What Should You Know about Amazon Trademark Registry?

Guest post by Sharline Shaw the founder of LeeLineSourcing.com

Amazon has rolled out Brand Registry to protect brands and increase credibility.

To qualify for this protection, you need to have a registered trademark. A trademark can be anything that can be used to identify your brand.

Having a trademark and registering your brand on Amazon gives you greater control over how your brand and products are described on Amazon. Registering will help you spot and stop unauthorized resellers and usage of your content.

If you’re a private label seller, this control is crucial for building your brand.

When developing a new product, find out what has been registered to make sure there’s no conflict. You cannot register a trademark that already exists in the marketplace. You have to ensure your brand trademark is unique as this is how customers distinguish your product

If you are new to this or want further information or clarification, you are in the right place. We will cover everything related to the Amazon trademark registry. Let’s get started.

Who is eligible to register an Amazon trademark?

To be eligible to join the Amazon Brand Registry program you need;

• a registered intellectual property and active trademark for each country where you want to enroll.
• a brand trademark in the form of a text-based mark or an image-based mark with words, letters, or numbers.
• to prove that you are either; the owner, an authorized seller of the trademark, the manufacturer, or private label seller.

There are limits in the Amazon Brand Registry. You are not allowed to enroll in the program if you sell books, media, video, DVD, BMVD, and other entertainment or sports collectibles.

What do you need for the Amazon trademark registration?

1) A registered trademark

To enroll in the Amazon Brand Registry, you first need a trademark. If you want to register in the USA, you need the following:

• • Trademark information including the trademark design (words, illustrated design, a combination of both)
  • Applicant info including the owner, address, and contact information
  • Legal Entity information including business entity type and country of citizenship
  • Goods and Services information including the category of goods, description of goods, filing basis, the first use of the trademark anywhere, the first use of the trademark in commerce, specimen samples, specimen description.
  • Attorney information including name, address, and contact info
  • Correspondence info with whom the registered agent should communicate (name, address, and contact information)

2) Registration with Amazon

Once you have a registered trademark, you have to register your brand on Amazon. You will need the following:

• • The name on the legal documents or the trademark application; the owner of the trademark
  • Address
  • Business title
  • Company name, and whether it’s incorporated or not
  • Phone number
  • The brand name to be registered
  • Trademark type
  • Trademark name
  • Registration number
  • The trademark registered place
  • The product and packaging images with visible branding
  • The logo images
  • Brand website
  • And some other options and information about your brand
  • Prepare the trademark fees.

How to register your trademark with Amazon?

Once you have your trademark, follow these steps to join the Amazon Brand Registry program:

1) Create a Brand Registry Account on Amazon
To create an account, you need to;

• enter the corporate and legal info,
• verify the identity via SMS/ text,
• read and accept the Brand Registry Terms & Conditions,
• save the details.

2) Enroll your brand in the Amazon Brand Registry Program

You have to go through the brand eligibility, intellectual property, brand characteristics, and submit your application.

• On the brand eligibility page, you have to offer the brand name to be registered, the brand logo, and the number of brands to be enrolled in the registry.
• On the next page, you have to choose the trademark type, trademark name, the registration number, and the registering office.
• On the identification page, you have to upload your product images, brand logos, packaging images, and the online presence info, including your website and social media accounts.
• On the next page, you have to offer more information about your brand, including your seller account info, vendor account details, manufacturing details, license details, etc.
• Once complete, click “Submit application” button.

3) Get the verification from Amazon

If Amazon verifies and approves your application, the platform will send a code to the registered office. Remember to contact the registered office and tell them to forward the email to you.

4) Set your Amazon Seller Central account.

Sign in the Amazon Seller Central and enter the respective case ID from the initial email and click the “Go Button.” Select “Respond or View Button” and choose “Reply.” Paste the code and press send.

How long will it take for the process?

The whole process, including initial trademark registration, will take at least six months.

Trademark Registration
As an example, when you register the trademark in the US, the USPTO will search within its database of the registered trademarks for exact matches and confusingly similar matches. They will send the search results to you after 3 to 5 months.

It will take longer if the authority identifies the conflict or other issues. In this case, you have to respond, or the authority will abandon your application. If you have to re-file, you start from the beginning, so it’s important to make sure you’ve completed the application process correctly.

Registration with Amazon
Amazon may take only a couple of weeks to verify your enrollment in the Brand Registry program. Assuming everything you submit to the Amazon Brand Registry application is correct, it’s very easy for Amazon to process and approve.

Where to register your trademark by country?

Governments issue trademarks. Sellers located in a different territory should apply to the local authority of the country. You have to follow the rules as below to understand the trademark rules of the authority.

• United States of America
  Apply to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and give relevant info, including words, phrases, letters, and images. The brand trademark should have an approved live registration and stay active within the principal USPTO register.
• Canada
  You have to apply to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).
• Mexico
  Go to the Marcas Instituto Mexicano de Propiedad Industrial (IMPI) to register your brand trademark.
• Brazil
  If Brazilian, you have to register at Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI)
• United Kingdom
  British people apply for brand trademarks at European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). The approved trademark must be registered with UKIPO.
• Germany
  Germans have to register with both European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and Deutsches Patent and Markenamt (DPMA). You have to offer illustration or image with words for EUIPO and brand image such as a logo for the DPMA.
• Spain
  If you are from Spain, you have to register with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
• Italy
  If you are an Italian, you also have to apply to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
• France
  French people have to register with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
• Japan
  The Japanese have to register with the Japan Patent Office.
• India
  Indians have to register with Controller General of Patents Designs & Trademarks (CGPDT).
• Australia
  If you are an Australian, you have to go to IP Australia to register your brand trademark.

Conclusion

Amazon seller trademark registration has been increasingly important for brand sellers, especially the private brand sellers. The only way to join the Amazon brand program is to have your brand trademark registered first.
Remember, there are two parts to this process

1) Having a registered trademark.
2) Applying for the Amazon Brand Registry program.

It sounds complicated, but it’s worthwhile, and it plays a big role in owning a legitimate business with a fantastic growth opportunity.
This blog will help you with the process of joining the Amazon Brand Registry program.
Do your homework before you start your application process to make sure you have everything in place for a successful application.