Amazon enables customers to search and shop for anything, 24/7, at the click of a button. When millions of products are sold by millions of businesses on millions of devices around the globe, it’s simple to see why brands need an edge to protect their identities and boost sales. The Amazon Brand Registry does just that, but it’s not always a straightforward or easy process because brands must have a properly registered trademark in order to enrol. To help with this, Amazon launched the Amazon Accelerator Program in 2019.
What is the Amazon Brand Registry?
Amazon relaunched the revamped Brand Registry in May 2017. Set up as a series of processes to protect brands’ trademarks and to create an accurate shopping experience for customers on Amazon, the Brand Registry helps weed out counterfeit items and listings. It also prevents other sellers or manufacturers from inaccurately changing details on a product’s page. This reduces potential intellectual property rights violations and promotes a true representation for your brand, all focused on helping businesses succeed and keeping customers happy with a great shopping experience.
To be eligible for the Brand Registry, brands must first have a registered trademark issued by a government trademark and patent office. Then, brands must provide Amazon with the following: The registration or serial number, images of the brand’s logo, images of product packaging with the branding, a list of relevant product categories where the brand should live, and a list of countries where the brand’s products are manufactured and distributed. Amazon walks brands through this process via the website and grants enrolment after all information has been submitted and verified.
What is the Amazon IP Accelerator Program?
Amazon announced the launch of the Amazon IP Accelerator Program in October 2019. The program helps brands more quickly obtain intellectual property (IP) rights so they can register and receive brand protection through the Brand Registry on Amazon. The program’s purpose is to connect brands with trusted, specialist law firms that provide high-quality trademark registration services at competitive rates.
“Amazon has vetted the participating IP law firms for experience, expertise, and customer service, and all have agreed to competitive, pre-negotiated rates for the standard services involved in obtaining a trademark registration. These law firms help ease the trademark filing process, including researching a brand to see if anyone else is already using it and filing trademark applications to protect it. In addition to trademark applications, these firms can also help with additional IP needs such as copyright registrations, design patents, and broader IP protection strategies, making it easy for businesses to get tailored solutions for their brands,” said Amazon at launch.
The program is available worldwide, but focuses on US trademark applications. While the program is free from Amazon’s side, the law firm you choose will charge for their services. The pre-negotiated rates have maximum fees: up to $1800 for a brand review, and a $600 trademark application fee, plus some other potential government fees. The fastest way to get connected to the IP Accelerator Program is through the IP Accelerator page under the Service Provider Network found in Seller Central. Once Amazon is aware your trademark application has been filed through the program, the brand will receive a personalised invitation to the Amazon Brand Registry.
The benefits of brand protection
After successful enrolment in the Brand Registry, Amazon grants full access to the features and benefits through a Seller Central or Vendor Central account. One of the main features is an easy way to report potential intellectual property infringement, where Amazon is more likely to take down counterfeit listings or products if alerted by a registered brand, there are other benefits that can improve your workflow.
One of the best perks of registering is being able to leverage your brand’s listings. The Brand Registry gives brands control over a product’s detail page by providing product listing protection from other sellers. A registered brand’s updates and edits take priority over other sellers, meaning you can ensure the details are accurate and up-to-date and potentially increase conversion. Registered brands also get access to additional merchandising and marketing tools such as A+ Content, the Early Reviewer Program, Stores, Sponsored Brands, and the Brand Dashboard to help you grow and monitor your brand’s presence.
More help for brands
Brand inaccuracy and trademark infringement are an increasing problem in today’s marketplace. Gaining the ease of editing and updating detail pages, as well as the search and reporting tools available can give brands an edge in boosting sales. For brands with a trademark, there is no fee to join the Brand Registry. For brands that need to acquire a trademark, the Amazon IP Accelerator can help.
According to Amazon in 2019, there were more than 130,000 brands registered, with a drastic 99% fewer infringements since before the Brand Registry existed. Furthermore, Amazon usually takes action on potential issues within 8 hours of a contact, meaning the global team is successfully targeting cases with Brand Registry accounts, something that used to be a much longer and frustrating process.
In continuing to advance the options available to brands, Amazon makes the shopping experience better for customers and the selling experience better for brands. For businesses that need extra help, eCommerce Nurse can provide additional support and guide clients through the process. Please contact us for questions and more information.
