Intellectual Property & Counterfeit Reporting

Last updated: 5 October 2026

At a glance

HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends operates Pawfriends from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Contact: [email protected].
Report infringement or counterfeit concerns by email with the subject line IP complaint.
Counter-notices should be sent by email with the subject line IP counter-notice.
Today all products on Pawfriends are sold by HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends; buyers do not need to deal with a supply partner.

This policy explains how HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends handles intellectual property complaints and counterfeit reports on Pawfriends. We operate Pawfriends from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. You can contact us at [email protected]. Emails are usually answered within one business day.

Pawfriends is an online marketplace operated by HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends. Every product currently listed on Pawfriends is sold by HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends. The stores on Pawfriends group the range of one of our supply partners, and orders are usually sent directly to buyers by that supply partner, most often from overseas. The contract of sale is with HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends, and we handle customer service, delivery problems, returns and refunds. We do not allow counterfeit or infringing products.

If you need general help with an order, return or delivery issue, please see our Help Centre, Returns Policy and Buyer Protection. This page is specifically about reporting intellectual property infringement and counterfeit goods.

What is not allowed on Pawfriends?

Listings and products on Pawfriends must not infringe another person's or business's intellectual property rights. Sellers, suppliers and anyone providing listing content must not list, offer, sell or supply:

Counterfeit goods - items bearing a trade mark, logo or branding without the owner's permission, or items presented in a way that is likely to mislead buyers into thinking they are genuine branded goods when they are not.
Copyright-infringing items - including unauthorised copies of books, films, music, software, games, artwork, manuals, packaging, photographs, videos or other creative works.
Design or patent-infringing items - products that infringe registered designs, patents or similar rights.
Misleading trade mark use in listings - for example using another brand's name, logo or trade mark in a way that falsely suggests affiliation, approval or origin.
Copied listing content - photographs, descriptions, packaging images, logos or other content copied from a brand, creator or another seller without permission.

Anyone listing products on Pawfriends is responsible for making sure they have the right to sell the product and the right to use all text, images, logos, packaging images and other material in the listing. Genuine branded goods may be sold where they have been lawfully obtained and are accurately described.

How do I report infringement or counterfeit goods?

If you own intellectual property rights, or are authorised to act for the rights owner, email [email protected] with the subject line IP complaint.

Please send enough information for us to identify the listing, understand the right you rely on and assess the complaint. Incomplete notices may delay our review.

What should I include in my notice?

Your full name, organisation name if any, email address and phone number.
The intellectual property right you rely on, for example trade mark details and registration number, copyright work details, or the registered design or patent number.
Evidence that you own the right or are authorised to act for the rights owner.
A link to each listing you are reporting.
A clear explanation of why you say each listing infringes your rights, such as why you believe the item is counterfeit or which image, text or other content has been copied.
A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use complained of is not authorised by the rights owner, its agent or the law.
A statement that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the rights owner or are authorised to act on the owner's behalf.

What happens after I send an IP complaint?

Review: we review the notice and may ask for more information if needed.
Interim action: if the notice is complete and appears valid, we may remove or disable the listing while we investigate and notify the affected seller or supplier.
Response: the affected seller may send a counter-notice if it believes the listing was removed by mistake.
Outcome: we will tell you what action we have taken once our review is complete.

We aim to review complete notices promptly, but response times vary depending on the information provided and the complexity of the issue. We may also remove or disable listings on our own initiative if we reasonably believe they are counterfeit, unsafe or infringing.

How does a seller send a counter-notice?

If your listing was removed or disabled and you believe that was a mistake, email [email protected] with the subject line IP counter-notice.

Please include:

your seller name and contact details
the listing or listings removed
evidence supporting your position, such as invoices from an authorised supplier, proof of authenticity, a licence, permission or other authorisation from the rights owner
a statement that the information you provide is accurate

We may share your counter-notice with the person who made the original report. We may reinstate the listing if we are satisfied that it does not infringe, unless the rights owner shows that legal proceedings have started or another legal reason prevents reinstatement.

Pawfriends and HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends do not decide legal disputes about intellectual property ownership or infringement where the position is genuinely contested. Those disputes must be resolved by the parties or by a court.

What happens to repeat infringers?

Listings that appear to infringe intellectual property rights may be removed without notice. Sellers or supply partners who repeatedly list counterfeit or infringing items may have listings removed, selling privileges restricted, accounts suspended or accounts closed.

As Pawfriends opens to independent sellers, those sellers will be required to comply with our Seller Terms, sell on Pawfriends information and this policy. Where a future listing is sold by an independent seller, the seller will be named on the listing and will be the seller of record for that listing, but Pawfriends Buyer Protection will still apply and we will handle the claim if the seller does not resolve the problem. Today, all products on Pawfriends are sold by HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends.

What if a buyer receives a counterfeit or infringing item?

If you believe you received a counterfeit item, or an item that was not as described because of branding, authenticity or other IP-related issues, email [email protected] with your order number, photographs and a short explanation of the problem.

You do not need to contact a supply partner yourself. HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends handles customer service, delivery problems, returns and refunds for orders sold by us. We will review the issue and, where applicable, treat it as an item not as described or faulty item under Pawfriends Buyer Protection and the Returns Policy.

Statutory rights

Australian Consumer Law guarantees always apply where they apply by law, whether an item ships from Australia or overseas. If an item is faulty, unsafe, not as described or not fit for purpose, the remedies provided by the Australian Consumer Law may include a repair, replacement or refund. For these problems, we pay any return cost where a return is required, and for many items we may refund or replace on photographs without asking for the item back.

Our process for buyers

Email [email protected] with your order number, photographs or video, and a short explanation of the issue.
We review the information and may ask follow-up questions.
We tell you the next step, which may be a refund, replacement or return instructions if a return is required.
Approved refunds are processed within 3 business days of approval or, where a return is required, within 3 business days of receiving the returned item.

Refunds are sent back to the original payment method and usually appear within 3-10 business days after processing.

What if a report is false or misleading?

Please only report listings you genuinely believe infringe your rights. Deliberately false, misleading or abusive reports may result in us disregarding future notices from you and may expose you to legal liability, including for unjustified threats under Australian law.

How do we handle complaint information?

We use the information provided in an IP complaint or counter-notice to investigate the issue, contact the parties involved, decide what action to take and keep records of the complaint. For more about how we handle personal information, see our Privacy Policy.

For more about who we are and how Pawfriends works, see About Us, Contact Us and our Terms of Service.

For shipping, returns and payment information, see our Shipping Policy, Returns Policy, Buyer Protection and Payments.

For privacy information, including how complaint information is handled, see our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. For product restrictions and safety rules, see Prohibited Items and Product Safety. For review standards, see Review Guidelines.

You can contact HYGGO PTY LTD (ABN 26 680 569 653), trading as Pawfriends about this policy at [email protected]. Please use the subject line IP complaint for infringement reports, IP counter-notice for responses to a removal, and include any relevant listing links or order numbers.