How to report a copycat extension on the Chrome Web Store, Edge and Firefox

Copycat extensions are listings that reuse another extension's name, description, icon or code. They break every major store's rules. The stores do remove them, but only after someone reports them, and a well-prepared report is handled much faster than a vague one. This guide covers what to collect first, then how to report on each store.

Before you report: collect the evidence

Reviewers handle a lot of reports. Make yours easy to act on by putting the proof in one place.

1. Both listing links. The link to your extension and the link to the copy, in the same store if possible.
2. Proof you came first. Your first publish date (shown in your developer dashboard), a public repository, a release history or an archived snapshot of your listing.
3. What exactly was copied. Quote the sentences of your description that appear word for word, and put the two icons side by side. If the code was copied, name the files that match.
4. Screenshots. Listings change once their publishers notice a report, so capture the copy as it is now, with the date visible.
5. Your rights. If your extension name is a registered trademark, note the registration number and country. If not, copyright in your code, text and icon still belongs to you.

Tip: keep the report factual. "Listing X copies the description of my extension Y word for word and uses the same icon; my extension was published on [date]" is far more effective than "this is a scam".

Which kind of report to send

Every store offers two routes, and they suit different situations:

• A policy report (the report or flag option on the listing) is for listings that break store rules: impersonating another product, misleading users, spam, or duplicating existing content. It's quick, and anyone can send one.
• A legal report (a copyright or trademark complaint) is for when your own rights have been infringed: your code, text or icon has been copied, or your trademark is being used. It takes longer to fill in, but it carries legal weight, and stores must handle it under copyright law such as the DMCA in the US.

For a clear-cut copy, send both: the policy report flags the listing quickly, and the legal report gives the store a formal reason to remove it.

Chrome Web Store

1. Policy report: open the copy's listing on chromewebstore.google.com and use the report option on the listing page to report abuse. Choose the reason closest to impersonation or copied content, and paste your evidence into the description.
2. Copyright or trademark report: use Google's legal removal request at support.google.com/legal. Pick the Chrome Web Store as the product, then the copyright or trademark option, and follow the form. Include both listing links and your evidence.
3. If you're a Chrome Web Store developer, you can also contact developer support from your developer dashboard. Say that a listing impersonates your extension and include both item IDs.

Chrome Web Store policies don't allow impersonation, misleading metadata or repetitive copies of existing functionality, so a well-documented copy is squarely against the rules.

Microsoft Edge Add-ons

1. Policy report: open the copy's listing on microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons and use the report abuse option on the listing page.
2. Copyright or trademark report: use Microsoft's intellectual property infringement reporting at microsoft.com/legal/intellectualproperty/infringement. Choose the Microsoft Edge Add-ons store as the place the content appears.

Many copies of Chrome extensions appear on Edge Add-ons, because Chrome extensions can be submitted to Edge with few changes. If your extension isn't published on Edge, check there first.

Firefox Add-ons (addons.mozilla.org)

1. Policy report: open the add-on's page on addons.mozilla.org and use the report option on the page, usually near the bottom. Choose the reason that matches, such as impersonation or misleading content.
2. Copyright or trademark report: Mozilla publishes how to report intellectual property infringement at mozilla.org/about/legal/report-infringement.

After you report

• Keep a record of what you sent, when, and any case numbers.
• Allow time. Some removals happen within days, while others take weeks. Stores rarely reply to policy reports, so check the listing itself.
• Follow up once if nothing happens after two to three weeks, and refer to your earlier report.
• Watch for the copy coming back. Removed copycats often reappear under a new name or a new publisher account, sometimes in a different store.

What not to do

• Don't contact the copycat publicly or post their personal details. Report through the stores.
• Don't report extensions that are only similar. Many extensions solve the same problem with a similar name. Reports should be about copying or impersonation, not competition.
• Don't leave fake reviews on the copy. That breaks store rules too, and it can count against you.

Not sure whether you've been copied, or by how many? Read Someone copied my browser extension: what to do next, or search the extension catalogue for your extension's name.