Counterfeit children's goods and toys: increased legal risks

Children's goods are one of the most vulnerable categories in terms of counterfeiting. In most industries, counterfeits primarily lead to financial losses for the right holder, but in the children's goods segment, the issue of safety comes to the forefront.

Toys, children's clothing, and other products from well-known brands are regularly subject to illegal copying. Consumers focus on recognizable names, popular cartoons, and attractive prices, and unscrupulous sellers take advantage of this.

For right holders, this is not only an infringement of intellectual property rights but also a serious reputational risk. Why does the children's segment require special attention, and how can brands protect themselves?

Why children's goods become targets for counterfeiting

Counterfeiters choose categories with high demand and strong brand recognition – and children's goods fully meet these criteria. Most often, they counterfeit toys associated with popular cartoons, movies, and computer games, as well as children's clothing, products for newborns, and accessories from well-known manufacturers. It can be difficult for a buyer to realize that they are looking at a non-original product: modern technologies allow for high-quality copying of packaging, logos, design, and even labeling.

An additional risk factor is the development of marketplaces. A large number of sellers, the constant appearance of new product listings, and the ability to quickly open a new store significantly simplify the distribution of counterfeit products.

Why the problem goes beyond intellectual property

For most product categories, counterfeiting primarily means the illegal use of a trademark and a loss of sales. In the case of children's goods, the consequences are significantly more serious. Counterfeit toys may be made from materials that do not meet safety requirements, contain toxic substances, or fail to undergo mandatory testing. Such products can pose a real threat to a child's health.

Therefore, the violation affects several areas at once: in addition to the illegal use of intellectual property, it may involve non-compliance with technical regulations and consumer protection laws. For the right holder, this means both a wider range of protection tools and the collection of additional evidence that may be needed when filing a complaint with a marketplace or government authorities.

When encountering a fake toy or other low-quality children's product, the buyer rarely investigates who the seller is - most often, the negativity is transferred to the brand itself. Consequently, the company faces several repercussions:

• loss of sales of original products;

• additional expenses for intellectual property protection;

• negative reviews and an increase in customer support requests.

In turn, the poor quality of non-original goods and negative reviews lead to a deterioration of the company's reputation, which is particularly sensitive for brands operating in the children's segment. This is because for such brands, parental trust is one of their primary assets. It is much easier to lose than to restore.

How mandatory labeling helps

An important tool for fighting counterfeit goods today is the state labeling system "Chestny Znak." The presence of a Data Matrix code allows for tracking the movement of goods and distinguishing legal products from those illegally introduced into circulation. From September 1, 2026, the turnover of unlabeled toys in Russia will be prohibited.

For rightsholders, labeling becomes an additional source of information when checking suspicious goods: if information about the product is missing from the system or does not match the seller's information, this can become a strong argument when preparing a complaint or contacting regulatory authorities.

However, labeling itself does not solve the problem of counterfeiting - it does not replace regular market monitoring and does not allow for the automatic detection of illegal brand use on marketplaces.

Why marketplaces require constant control

Today, a significant share of children’s product sales takes place on online marketplaces. New sellers and hundreds of product listings appear on these platforms every day, while after one listing is removed, an infringer can quickly post a similar offer under a different account.

Relying solely on customers to identify counterfeit products is no longer sufficient. A much more effective approach is to regularly monitor the use of trademarks, analyze new product listings, and promptly respond to suspicious offers. This makes it possible to detect infringements before they affect a brand’s sales and reputation.

Today, a significant share of children’s product sales takes place on online marketplaces. New sellers and hundreds of product listings appear on these platforms every day, and after one listing is removed, an infringer can quickly post a similar offer under a different account.

The monitoring of the Darwin brand in July–August 2026 provides a telling example. In July, 2,547 product listings showing signs of infringement were identified across online marketplaces, posted by 96 sellers. The majority were found on Wildberries - 2,464 listings, while another 76 were identified on Yandex Market and 7 on Ozon. Following the first wave of complaints, the volume of newly identified infringements fell significantly: in August, 147 listings from 13 sellers were recorded - 138 on Wildberries and 9 on Ozon. Overall, the number of new infringements decreased by approximately 17 times.

This example demonstrates that systematic action against identified infringements can also affect the emergence of new offers: following the first wave of complaints, the volume of new infringements was substantially lower. However, even after a significant decline in infringing activity, monitoring should not be discontinued completely, as new listings and sellers continue to appear.

Relying solely on customers to identify counterfeit products is no longer sufficient. A much more effective approach is to regularly monitor the use of trademarks, analyze new product listings, and promptly respond to suspicious offers. This makes it possible to detect infringements before they affect a brand’s sales and reputation.

What the copyright holder needs to do

Protecting children's products requires a systematic approach. First and foremost, it is necessary to ensure legal brand protection and regularly monitor trademark usage online. It is equally important to track the emergence of new sellers on marketplaces, record violations in a timely manner, and promptly submit complaints to the platforms.

If a violation concerns product safety, it is also necessary to preserve product details, customer reviews, and other materials that can confirm the potential danger of counterfeit goods.

For large brands, manually searching for such violations quickly becomes too labor-intensive; therefore, more and more companies are using specialized monitoring systems. For example, ZIPDetect helps to automatically track brand usage on marketplaces, identify potential counterfeits, manage complaints centrally, and support the intellectual property protection process.

Conclusion

Counterfeit children's products are a problem that affects not only rights holders but also the physical safety of consumers. Brand protection in the children's segment must be a continuous process: regular monitoring, timely detection of violations, and systematic efforts to address them can significantly reduce both financial and reputational risks.