What is the Amazon Brand Registry?

  • Last update: 23.02.2024
  • Published: 14.08.2023
  • Read in: 7 min

The e-commerce sector is in a constant state of expansion, and correspondingly, the market is also seeing consistent growth. As a result, consumers are presented with an ever-increasing variety of new products to choose from. Within this selection, there are instances where certain products or brands truly stand out from the rest. This reality is seized upon by some, who flood the commerce channels with counterfeit items.

A parallel situation can be observed in the realm of marketplace platforms, where efforts are made to combat such activities. An illustrative example is the Amazon Brand Registry (ABR) – an initiative introduced in 2017 for individuals or entities with seller accounts on the world’s largest online marketplace, provided they hold a valid registered trademark. The primary objective of ABR is to provide protection not only to the marketplace itself but also to the sellers, mitigating the influx of counterfeit goods and related illicit activities. Beyond this, active participation in the ABR program has an extremely positive impact on sales. For an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms behind this positive impact, please check out the article below!

What is Amazon Brand Registry?

From the following article you will find out:

  • Who can sign up for the Brand Registry programme?
  • Which trademarks are honoured in the Amazon Brand Registry?
  • What is the purpose of the Amazon Brand Registry programme?
  • How do I register for the Brand Registry programme?
  • What benefits and which tools do members of the Amazon Brand Registry programme gain access to?

Who can sign up for the Amazon Brand Registry programme?

Seller account holders who possess an active and registered trademark are eligible to participate in the Amazon Brand Registry. Fulfilling this prerequisite is vital for participation in the Amazon Brand Registry initiative. Verification of this qualification entails submitting a certificate issued by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), validating the trademark’s registration across all European Union nations. Alternatively, the option exists to undertake trademark registration at a local level, with Poland’s Patent Office of the Republic of Poland serving as an example of an institution facilitating this process.

Most importantly, Amazon recognises trademarks that have been registered in other global jurisdictions, encompassing countries like Saudi Arabia, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, the United States, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.

If you are currently engaged in selling or considering selling on Amazon or other online marketplaces, targeting buyers from the EU countries or the UK, and you require guidance concerning VAT registration, VAT settlement, or any associated matters, take the opportunity to schedule a free consultation. During this consultation, outline your precise requirements for assistance. Our team of VAT Compliance specialists are ready to offer their expertise to address your needs effectively!

Which trademarks are honoured in the Amazon Brand Registry?

It’s important to highlight that not all trademarks will meet the standards required to participate in the Amazon Brand Registry program. An acceptable trademark for your brand, according to Amazon, must be in the form of a text-based mark (word mark) or an image-based mark with words, letters, or numbers (design mark).

Amazon Brand Registry – enrol your brand

To begin your enrolment in the Amazon Brand Registry, access brandregistry.amazon.co.uk. Start by logging into your seller account. Then, click on the option “enroll your brand” and proceed by following the provided instructions:

  1. Enter the relevant details, ensuring you cover essential information such as your brand name, the intellectual property office where your trademark is registered, and the registration number associated with it.
  2. Include clear images that showcase your products prominently, highlighting key features like the brand name, logo, or any distinctive marks.
  3. Provide additional insights about yourself and your products. Clarify whether you’re a supplier or retailer, specify the product categories your items belong to, and share the ASIN codes of your top-selling products.
  4. Feel free to add the web addresses of your online store and other platforms where shoppers can find your brand’s products.
  5. Outline your distribution strategy. Indicate if you collaborate with distributors and whether your brand licences other entities involved in producing goods connected to your intellectual property.

After successfully carrying out the aforementioned steps, Amazon will dispatch a verification code to you. This code is crucial for completing your enrolment with Amazon Brand Registry.

Typically, the Amazon Brand Registry verification process is completed within 7 days. Should you find that you’ve been waiting longer for a decision, don’t hesitate to reach out to Brand Registry support. You can inquire about the cause of the delay in receiving a response.

What is the purpose of Amazon Brand Registry?

The primary objective of the Amazon Brand Registry program is to proactively combat the listing of counterfeit and fraudulent items on the marketplace. This, in turn, provides safeguarding to holders of registered trademarks, shielding them from unfair practices by others.

Nevertheless, the advantages that come with ABR membership hold immense value. These advantages have the potential to substantially enhance a brand’s visibility and sales within the world’s leading online marketplace.

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Are you planning to or already selling on Amazon?

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The advantages of Amazon Brand Registry

While the core objective of the Amazon Brand Registry is to safeguard trademark proprietors against the deceitful practices of others, this is just one facet that makes joining the program advantageous. Enrolling in ABR goes beyond protection; it cultivates trust, fosters a favourable seller image, and unlocks a range of benefits not typically accessible to regular Amazon users.

Amazon Brand Store

By utilising the Amazon Brand Registry, sellers gain the opportunity to craft a unique storefront for their own brand. Within this space, they can curate graphics, visuals, and assemble a collection of products that resonates with their brand identity. Moreover, the Amazon Brand Store enables the creation of a dedicated URL, like amazon.com/example-brand.

To illustrate, here’s a snapshot of a New Balance brand storefront.

New Balance's Brand Store on Amazon

source: https://www.amazon.com/newbalance

Report Violation

Enrolees of the Amazon Brand Registry program also possess the capability to report instances of brand misuse and violations, encompassing actions like forging and counterfeiting. As indicated in Amazon’s Brand Protection Report, the platform has already taken action to remove over 6 million counterfeit products from its marketplace.

Project zero

Project Zero emerges as a robust solution crafted for users who maintain an accuracy rate of over 90% in reporting violations. Empowered by this tool, these users are granted the capability to take direct action in removing fraudulent sellers from the marketplace.

Transparency program

This advantage involves providing trademark owners who are part of ABR with unique labels featuring QR codes. These codes enable swift verification of the authenticity of products they’re affixed to, achievable through a scanning app. It’s important to highlight that, within Europe, this advantage is exclusively accessible in France, Germany, Spain, the UK, and Italy.

Brand Registry support

Within the Amazon Brand Registry, there’s an exclusive support group accessible to ABR members. This specialised team focuses on tackling infringement matters, including issues such as review manipulation. Moreover, they are skilled in resolving technical obstacles to ensure effective solutions.

Amazon Brand Analytics

Enrolling in the Brand Registry program also opens doors to Brand Analytics. This unique marketing tool offers access to data and reports, enabling the analysis of Amazon user behaviour, including their product search patterns and the keywords they employ.

Amazon Brand Analytics serves as a valuable resource, assisting you not only in enhancing product visibility but also in boosting sales and gaining a competitive edge.

Amazon A+ Content

Within the Brand Registry program, members are granted access to Amazon A+ Content, an editing tool designed for pages where sellers showcase their brand and products. With A+ Content, sellers have the ability to craft 7 distinct modules using elements such as text, graphics, or tables. It’s worth noting that this benefit was previously known as Enhanced Brand Content.

Amazon Vine

Amazon’s Brand Registry members can also take advantage of the Amazon Vine program. Within this initiative, participants are provided with products that have received fewer than 30 reviews. They are then expected to offer their own evaluations in exchange for retaining the reviewed items. It’s important to note that reviews originating from Vine program participants are distinctly labelled as such.

Buy Box

Engaging in the Amazon Brand Registry program also aids registered trademark holders in securing a Buy Box, the prominently showcased listing on the right-hand side that Amazon deems as the optimal choice for a specific product. It’s important to highlight, though, that being part of ABR doesn’t guarantee an automatic Buy Box placement. However, it does serve as a contributing factor toward obtaining one.

amazon buy box example

source: https://tinyurl.com/4w34nej8

Sponsored Brands

Amazon Brand Registry participants also gain access to Amazon Sponsored Brands. This presents a chance to promote their brand and products through a paid cost-per-click (CPC) approach, where the advertiser incurs charges based on the clicks received.

Sponsored Brands ads are visible on both desktop and mobile devices, positioned above or alongside search results.

source: https://advertising.amazon.com/pl-pl/solutions/products/sponsored-brands

Amazon Brand Registry - summary

Amazon Brand Registry is an exclusive initiative tailored for sellers within the world’s premier marketplace who hold registered trademarks. This registration can be accomplished through the European Union Intellectual Property Office or by utilising national entities providing trademark registration services. In Poland, the designated authority is the Polish Patent Office.

The Amazon Brand Registry program serves as a robust shield, guarding the marketplace, sellers, and customers against the intrusion of counterfeiters and fake products. Beyond this security, the program bestows a myriad of advantages upon participating sellers. These encompass access to Amazon Brand Analytics, Sponsored Brands, and Project Zero – each of which holds significant value for sellers in their own right!

If you find yourself in this category or if you’re currently in the process of strategising your sales on Amazon and various marketplace platforms, particularly catering to customers from  EU countries and the UK, you might require assistance concerning VAT matters. This could encompass areas like registrations, returns, settlements, or navigating VAT OSS and VAT EU procedures.

If you find yourself in this scenario, feel free to schedule a free consultation. Simply share your requirements, and our team of VAT Compliance specialists will handle the rest for you.

Antoni Merkun Copywriter and marketer, who has been cooperating with Taxology since March 2023. Interested in SEO and content marketing.