Physical marketplaces are marked by competition. The cheap, counterfeit sellers are always trying to profit off unsuspecting customers. Hence, there is a constant war between genuine brand owners and counterfeits.
Now, imagine this on an online scale; counterfeit sellers can easily disguise themselves as genuine sellers.
On Amazon, counterfeits sellers are EVERYWHERE! And this is no surprise since it is the largest online marketplace. To curb this and protect businesses on the platform, Amazon had to implement a system.
That system is the Amazon Brand Registry. Whether you are a manufacturer or retailer, you need to learn how to make the most of this system.
You must know what it is and how it helps you protect your business. But does your business need protection? Let’s find out.
Why Do Amazon Brands Need Protection?
Trusted brands, regardless of whether they are large scale or small scale, are never safe from being impersonated, especially if it is a brand that has built or is building a certain level of trust with customers.
These brand impersonators cost brands not just profits but also their reputation. This is because they go for brands that already have a good customer base and not one that is just starting.
The crazy part is that it’s so easy to impersonate any brand that even unsophisticated attackers can execute this act.
Brand protection aims to create a barrier between your brand and the counterfeits as much as possible.
They do this by helping you protect your brand’s intellectual property, trademarking your designs, symbols, and brand name, and placing copyrights on whatever content your brand has.
Using highly effective tools like Brand Registry, Amazon provides you with a safe space to run your business. And this lets you build a solid community of consumers who love and trust the experience your brand offers.
Such businesses are shielded from brand infringement, counterfeit goods, and damaging listings. They also have access to certain other benefits, including:
- A team of investigators that work to take action within 24 hours on any case of brand impersonation reported
- Litigation support
- Highlighting brand infringement and identifying the individuals directly involved
- Access to bulk ASIN searches to monitor, identify and report an infringement and any form of manipulations
Not only is your brand protected, but also your customers. They will not be falling victim to any impersonator if they recognize your unique trademark. Without them trusting and patronizing, no business will stand, so they need to be protected as well for their sake and the sake of your business.
Using your brand name, Amazon Brand Registry gives you control over Amazon product detail. This lets you provide your customers with the trusted and authentic experience of purchasing genuine products and getting their money’s worth.
Without this, businesses are on the edge of losing their revenue to phony impersonations, which, if not properly dealt with before it even begins, will cause the brand to fold. So, yes, your business does need protection.
But, before Amazon can help, it must recognize the brand and its owner.
See Also:
What Is the Amazon Registry?
The Amazon registry is a space where users can curate gift items for any occasion. Weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, baby stuff – whatever an Amazon user wishes to purchase will be added to this registry.
This registry made shopping on Amazon easier for users by letting them select and separate items they want to purchase. This facilitates easy access when they are ready to make payments. This feature is similar to the “Cart,” which Amazon also has.
However, the difference between Registry and Cart is that the Registry allows you to choose and categorize your items. You can have a tab for wedding gifts, baby products, and whatever you are shopping for. But on Cart, there is no categorizing.
This feature promotes visibility for only the products of brands that Amazon recognizes as authentic because they are on the brand registry.
However, the Amazon registry is set to a public default setting, and impersonators can easily get access. There is no telling when this happens because Amazon does not let owners see who visits their registry. But simply changing the default setting from public to private will end this.
Brand Registration
To have Amazon recognize your business as credible, you must go through the brand registration. This includes providing a registered trademark for the business name, product name, and identity.
Images of the brand’s logo, images of the product, a list of product categories in which the brand should be listed, and packaging that carry the trademarked brand name are the requirements for this process. Other requirements include copyrights and patents.
While registering your brand, you will have to make certain payments. These payments differ with location, so be sure to check it out.
However, this is just the first step to registration. There are other few requirements you have to follow when registering your shop, including the Amazon brand name policy.
What Is the Amazon Brand Name Policy?
In dealing with the brand name policy, the brand attribute on the listing should match the brand’s name that produced the products. This way, the products in your catalog can be differentiated from similar ones that do not belong to your brand.
You might receive error messages relating to the Amazon brand name policy when creating a new ASIN. To fix this, click on the link in the message, and you will automatically be redirected to a selling application.
On the application page, begin your name approval process. Ensure all the documents you need are readily available and meet the requirements, as this will save you time.
The Amazon Brand Registry Login
Once your brand has been registered, all that’s left is for you to log in to your newly upgraded brand registry account.
To be eligible for this, your brand must have an active registered trademark. If you want to ship your products abroad, you should also have a trademark in each country you wish to enroll in.
Or you should have a pending trademark application filled through Amazon IP Accelerator. Pending trademark registration in any subset trademark office will also be accepted.
The trademark should be in the form of a text-based mark or an image-based mark having words, designs, marks, and letters.
The process will also require the trademark number assigned to your brand by the national trademark office. Your trademark can be registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) or the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Just make sure to select the correct trademark registrar in your application.
After submitting the necessary information, Amazon will verify your ownership of the trademark and will send you a verification code if you meet the requirements. The code will be used to complete the enrollment.
When all is done, fill in your brand registry login details on the website, and you will have access to the full suite of Amazon Brand Registry’s benefits and features that protect your brand.
Amazon Branded Products
Amazon-branded products are manufactured by Amazon and have the Amazon label. These products are only affiliated with Amazon. From the brand name to the logo and the packaging, they all show these products belong to the brand Amazon.
When it comes to visibility, they are Amazon’s top priority, and you can guess why. Amazon brands and brands on the brand registry are visibility-wise on the same level.
This is a subtle advantage to getting your business on the registry.
Finally, you should remember that while Amazon Brand Registry gives you access to many benefits that will no doubt be a major boost for your business, immunity against counterfeits is not one of them.
The control it gives, however, is second to none. And because you can prove to Amazon, you own the brand, the process of removing a counterfeit or inauthentic product from your listing on the platform is much easier.
Get the Funding You Need
Trademarking a brand and its intellectual property is no small task, especially in the finance department. However, if your business can shoulder that cost, you should go for it.
While Amazon Brand Registry is a great tool, for a new brand just starting, you might want to consider letting it be for a while. But if you must, there are more pocket-friendly options.
You can generate funding for this mini-project by reaching out to the PIRS brand. Having your business’ best interest in mind, PIRS Capital ensures your business grows by facilitating a long-term relationship using personalized and tech-enabled solutions.
I work with companies that sell products on platforms such as Amazon, Shopify, Walmart, Ebay, Etsy, etc. I understand that every business is unique and thats why I form genuine relationships with owners so I can help them reach their goals and find success through our working capital solutions.
