Ecommerce insurance: media liability for online store owners
Every product page, photo, ad and email you publish is content someone can claim against. Media liability defends you when someone says your listing used their photo, your brand name clashes with their trademark, or your ad trashed their product.
This guide explains where claims against online store owners come from and how media liability works. Ready for a policy? Get a quote from CreatorSure.
Where claims come from
- Product photos taken from a supplier, a competitor or a stock site without a license.
- Listings and descriptions copied from another store.
- Brand and product names that collide with a trademark.
- Comparison ads that knock a competitor's product.
- Creator content you run as ads. See UGC creators.
Earning commissions on other brands too? See affiliate marketer insurance. Selling digital products? Read course seller coverage.
Other coverage you need
- Product liability. A product you sell injures someone or damages their property (which CreatorSure covers).
- Cyber. You store customer data and take payments (which CreatorSure covers).
When someone takes your work
Another store lifts your product photos and descriptions. Fight Back helps pay for a lawyer, takedowns and demand letters to go after them.
Questions
Is ecommerce insurance the same as media liability?
No. Ecommerce insurance usually means product and general liability (which CreatorSure covers). Media liability covers claims over your content: photos, listings, ads and brand names.
Do marketplace sellers need media liability?
Yes, if you write your own listings, shoot your own photos or run ads. A claim over them names you.
Can I use a supplier's product photos?
Only if your agreement allows it. Photos taken from another seller or a photographer are a common copyright claim. Media liability covers those claims.
Is my brand name a risk?
Yes. A name that clashes with someone's trademark draws a claim. Search before you launch, and media liability covers claims over your branding.
Does Amazon or Shopify protect me?
No. Their terms protect them. Your listings, ads and emails are your responsibility.
Get a quote
Tell us what you make and where it goes. We'll match you with the right coverage.