Understanding the Amazon Brand Registry Requirements and Making Sure Your Trademark Passes

Amazon is one of the largest companies in the world. Whether you need a t-shirt cannon or a duvet cover, the chances are high that Amazon can deliver…and fast. Modern consumers have a myriad of products and services at their fingertips. Ensuring your invention is one of them can be a strategic venture. The article below will help you determine whether your product meets Amazon brand registry requirements—and what you need to do to get listed.

What’s the point of the Amazon brand registry?

Meeting Amazon brand registry requirements isn’t a piece of cake for everyone. Before you put in the work, consider the weight of the following advantages:

• A+ pages. Amazon Brand Registered companies get access to a bespoke homepage for their brand. This brand store is customizable, allows you to tell a more engaging brand story, and post additional content such as pictures and videos. Here are the guidelines to achieve A+ status.
• Increased brand awareness. Amazon stores provide business owners with the opportunity to promote their own merchandise and brand.
• Advanced marketing analytics. Business owners can become sponsored brands through ads on the Amazon marketplace. Additionally, Amazon brand analytics provide users with data reports on customer behavior, search terms, and more.
• Automated brand protection tools. Amazon uses automated brand protection tools to report and remove suspected infringement or related content inaccuracies. The level of protection these tools can provide is dependent on the amount of information you provide to Amazon about your brand.

Can I sell my brand on Amazon without brand registry?

Yes, it’s possible to sell your brand’s products on Amazon without becoming a member of the brand registry program. Someone may choose this route because their brand does not meet Amazon brand registry requirements, or their products do not have an eligible trademark. Unfortunately, there are two glaring setbacks to acknowledge before attempting to sell generic products on the Amazon marketplace:

1. Stolen intellectual property (IP). Generic items on Amazon are vulnerable to IP theft. Other sellers may hijack your listings and sell inauthentic versions of your product at a lower price.
2. Lack of product promotion. It’s much more difficult to add branded products to the Amazon marketplace without being a part of the Amazon brand registry. Amazon’s search algorithm prioritizes competing products that do meet the Amazon brand registry requirements over those that do not.

Amazon Brand Registry Requirements

One of the most frequently asked questions surrounding Amazon brand registry requirements is whether a trademark is required for Amazon brand registry. Yes, to be eligible for Amazon brand registry, your brand must either have an active, registered trademark or a pending trademark. A pending trademark is classified as any mark that is currently in the process of trademarking.

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Currently, Amazon brand registry accepts two types of trademarks, the first being word marks. These trademarks are also referred to as standard character marks. The second type of trademark that meets Amazon brand registry requirements is image-based marks, also known as design trademarks. For example, a logo trademark is an image-based mark. In all likelihood that logo (design) trademark must include the words of the brand as well.

International Amazon Brand Registry Requirements

If you’re seeking Amazon brand registry enrollment in multiple countries, your brand must have an international trademark (active registered or pending) in each desired country. Currently, Amazon is accepting marks issued by government trademark offices in the US, UK, the Netherlands, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Singapore, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Poland, Japan, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the European Union.

Application Eligibility

After you’ve determined that your trademark meets Amazon brand registry requirements, you’re ready to move on to the application stage. There are several things to keep in mind while filling out your application:

• The trademark itself must match the brand on the application exactly. If your trademark is a wordmark, the text must be identical to the text on the application. Conversely, if your trademark is image-based, you must upload a copy of the image exactly as it appears on your trademark record.
• Word Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) trademarks must be submitted with their corresponding national trademark number. This means the number should match the one assigned to you by the national trademark office, which may differ from the WIPO trademark number. Those seeking Amazon brand registration with trademarks issued by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) must indicate EUIPO as their registrar on the application.
• The trademark being registered must appear somewhere on your product. If your trademark does not appear on your product, it must appear on its packaging.

Getting Started

As an online-based law firm, we know a thing or two about protecting intellectual property in the digital world. Bold Patents can help you file for a trademark or ensure your existing trademark meets Amazon brand registry requirements. Contact us to schedule a Discovery Call and get started today.