it.
This is why your account became high risk — and ultimately, the combination of these sensitive visuals with other risky uploads caused the permanent closure.
How to Avoid This in the Future
Learn and Follow Amazon’s Policies
You must take time to study what Amazon allows and what it restricts.
Avoid any designs that contain:
Violent elements (weapons, fighting themes, or “extinct” phrases about disease)
Medical references (cancer, awareness ribbons, etc.)
Political or cultural movements (like “I Wear Red for My Sisters”)
Adult or explicit humor (poop, toilet jokes, or sexual implications)
National symbols used for jokes (flags, patriot graphics in sarcastic ways)
Repetitive uploads (same design repeated for “Mom, Dad, Gigi, Squad…” etc.)
Every violation, even small, adds to your account risk score — and when the score gets high enough, Amazon will close the account permanently.
2- Upload Slowly, Don’t Spam
Avoid uploading 20–30 similar designs at the same time.
Instead, upload 2–3 designs, wait for them to be approved, and observe.
If all go well, continue.
If one gets rejected — stop immediately and review before uploading more.
This slow, careful method is the safest way to build a strong long-term account.
3- Focus on Original, Clean Design Ideas
When designing, always ask yourself:
“Do people buy this because it’s funny, original, or because it looks like something famous?”
If the answer is “because it looks like something trending or famous,” stop.
That means it’s risky.
Customers should buy your shirts because they love your idea, not because it reminds them of a game, meme, or movement they saw online.
4- Check Everything Before You Upload
Before uploading, search your title on Amazon.
If there are no results, that can be a warning sign that Amazon may have already removed that keyword before.
You can also use USPTO or trademark tools (like Trademarkia) to make sure your keywords are not registered trademarks.
5- Quality Over Quantity
Amazon Merch favors sellers who upload thoughtful, well-written titles and good designs, not bulk spam uploads.
Even 10 clean, approved designs can perform better than 100 spammy or repetitive ones.
Important Learning Resources
List of Real Reasons Why Accounts Get Closed
https://merchbyamazonforsale.
How to Check Trademarks and Copyrights Before Uploading https://merchbyamazonforsale.
Official Amazon Merch Content Policy https://merch.amazon.com/
Sonny’s Full Setup & Instruction Guide (Part 2) https://merchbyamazonforsale.
Sonny’s Facebook Group Reminder Post — “Understand What You Upload” https://www.facebook.com/
Case Study 13: Using Trademark Keywords, Name Of Sport Team, Design Has Picture Of Weapons
Why Your Account Was Closed
Your account was permanently closed by Amazon due to multiple uploads in high-risk or trademarked categories.
Even though most of your designs are creative and well-made, some titles, keywords, and themes violated Amazon’s Content Policy and Advertising Policy.
Here are the key issues identified:
Trademarked or Brand-Associated Keywords
Several of your uploads used terms that are strongly associated with registered brands or public IPs, such as:
- “Cowboys,” “Dallas Cowboys” → protected by the NFL (National Football League).
- “Gators” / “Walk on Gators” → connected to University of Florida’s sports team “Florida Gators”, which holds multiple trademarks.
- Using animal mascots (like the alligator) + school/team wording (“Walk on,” “Classic Sports,” etc.) makes Amazon treat your listing as a sports brand imitation, even if your design is different.
Result: Amazon flags these listings as trademark infringement, leading to removal and permanent account suspension after repeated uploads.
Using Branded Logos or Imitated Visual Style
Some of your designs visually resemble brand logos, such as:
The crocodile/alligator in “Walk On Gators”, which is visually similar to the LACOSTE® logo.
Even if the illustration isn’t identical, Amazon’s system compares the shape, posture, and composition of the animal logo and treats it as “brand confusion.”
Result: Amazon treats such designs as visual imitation of existing brands, which violates both their Content Policy and Trademark Rules.
Adult or Violent / Inappropriate Content
Your design “Funny Say That Again?” shows a stick figure holding a knife, which Amazon’s system flags as violent or threatening imagery.
Even if it’s meant to be humor or sarcasm, weapons or violent themes are automatically categorized as unsafe.
Result: Amazon categorizes these under “Adult or Dangerous Content”, especially when combined with sarcastic or dark-humor text.
Case Study 14: Using Trademark Keywords, Branded Logos, Adult or Violent Content
What I Checked
I reviewed the designs you shared (the Potato Series, Raccoon Da Vinci / Vitruvian Man, and 4th of July “Pro Democracy Liberty Bell”).
Based on that review and Amazon’s policies, these are the reasons your account was closed.
Summary — Main Reasons for Closure
Copyright / Derivative-Art Issue — the “Raccoon Da Vinci / Vitruvian Man” design uses a famous artwork by Leonardo da Vinci, which is copyrighted. Amazon flags derivative works of recognizable art.
Political / Sensitive Content — your “4th of July / Pro Democracy Liberty Bell” design contains political messaging and national symbolism. Amazon restricts political and advocacy content.
Keyword / Title Issues (Spam Patterns) — the Potato Series titles were repetitive and keyword-stuffed (“funny,” “matching,” “couple,” repeated multiple times).
Ads Made It Riskier — because this account had Ads enabled, Amazon re-reviewed your listings more strictly.
Detailed Design Analysis
1. Potato Series (Kind of Rude / Kind of Salty / Sweet Potato)
The art itself was fine
2- Raccoon Da Vinci – “Vitruvian Man Guitar Player”
Title:
Raccoon Da Vinci Vitruvian Man Guitar Player Musicians Rock Shirt
Why It Violates:
This design combines two separate intellectual property (IP) risks:
A. “Vitruvian Man” – Copyright and Artwork Reference
The Vitruvian Man is the iconic drawing created by Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most famous artworks in history.
While the original drawing itself (created in the 1490s) is public domain, Amazon’s Content Policy strictly prohibits using famous or recognizable artworks or their derivatives in a commercial design without clear transformative purpose.
Because your image directly mimics the composition and pose of the Vitruvian Man — even replacing the human figure with a raccoon — Amazon flags this as “artwork derived from a well-known cultural or artistic work.”
This falls under:
“Content that uses or mimics existing artistic works or famous images.”
Even if AI generated it, it still “visually represents” da Vinci’s composition, which is automatically unsafe for Amazon.
B. Combining With “Raccoon” and “Rock Music” Theme
Many sellers previously uploaded “Raccoon Da Vinci,” “Dog Da Vinci,” “Cat Da Vinci,” etc., and most were removed in 2024–2025 for the same reason.
Amazon’s policy enforcement now treats this format as “art parody of a famous artist or work,” which violates their copyright and content sensitivity guidelines.
Because your account was running ads, Amazon’s ad moderation system likely re-scanned the image, found a match to known blocked designs, and triggered a closure.
Summary:
Even though your design seems funny and artistic, it’s built upon one of the world’s most famous works — which Amazon automatically filters as copyright-sensitive.
That’s why this single design could have caused your entire account to be marked as “risky.”
When searching directly on Amazon for
“Raccoon Da Vinci Man Guitar Player Musician Rock Shirt”,
there are no matching listings or related results found.
Only generic “Guitar Player” or “Musician” T-shirts appear — all safe, original, and not referencing Da Vinci or Vitruvian Man.
What This Means
This absence is not random — it confirms that Amazon has already purged all listings using “Da Vinci,” “Vitruvian Man,” or similar derivative artworks.
Amazon’s algorithm automatically removes listings that violate artwork or intellectual property policies, especially when they:
Mimic or reinterpret famous works of art (like Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man).
Use visual elements tied to cultural or historic icons.
Contain keywords that signal “art parody” or “derivative work.”
Even if the image was AI-generated, Amazon’s system detects the composition and structure of the Vitruvian Man (arms and legs spread in a circle) — and flags it as a violation under:
3. 4th of July — “Pro Democracy / Liberty Bell”
Title:
- 4th of July Women Subtle Pro Democracy Liberty Bell Retro Style Shirt
This design touches political and national advocacy themes, which are extremely restricted on Amazon Merch.
A. “Pro Democracy” = Political Messaging
Amazon explicitly prohibits any design that promotes, criticizes, or comments on political beliefs, systems, or advocacy movements.
Even if it sounds positive (e.g., “Pro Democracy,” “Freedom,” “Justice”), Amazon classifies it under:
“Content that promotes political messaging or movements.”
This includes indirect references to elections, freedom campaigns, human rights, or patriotic activism.
Amazon’s policy goal is to avoid public controversy or bias, especially around government or ideology.
B. “Liberty Bell” + 4th of July – Trademarked and Sensitive Symbol
The “Liberty Bell” is a registered trademark in the U.S., owned by the National Park Service and associated with official government imagery.
Amazon disallows commercial use of federal symbols or patriotic monuments (like the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, White House, etc.) unless the seller is officially licensed.
The combination of “Liberty Bell” + “4th of July” + “Pro Democracy” creates a political and governmental theme — an immediate red flag in Amazon’s automated system.
C. “Advocacy Apparel” Category Trigger
When keywords like Pro Democracy, Freedom, Justice, Rights, Equality appear in the title or bullet points, Amazon automatically classifies it as “Advocacy or Cause Apparel”.
This type of content has been heavily restricted since mid-2023, and all new uploads under that category risk rejection or suspension.
Summary:
Even if your design was patriotic, it crossed into the “political or advocacy” category by using terms like “Pro Democracy” and national symbols like the “Liberty Bell.”
That’s why the system may have closed your account — these words activate Amazon’s highest-level policy filter.
Confirmation of Violation – “4th of July Women Subtle Pro Democracy Shirt”
When we searched directly on Amazon for
“4th of July Women Subtle Pro Democracy Shirt”,
we found that no listings currently exist on the platform — only standard patriotic flag shirts remain (American flag, We the People, Red/White/Blue themes).
This is strong evidence that Amazon has already removed all designs containing the keywords “Pro Democracy” or similar political expressions.
Case Study 15: Upload List Of Designed With Is Trademark
All of the uploaded designs under the theme “Rooted in Christ” clearly violate Amazon Merch on Demand’s Content Policy, specifically the sections related to copyrighted and trademarked religious phrases.
What We Found:
All his listings include identical or near-identical titles and descriptions using the phrase “Rooted in Christ” with Bible verse Colossians 2:7 and identical bullet structures.
Main Problems Detected
1. Use of a Trademarked Phrase
The phrase “Rooted in Christ” is a registered trademark in the United States for religious-themed apparel.
- Also The phrase “Rooted in Christ” is related alot to a song famous, which is copyrighted
Amazon’s system automatically scans for such protected terms.
Any listing using this phrase, especially multiple times across designs, triggers policy violation flags.
One more important reason is that: You use that design uploaded to run ads, and once run ads, Amazon will check again design violate or not. Run ask is a knife, can make sale but can kill account if they see it is violate. If you not agree with opinion of that you do violate design, this message of deny from Amazon is the fact we can not deny. Your design is not follow rule of Amazon
When you start running ads, Amazon runs a second review on your listing.
Even if your design was accepted before, their ad review system checks again for:
Trademark or copyright terms (like Bible verse, Colossians 2:7, or Christian cross designs that may be linked to protected expressions).- Religious or spiritual content that could be viewed as promotional of belief systems.
- Overuse of keywords that look like spam or misleading ad targeting.
This is why your listings show messages such as:
“This product is not allowed for advertising as per creative acceptance policy.”
Amazon Ads has very strict content requirements (as shown in your screenshot):
Ads must be suitable for a general audience.
Accurately reflect the product content.
Promote only items you are authorized to sell.
Once your ad is denied, it means Amazon re-scanned your listing and detected policy violations — so the account review team later can decide to shut down the whole account.
→ Result: All 10 of your uploads used the exact same protected phrase and therefore were flagged for trademark infringement.
2. Repeated Spam Uploads
You uploaded multiple similar titles and bullet points in one batch, only changing minor wording.
Amazon interprets this as “content spam” or “mass duplication.”
Spam-style repetition of flagged content increases the violation risk exponentially, which often leads to permanent account closure after repeated rejections.
What To Do If Your Amazon Merch Account Gets Closed?
If your Amazon Merch account has been closed, don’t panic! There are steps you can take to try and re-open it. For detailed instructions, you can read this post here
