Do you need a trademark for Amazon Brand Registry?
Amazon Brand Registry offers sellers “a suite of tools designed to help you build and protect your brand, creating a better experience for customers”.
To enrol in Amazon’s Brand Registry, you have to provide proof that you own the brand for the products you sell. Once approved, Amazon offers you extra protection for your brand, which may increase its value: It gives consumers peace of mind that they are buying from an established and trusted brand, with protection from counterfeiters, copycats and online hijackers.
There is no cost to enrol in the registry, but you do need to provide proof of a registered trademark or at least a pending trademark application, which does involve fees. (Find out what it costs to apply for a trademark in the UK.)
A key factor in Amazon’s success is their commitment to the customer’s experience. Their Brand Protection Report states that the global trading platform “strives to be the Earth’s most customer-centric company” offering “the widest possible selection of authentic goods.” So it’s critically important to Amazon to ensure that the company lives up to this goal.
Why are trademarks important for brand protection?
Fake products, hijacked listings, and unauthorized re-sellers damage the customer experience as well as the reputations of both Amazon and the sellers that use their online marketplace. You might wonder how serious these problems are or how commonly they occur: Amazon reports that to date over 10 billion bad listings have been blocked its verification processes and prevented from being sold on Amazon’s stores and over 2 million counterfeit products have been identified and seized before being shipped to customers.
Imagine the stress and damage to your business if someone masqueraded as your brand!
Launched in 2017, the programme has expanded globally into the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Singapore, Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia.
UK Amazon Brand Registry Trademark Requirements
The eligibility requirements vary from country to country, but the following information applies specifically to the United Kingdom.
You must have applied for a registered trademark for your brand at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) or the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The trademark may be a word trademark for your brand name or an image/logo trademark which incorporates your brand.
Word trademarks
AMAZON
TRADEMARK PLANET
Logo trademarks
The trademark text must match the brand name on the application exactly. Any variation in capitalisation or spaces for example, could cause delays in the processing of your application and prevent your brand from being approved for the brand registry programme.
The trademark must also appear on your products or packaging.
How does this benefit a business owner selling on Amazon?
Amazon Brand Registry webpage displayed on a tablet
Registering a trademark is the most important step you can take to protect your brand.
In a world where counterfeiters and copycats frequently try to pass off their products as those of more reputable brands, a registered trademark is essential. It proves that you own the brand and gives you the legal right to use it exclusively.
And if you're interested in selling on Amazon, having a valid trademark application or registrationi means you can join the Amazon Brand Registry programme and enjoy the tools and service they offer to help you protect your business.
What exactly does the Amazon Brand Registry offer sellers?
As a member you get greater control over your brand’s product listings on the Amazon platform.
You get access to the search tools which allow you to report any suspicious products which infringe your trademark.
You may be eligible for further brand protection via Amazon’s Project Zero and can use this service to get products that infringe your trademark removed.
Amazon’s Project Zero offers a further layer of brand protection (the product serialization, automated protections and self-service removal tool) to sellers which:
are enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry; and
own the brand’s trademark and
have submitted reports of potential infringements with an acceptance rate of at least 90% in the last six months.
Protect your brand with a registered trademark
Online trademark application with Trademark Planet in progress on a mobile phone
Don’t leave your brand at risk. You never know when someone else will try to copy your products. For all you know, it could be happening already!
Trademark Planet simplifies what can be a complex, laborious task. On average it takes only 2-5 minutes to submit your trademark application on our online platform.
Our AI-powered software will give you all the information about the categories of goods or services your trademark should cover in seconds.
Once you have submitted your trademark you will have taken the first step to enrol in the Amazon Brand Registry.
The best time to trademark your brand is now, before you regret not doing it.