Fake sites and takedowns: the guides
Everything we’ve learned actually getting fake sites shut down: who to contact, what to write, on what grounds, and what you can honestly expect. The timelines and registrar behaviors described here are ones we’ve observed, not estimates.
The fake sites copying your brand
How the fake-storefront networks impersonating brands actually work, how to recognize them, and what their existence puts you at risk of.
- How to recognize a fake site impersonating your brand
The six technical signals that separate a fake storefront from a legitimate reseller — checkable in minutes, with no paid tool.
- BogusBazaar: anatomy of a fake-storefront network
The network documented by Security Research Labs has launched over 75,000 fraudulent storefronts. Understanding how it operates explains why a shut-down domain gets replaced immediately.
Getting a fake site taken down
The notice-and-takedown process with a registrar and a host: who to contact, what to write, on what legal grounds, and what you can realistically expect.
- The takedown process, step by step
From identifying the registrar to verifying the domain freeze: the full sequence, with the timelines actually observed.
- Finding the registrar and its real abuse contact
WHOIS, RDAP, and the trap of a guessed address: how to reliably identify who to notify, and why some registrars never read their own abuse address.
- DSA Article 16: the argument that forces a host to act
A notice compliant with Article 16 strips the provider's liability exemption. It's the most forceful legal lever a trademark holder has today.
- CIMALP case: a fake site suspended in under 48 hours
The full sequence of a real takedown, from spotting the domain to its suspension, including what a reader can independently re-verify at the registry.
- How long does it take to get a fake site taken down
Delays actually observed depending on the route taken, what decides them, and why none of the official reporting mechanisms shut the site down themselves.
LegalBrandGuard against the alternatives
What a fake-site takedown actually costs at the leading brand-protection providers, and what each one actually publishes — price, guarantee, commitment. Sourced comparison, verified August 10, 2026.
- LegalBrandGuard vs Bolster AI: which one to choose against fake sites?
Bolster publishes no price and targets large enterprises (offices in the US and India, none in France). LegalBrandGuard lists 99 € per fake site and a 30-day refund guarantee.
- LegalBrandGuard vs Red Points: which one to choose against fake sites?
Red Points is the only major provider examined that publishes prices — but its fake-sites option alone costs $745/month, and no service starts before a master services agreement is signed. LegalBrandGuard charges 99 € per case, no contract to sign.
- LegalBrandGuard vs BrandShield: which one to choose against fake sites?
BrandShield explicitly targets SMBs but publishes no price, no office address, and requires a sales demo before any information. LegalBrandGuard lists its price and can be ordered with no appointment.
- LegalBrandGuard vs ZeroFox: which one to choose against fake sites?
ZeroFox sells annual bundles priced by takedown volume (250 to 1,000 per year), with no public price and a contractual commitment. LegalBrandGuard charges 99 € per fake site, no tier, no minimum term.
- LegalBrandGuard vs Netcraft: which one to choose against fake sites?
Netcraft publishes impressive performance statistics (33-minute median takedown time) but no price and no refund guarantee. LegalBrandGuard publishes both.
- LegalBrandGuard vs MarkMonitor: which one to choose against fake sites?
MarkMonitor is centered on domain-portfolio management, not e-commerce fake-site takedown — and publishes no price, even on its French version. LegalBrandGuard specializes in this one use case, price and guarantee posted upfront.
Compare and understand
- Takedown or UDRP: which one?
The two paths don’t rest on the same reasoning: one rules on a domain name, the other on content. That’s what decides which to use.
- Glossary
clientHold, RDAP, registrar, DSA Article 16: the terms, and what they actually mean for you.
13 guides · updated on August 5, 2026