Selling on Amazon can be a fantastic way to build your brand, but it only takes one bad actor to damage your reputation. Enter Amazon Brand Registry, a program that safeguards your intellectual property from violations that could hurt your good name.
This program sounds like a great idea, but how long does Amazon Brand Registry take? Below, learn how long you’ll have to wait to register your trademark, plus how to speed up the process with Amazon’s IP Accelerator program.
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What Is Amazon Brand Registry?
Amazon can be a great place for your product listing, but if you’ve grown popular, it’s not uncommon for other unscrupulous sellers to try piggybacking on your success. Some sellers make fake listings to steal sales from you and collect good reviews for themselves. As you might imagine, these troublemakers can take a big chunk out of your bottom line.
Amazon Brand Registry is a program that aims to stop bad actors in their tracks. Once you’ve signed up, Amazon can automatically detect IP infringement and remove fake listings before they do damage to you.
Other perks of Amazon Brand Registry include:
- Easy-to-use tools that allow you to search Amazon’s entire catalog and report violations in minutes
- Help from real people when you need assistance with technical problems or marketplace violations
- Neutral patent evaluation to resolve intellectual property disputes
- Access to an impact dashboard that gives you insights into the steps Amazon takes to protect your brand
- Advanced analytics that allow you to make data-driven decisions for marketing and managing your reputation
But that’s not all you’ll get with Brand Registry. Once you have a registered trademark and sign up for the program, you can also take advantage of:
- Store Builder, which allows you to make a digital storefront that’s similar to your own website’s home page
- Transparency Program, which lets you determine who is and isn’t allowed to sell your products
- Live Creator, which allows you to talk to your customers via live chat
- Project Zero Program, which Amazon may use to bar trademark infringers from the platform
- Virtual Bundles tool, which lets you create special packages and bundles to attract customers
- Amazon Attribution tool, which gives you insights into the results of PPC ads, display ads, social media, and email marketing efforts
How Long Does the Amazon Brand Registry Process Take?
You’ll need a registered trademark to take full advantage of Amazon Brand Registry. How long does Amazon Brand Registry take? It can take 12 to 18 months to register your trademark, and timelines differ depending on whether you:
- Are currently using the trademark in connection with your products or services
- Aren’t yet using the trademark but intend to do so in the near future
- Have a foreign registration of the same trademark in another country
- Are applying for a trademark based on a filing under the Madrid Protocol
Thankfully, Amazon does not make you wait until you have a registered trademark to sign up for Brand Registry. You can sign up for the program as long as you’ve applied for a trademark.
Speed Things Up With the Amazon IP Accelerator Program
If you’d rather not wait a year or more to get a trademark, you might want to consider Amazon’s IP Accelerator program. Amazon created this program specifically for small and medium-sized businesses that don’t have the time or legal know-how to handle the trademark registration process on their own.
This program helps you avoid trademark registration pitfalls by connecting you with a trusted network of IP law firms. These firms don’t work for free, but you can gain access to an IP attorney at competitive rates.
The main benefit of IP Accelerator is that you’ll enjoy brand protection while your trademark application is pending. In other words, you’ll continue to have protection until your trademark application is approved or denied.
How To Apply for Amazon Brand Registry
To become a full-fledged member of Amazon Brand Registry, you’ll need your own trademark. Follow these steps to get one:
- Decide on a name and logo for your brand. You’ll have to choose a name that doesn’t already exist in the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) database.
- Figure out which Amazon category your product falls into. The category you choose will affect how much your trademark costs.
- Have your trademark registered so no other business can sell products under that name. An IP attorney can help you handle registration. If you’re unsure where to find one, consider signing up for the IP Accelerator program.
Next, you must enroll your brand in the Brand Registry program. You must have a product and logo to do this. If you’re a dropshipper, you must also meet Amazon’s dropshipping policy requirements.
If your product has a unique UPC, ISBN, or EAN, you’ll enter that here. Next, Amazon will ask you a few more questions, such as whether you manufacture your own product or have any experience selling on Amazon.
Once you’ve submitted everything Amazon asks for, it can take up to two weeks to process your Brand Registry application, although you’ll normally have a response within two to 10 days.
After Amazon has processed your application, it will send a code to the registered trademark office, which the office will then forward to you. Simply input this code on Amazon, and you’ll have your Brand Registry account up and running in about one to two business days.
Take Your Amazon Business to the Next Level With Click Fluency
Now that we’ve answered the question, “How long does Amazon Brand Registry take?” we invite you to reach out to Click Fluency for more tips on how to build your Amazon brand. We’re an experienced ads management company that knows what it takes to protect your brand on Amazon.
To learn more, book a discovery call with our team today!