Amazon Brand Registry and the Canadian IP Accelerator Program
As e-commerce becomes more prominent over the coming years, so does the importance of brand protection to sellers and e-commerce platforms. One of the largest e-commerce platforms, Amazon, has taken the step of establishing a brand protection system within its own ecosystem. This system is the Amazon Brand Registry, and in conjunction with the IP Accelerator Program which pairs partner law firms like JZC Intellectual Property Law with sellers, Brand Registry can provide sellers with powerful brand protection tools within Amazon, even while their trademark applications may be pending.
JZC Intellectual Property Law is one of the partner firms for the IP Accelerator Program in Canada.
What is Amazon Brand Registry?
Amazon Brand Registry is a program that dockets brand owners’ trademark information and helps those owners build and protect their brands on Amazon. It not only provides protections to the brand owners’ intellectual property rights, but also provides access to extra tools to assist sellers in promoting their brands. An Amazon seller may be eligible to enroll in Amazon Brand Registry once they have applied for a trademark in the region that they wish to sell.
Why should you enroll in Amazon Brand Registry?
There are a number of advantages in enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry.
Enrolling in Brand Registry will substantially enhance the current features of your Amazon account and improve your listings. This includes various content which helps you better promote your brand story and products with videos, images and unique layouts which will ultimately increase the competitiveness of your listings compared to those of other sellers who are not enrolled. Also, there will be data analysis available for brands, which includes search terms and customer behavior reports that can assist brand owners in making strategic business decisions.
Furthermore, Brand Registry provides you with brand protection tools, both before and after your trademark is registered in Canada. You will have access to certain reporting tools upon enrollment into Brand Registry, and even more tools after your trademark is registered in Canada.
All of the features and techniques within Amazon Brand Registry aim at bringing you brand protections as well as competitiveness of your listings. If you are planning on building a long-term e-commerce business on Amazon, protecting your brand through trademarks and the Brand Registry is a powerful combination.
How to apply for Brand Registry?
Brands must have an active trademark registration/application record with a trademark office in order to be eligible for Amazon Brand Registry. Amazon currently accepts trademarks filed in Canada, United States, as well as a number of other countries. Note that both trademarks and Brand Registry are regional – your trademark and enforcement rights are limited to where you have trademark registrations or pending trademarks, and Brand Registry will only allow you to enroll in countries where you have a pending or registered trademark. The eligibility for Brand Registry will also vary for each country.
Once you have an active trademark (in Canada, a registered trademark or pending application), you may be eligible to enroll in the Brand Registry. Enrollment into Brand Registry is simplified through another program offered by Amazon, the IP Accelerator Program.
What is the IP Accelerator Program?
The IP Accelerator Program, currently available in Canada, the United States and other selected countries, will pair sellers who are interested in brand protection with trademark law firms carefully vetted by Amazon to assist both with trademark applications and enrollment into the Brand Registry in one step. JZC Intellectual Property Law is pleased to be selected as one of the partner firms for the IP Accelerator Program in Canada.
IP Accelerator firms set competitive rates which are approved by Amazon for services such as trademark and copyright applications. The goal of the IP Accelerator Program is to provide Amazon sellers with quality, expedient legal services at reasonable fees. Consistent with the overall Amazon shopping experience, IP Accelerator firms may be reviewed by sellers who have engaged their services, and are held to Amazon’s standards for other metrics such as responsiveness and quality of service.
As soon as you file a trademark application through an IP Accelerator law firm, your trademark and contact information will be provided to Amazon, which will allow you to apply to enroll in Brand Registry. Once enrolled, you will have access to all of the aforementioned proactive brand protection, search and report tools and other brand-building benefits.
If you need more information regarding Amazon Brand Registry and Canadian IP Accelerator Program, please feel free to contact us.
Disclaimer: The resources published on this website are available for informational purposes only and should not considered legal advice on any subject matter. By viewing these resources, the reader understands there is no solicitor client relationship between the reader and JZC Intellectual Property Law. This website should not be used as a substitute for legal advice, and readers are urged to consult legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.
