Amazon Brand Registry Issues New Trademark Guidelines

As we notified our clients and readers earlier this fall, the recently launched Amazon Brand Registry requires sellers to have a registered trademark in order to qualify for the enhanced trademark protection offered through the Brand Registry.

Design and Word Marks Permitted

While the Amazon Brand Registry initially allowed only “standard character marks” or word marks, the program has since been expanded to include: “standard character mark”, a “typeset word(s)/letter(s)/number(s)”, an “illustration drawing which includes words, letters, and/or numbers”, or “words, letters, or numbers in a stylized form.”

In addition, the trademark must match the brand name printed on products and/or packaging.

Countries With Permissible Registrations

The Amazon Brand Registry currently only accepts active word marks or graphical trademarks with a text component (words, letters, or numbers) that have been issued by government patent and trademark offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, India, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

Amazon Brand Registry Requirements

Sellers seeking to register on the Amazon Brand Registry must provide the following:

1. Brand name that has a live registered trademark.
2. Government Registered Principal Trademark Registration or Serial Number.
3. For USPTO marks, the Mark Drawing Type must be equal to one of the following and the text much match the brand name:
   a. TYPESET WORD(S)/LETTER(S)/NUMBER(S)
   b. AN ILLUSTRATION DRAWING WHICH INCLUDES WORD(S), LETTER(S)/NUMBER(S)
   c. STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
   d. WORDS, LETTERS, OR NUMBERS IN A STYLIZED FORM
4. Images of the brand’s logo.
5. Images of products and packaging that carry the trademarked brand name. If the product is not branded, the packaging must be branded.
6. A list of product categories (e.g., apparel, sporting goods, electronics) in which the brand should be listed.
7. A list of countries where the brand’s products are manufactured and distributed.

Seller Verification Code

Once you are registered with the Amazon Brand Registry, Amazon will send a seller verification code, which is required to activate your registration. If you have been notified by Amazon regarding issuance of your verification code, please contact us to request it.

Please note our law office will not request the verification code for you, but we will forward it to you once received from Amazon.

Report Infringement Form

If you do not have an Amazon Brand Registry account, however, Amazon still offers an opportunity for brand owners to report infringement. Amazon provides a public Report Infringement form for reporting alleged intellectual property infringements such as copyright, trademark and patent concerns.