Launching an e-commerce business comes with lots of considerations, particularly when you’re trying to protect your brand. One of the most important ways you can protect your brand is by registering a trademark.
But what exactly is a trademark, and how do you register one? Most importantly, how can a trademark help you and Amazon protect your brand? In this article, we’ll explore all those questions and more, including the value of signing up for IP Accelerator to help with your trademark application, and enrolling your brand in Amazon Brand Registry.
What are brand names and logos?
Brand names and logos are two tools that product owners and businesses use to establish their brands and identify their products. Here’s the difference between the two:
- Brand names are a unique and identifiable name that serves to differentiate the manufacturer’s product from competing products. They are text-based word marks, usually based on alphanumeric characters. Depending on your company, it may also include symbols. For example, the word “Amazon” is a brand name.
- Brand logos are image-based designs that can include the brand name, or they can be a stand-alone symbol. For example, the Amazon “smile” is a logo that includes the brand name “Amazon.”
Brand names and logos can appear on products and packaging, on tags or labels, in email communications, and on websites.
What are requirements for brand names and logos in the Amazon store?
Amazon has requirements for brand names and logos that help us identify products and protect brands. Those requirements include:
- Permanently affix your brand name or logo to your products or packaging. This usually means that your brand name or logo has been added during production—it’s not a sticker or stamp that’s added after production and can be easily removed. If your product can’t be branded—like if you sell furniture or jewelry—your packaging should have a permanent logo or brand name. Learn more (login required)
- Include your brand name in your logo. If you prefer to use a logo to identify your brand, it needs to include your brand name. This helps ensure that products are matched with the right listings in the Amazon store.
- Include your brand name in your listing. When you list products in the Amazon store that have a permanent logo or brand name, your brand name should be included in your listing information. This helps identify your products and connect them to your brand.
Amazon has a brand name policy that details the parameters of a brand name, its connection to product detail pages, and why a brand name can’t be an ASIN, SKU, or any other name that isn’t on your product or packaging, among other insights.
Read Amazon’s brand name policy
What is a trademark?
A trademark is a form of protection that helps identify your brand and products. Having your brand name or logo trademarked identifies it as your intellectual property (IP) and can safeguard you from having your product or service copied by a counterfeiter or other bad actor. This can help strengthen your brand identity, support your brand against IP claims, and encourage customers to trust your brand.
While you don’t necessarily need a trademark to sell your product in the Amazon store, we recommend securing one to help protect your brand. Plus, trademarking your brand is a requirement for enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry, which gives you access to a suite of additional selling tools and protections benefits. Trademarks are also very helpful in identifying IP.
Read more about Amazon’s IP policy and trademarks
What are the benefits of securing a trademark?
There are numerous benefits to securing a trademark, including:
- Enhancing your brand awareness: When a product is branded and trademarked, customers may be more inclined to trust that it’s authentic. That can encourage new customers to shop with you and create customer loyalty, which can help build your brand.
- Having more legal protection: If a counterfeiter copies your product or makes a version of your product that could be confused for the real thing, having a trademark can protect you and your business. You can to take action against them to help shut down their attempt to hijack your product.
- Getting exclusive rights to use your trademark: When you register your trademark, you ensure other companies can’t use your brand name or logo—and that you’re the only one who can use it for marketing or promotional purposes.
- Enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry: Amazon Brand Registry gives you access to a suite of additional brand-building tools and protection benefits, but only if your brand is trademarked. Those with a pending trademark can also enroll to gain access to certain protections while their trademark is still being registered.
- Support for worldwide expansion: If you want to start selling your products in other countries, having a trademark registered in the US can help when you apply for a trademark in another country.
How do you register a trademark?
You can register your trademark directly with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Follow these steps:
Step 1: Do a trademark search
This is important to make sure that the trademark you want to register isn’t already in use by someone else. You can do your trademark search on the USPTO website, but make sure to double check against sound-alike or look-alike names.
Step 2: File an application
If you’re in the clear, you can file your trademark application. You’ll need to include information like the name, the product or service associated with the pending trademark, a description of the trademark, and the date you started to use your pending trademark. Make sure you’ve included all the information they need, because an improper filing can delay your registration.
Step 3: Have patience
This is the hardest part. It can take several months to get your trademark approved.
Step 4: Get approval
Once the USPTO reviews your application, they’ll decide if your trademark should be registered. If they agree, you’ll get a certificate and trademark number. If they don’t, you may want to try a different approach with your next trademark registration.
Another important thing to remember is you need to register your trademark in every country you want to protect it in—and every country has different requirements. Read more about country-specific requirements for registering your trademark outside the US (login required).
You can simplify the trademark application process by having a trademark attorney or other legal service provider do it for you. Costs can vary, but using a professional can save you time and ensure that your trademark application is submitted successfully.
What is IP Accelerator?
Amazon’s IP Accelerator program was created to help you establish your IP by connecting you with a network of vetted legal service providers that offer trademark support. IP Accelerator can help you:
- Save time and money by helping you find service providers at competitive rates, including pre-negotiated rates for certain services
- Get a head start on enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry for access to brand benefits and protections, along with tools to help you market, and advertise your brand
- Register your trademark with support from legal service providers who specialize in intellectual property services
- Help protect your brand in over 35 other countries by establishing your IP and registering your trademark outside of the US
- Manage IP disputes or trademark infringements, research brand names, and more with extra legal support
To access IP Accelerator, select Apps and Services from the Seller Central main menu, then Explore Services. Select IP Accelerator from the drop-down menu, then select Search to explore the list of service providers.
How can IP Accelerator help brands enroll in Amazon Brand Registry?
When you use IP Accelerator, you can secure a pending trademark for your brand name or logo. You can use that pending trademark to enroll in Brand Registry—meaning you don’t have to wait for your trademark to be officially registered before unlocking a range of Amazon protection benefits and selling tools. As soon as your application is filed, you can join over 15,000 brands who have enrolled in Brand Registry through IP Accelerator.
What are the protection benefits a brand receives after enrolling in Brand Registry?
One of the best ways to protect your brand is by registering your trademark and enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry. After enrolling your registered trademark, you can start accessing layers of additional IP protection.
- Report a Violation: A helpful self-service tool, Report a Violation lets you search Amazon’s catalog to find potential violations of your registered trademark. If you find one, you can submit a report, which helps strengthen Amazon’s machine learning and automated protections. In fact, more than 99% of blocked or removed listings in 2023 were found by Brand Registry’s proactive controls.
- Project Zero: Using Report a Violation accurately can help you become eligible for Project Zero, which lets you immediately remove counterfeit listings from the Amazon store. Over 25,000 brands have enrolled in Project Zero.
- Transparency: This program allows eligible brands to create unique codes to authenticate individual products and stop inaccurate and counterfeit products. Transparency has helped to protect over 1.6 billion units.
- Counterfeit Crimes Unit: Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit connects you with law enforcement, customers, and our global team to stop counterfeiters. To date, Amazon has pursued more than 21,000 criminals through litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement.
As the needs of brands continue to evolve, Amazon is committed to meeting those needs by constantly innovating to prevent trademark infringements and counterfeit products in our store. Remember: You know your brand best. When you let Brand Registry know about your brand, Amazon can help you protect your trademark.
In addition to protection benefits, sellers can take advantage of a variety of brand-building tools after they’re enrolled in Brand Registry. For example, A+ Content enhances your product listings and helps your products stand out, while Amazon Vine can help you generate customer reviews to drive sales. Shoppable videos can also help with increasing conversion rates, and Sponsored Brands can encourage shoppers with cost-per-click campaigns that run throughout the Amazon store.
From trademark protection to sales to brand growth opportunities, Brand Registry can help your online business thrive.
Learn more about Brand Registry
*A Professional selling plan is $39.99 a month + selling fees. Learn more
