With nearly 40% of e-commerce spending happening on Amazon and 70% of US households holding Prime memberships, winning on Amazon is essential for e-commerce success. A solid Amazon strategy requires more than strong product listings—it also demands protecting your brand from unauthorized sellers and counterfeiters.
Amazon Brand Registry is the solution. It gives you greater control over your brand and product listings.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- What is Amazon Brand Registry?
- Benefits of Amazon Brand Registry
- Amazon Brand Registry requirements
- How to enroll in Amazon Brand Registry
- How much does Amazon Brand Registry cost?
- How to build brand value and boost profitability with Brand Registry
What Is Amazon Brand Registry?
Amazon Brand Registry is a program that empowers brand owners to protect their trademarks and maintain control over how their products are presented on Amazon. Originally revamped in 2017, and updated to 2.0 in 2020., Brand Registry offers tools to combat counterfeiting, address unauthorized resellers, and enforce consistent brand representation.
Using Brand Registry, you can search for content violations by ASIN, keyword, or image and report suspicious activity directly to Amazon. The platform also enables Amazon to proactively safeguard your brand against inaccurate content and potential infringement.
Beyond protection, Brand Registry strengthens your brand’s reputation by giving you greater control over product listings. For shoppers, this builds trust, positioning your brand as credible and reliable—an advantage over competitors who lack similar protections.
Why Brand Registry Is a Good Thing
Counterfeit issues on Amazon have been documented by the likes of The New York Times. But brand protection is about more than just fake products; businesses also suffer due to unauthorized sellers and MAP violations (minimum advertised price).
The reality is that monitoring every seller is difficult. Fortunately, with the release of Amazon Brand Registry and new features like Transparency and Project Zero (more below), Amazon has taken tremendous strides in reducing intellectual property abuses on their site. This is important.
After all, if a customer receives a fake product, that reflects poorly on your brand. If a shopper finds a reseller with a lower price than you, that may not sit well with your customers (and it’s money out of your pocket).
Such situations can decrease your revenue, lead to bad reviews on your brand’s listings pages and ultimately hurt your brand’s reputation and success on Amazon. Brand Registry gives you the resources and tools to eliminate these risks.
Amazon Brand Registry Benefits
Amazon Brand Registry offers a suite of tools and protections designed to help brand owners maintain control, build trust, and grow their businesses on Amazon. With over 350,000 brands participating, the program has significantly reduced counterfeit issues and brand misrepresentation, with reported violations dropping by 99% for enrolled brands.
Here are the core benefits of Amazon Brand Registry:
1. Accurate Brand Representation
Brand owners gain control over how their products and content appear on Amazon, ensuring accurate representation. This includes managing listings and preventing unauthorized changes that could harm conversions, trust, or brand image.
2. Powerful Search and Reporting Tools
Amazon Brand Registry simplifies the process of identifying and addressing intellectual property violations. Brands can search by ASIN, keywords, images, or logos to find unauthorized listings across Amazon’s global marketplaces. Once violations are identified, a guided reporting process helps resolve issues swiftly with Amazon’s 24/7 support team.
3. Advanced Brand Protection Features
The program includes tools like:
- Transparency: A product authenticity tool that prevents counterfeit items from reaching customers.
- Project Zero: Self-service counterfeit removal combined with automated protections to eliminate infringing listings.
- IP Accelerator: Helps new brands gain access to Brand Registry while waiting for trademark approval, expediting intellectual property protection.
4. Enhanced Brand Development Tools
Registered brands unlock advanced tools for growth, including:
- A+ Content: Visually enrich product listings with detailed storytelling, product comparisons, and videos to improve customer engagement.
- Brand Stores: A dedicated storefront to showcase products and foster brand loyalty.
- Sponsored Brand Ads: Create ads that highlight your brand and drive traffic to your storefront or listings.
- Brand Analytics: Access insights like customer demographics, search performance, and purchasing behavior to refine your marketing strategy.
5. Improved Brand Value
By proactively addressing counterfeiting, unauthorized resellers, and inaccurate listings, Brand Registry safeguards your reputation and builds customer trust. Shoppers are more likely to engage with and remain loyal to brands that ensure product authenticity and quality.
In summary, Amazon Brand Registry is an essential tool for brand owners, providing the resources to protect and grow their presence in the competitive Amazon marketplace.
What are the Amazon Brand Registry Requirements?
To join Amazon Brand Registry, you must meet specific criteria. The most critical question often asked is: Do you need a trademark for Amazon Brand Registry? The answer is yes. Here’s a breakdown of the requirements:
1. You Must Have an Active Registered Trademark
- This is the cornerstone requirement. Amazon mandates a live, registered trademark for your brand. Trademarks can be:
- Text-based (word mark)
- Image-based with words, letters, or numbers (design mark)
2. Trademarks Must Be Registered in Supported Jurisdictions
- Your trademark must be registered with a government trademark office in one of the following regions:
- United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, and many more. A full list includes over 15 supported countries and organizations, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
3. You Must Verify Yourself as the Rights Owner
- Only the trademark owner can submit the initial application. If working with an agency or third party, you can add them as an authorized user later.
4. You Must Be a Manufacturer or Direct Seller
- Resellers or distributors are not eligible unless authorized by the brand owner.
5. An Amazon Account is Required
- You need a seller or vendor account to enroll, using the same credentials for Amazon Brand Registry.
Meeting these requirements ensures you’re eligible to access tools that protect your brand, boost visibility, and prevent unauthorized sellers or counterfeit products from damaging your reputation. For trademarks still in process, consider programs like Amazon’s IP Accelerator, which can help expedite approval while you wait.
How to Apply for Amazon Brand Registry
Once you meet the Amazon Brand Registry requirements, the enrollment process involves several steps. The most time-consuming part is securing an active trademark if you don’t already have one. Here’s how to apply:
Step 1: Prepare the Required Information
Before starting, gather the following:
- Brand Name: Ensure it matches the name on your trademark.
- Trademark Registration Number: Provided by your local Intellectual Property office.
- Product Categories: A list of categories (e.g., Home & Kitchen, Office Products) relevant to your brand.
- Countries of Operation: List where you manufacture and distribute products.
Step 2: Log In to the Amazon Brand Registry Portal
- Use the same credentials as your Seller Central or Vendor Central account.
- If you don’t have a seller account, create one before beginning.
Step 3: Submit Your Brand Details
- Navigate to the Enroll a Brand section in your dashboard.
- Enter your brand name, trademark registration number, and trademark office (e.g., USPTO, WIPO).
- Provide additional details:
- Upload a high-resolution image of your product showing your brand name and logo.
- List the product categories and any active ASINs associated with your brand.
- Specify manufacturing and distribution information.
Step 4: Verification Process
Amazon will confirm your ownership of the trademark by sending a verification code to the email address listed with your Intellectual Property office. To complete verification:
- Retrieve the code from your email.
- Log in to your Brand Registry account, navigate to the case log, and submit the code.
Step 5: Wait for Approval
The review process typically takes around two weeks. Once approved, you’ll gain access to Brand Registry features, such as Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) and tools to protect your brand against counterfeiters.
Tips to Monitor Your Application
- Dashboard Updates: Check for status updates or messages in your Brand Registry dashboard.
- Enhanced Brand Content (EBC): If your EBC applications are denied, your Brand Registry approval may still be pending.
- Customer Support: Contact Amazon Support for updates or assistance with your application.
By following these steps and ensuring all submitted information matches your trademark records, you can successfully register your brand and start using Amazon’s advanced brand protection tools.
4oyou provide must match exactly what’s registered in the government trademark database. 7. Once finished, Amazon will verify that you own the trademark. If you meet the requirements, you can begin using Amazon Brand Registry’s features.
Does Amazon Brand Registry Cost Anything?
Enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry itself is free. Amazon does not charge any fees to join the program, as it aims to give brand owners more control over their listings and protect against counterfeits. However, there are costs associated with meeting the program’s requirements.
Costs to Consider:
- Trademark Registration Fees
To qualify for Brand Registry, you must have an active registered trademark. Trademark registration fees vary by country. For example:- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) fees start at $225–$400 per class of goods or services.
- Additional costs may arise if you hire a lawyer or use a service for assistance. These can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
- Time and Resources
While there are no direct costs for enrollment, completing the application and gathering necessary documentation takes time. This includes providing details like your brand name, trademark number, and product categories.
Summary
Although Amazon Brand Registry itself is free, preparing for it often requires an investment of time and money to meet its prerequisites.
How to Build Brand Value and Boost Profitability with Brand Registry
We’ve discussed the benefits of Amazon Brand Registry. Now, let’s discuss how to actually build brand value on Amazon and boost profitability through this program. First, you have to know what Brand Registry can do. Through Brand Registry, you can optimize the process of discovering potential infringement by performing the following:
- Global Searches: On one screen, you can search quickly for content across different Amazon stores
- Image Search: Quickly find listings using your product images or logos
- Bulk ASIN Search: Search all your product ASINs or URLs at once so that you can find potential infringements fast
Second, understand that the more you use Brand Registry, the more you get out of it. Amazon offers a lot of other proactive brand protections. Provide them with as many brand details and as much information about your intellectual property as possible. This will make it easier for Amazon’s tools, such as Transparency, to recognize infringements such as:
- When sellers from places where you don’t manufacture are selling your products
- When your logo is being used on products not associated with your brand name
- When listings use your brand’s trademarked terms
Third, build a relationship with Amazon. When launching the program, the e-commerce giant created a bunch of Amazon Brand Registry roles, and they now have a global team ready to resolve issues at any time. Fourth, consistently monitor Brand Registry. It should be a part of your work processes, and you should track your progress in solving intellectual property issues. Finally, utilize the enhanced content features Brand Registry gives you. Through A+ Content, the Brand Story feature, Sponsored Ads, the Brand Dashboard and more, sellers can enhance their brand content on Amazon. Better brand content creates better customer experiences. And that turns into higher conversion rates and greater profitability.
Realizing All the Amazon Brand Registry Benefits
Taking full advantage of Amazon Brand Registry benefits can be time-consuming, and certain aspects can be complex. That’s why we advise partnering with an expert Amazon agency to ensure you get the most out of this tool. At Amify, we offer a full-service solution for selling on Amazon. Leveraging Brand Registry, we help each of our partners gain control of their brand, increase profits and build a better reputation. From removing unauthorized sellers to winning the buy box to creating stunning A+ Content, we utilize all the tools Brand Registry has and more, protecting your company’s intellectual property and winning over more shoppers. Read how Amify helped a large beauty brand reduce MAP violations by 99% and unauthorized sellers by 81%. To get an idea of how enhanced features can help your brand, check out this article on Amazon A+ Content. With the right enhanced brand content, you can boost conversion rates by 10% or more.
Ready to Build Your Brand on Amazon?
Brand Registry goes way beyond simply proving you own the products you’re selling. It enables you to take full control of your brand and provide your customers with a consistently enjoyable experience. From proprietary image and text search to increased authority over your product’s listings, you can leverage this tool to greatly improve your performance on Amazon. All brands, old and new, should apply to Brand Registry to receive all of the amazing benefits outlined in this article. If you’re interested in Brand Registry and need some help navigating, Amify is here to help. Let’s talk.
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