I'm reaching out to share a crucial insight into our experience with Amazon's Brand Registry, specifically concerning the protection of trademarked brands.

Our expectation in registering our trademarked brand with Amazon was to gain exclusive control over our product listings. However, the reality has been startlingly different. Despite our trademarked status, we found that Amazon allows other sellers to add offers to our branded listings. This practice effectively dilutes the exclusivity and control we should have over our trademarked products.

The enforcement of brand protection is also problematic. Amazon's support pages imply that conducting a 'test buy' is a recommendation for reporting infringement. Yet, in practice, it turns out to be a mandatory step. If you haven't made a test buy, the system simply prevents you from proceeding with an infringement report. This disconnect between the suggested guidelines and the actual enforced requirements poses a significant challenge for brand owners.

Moreover, it seems the only tangible protection offered is through purchasing Amazon’s Transparency Codes, which unfortunately means additional costs for brand owners.

For those currently undergoing the Brand Registry application process or contemplating it, it’s vital to understand that the level of protection for your trademarked brand might not meet your expectations. The reality is that Amazon provides limited defense against other sellers adding offers to your trademarked listings, unless you are prepared to continually invest in additional protective measures.

This experience has been enlightening and somewhat disconcerting for us, and I believe it is essential for our community to share these experiences. Knowing the true extent of what the Brand Registry offers is critical in managing our expectations and strategizing how to protect our brands on Amazon effectively.

I am eager to hear any additional insights or experiences you may have on this topic as we collectively navigate these challenges.

https://brandregistry.amazon.com/help/hub/reference/G202132860?ref=brnav_to_helpcenter

Trademark infringement

Only trademarks added to your Brand Registry account and those enforceable in the jurisdiction of the selected store (for example, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO) for amazon.com) can be selected. If you don’t see a specific trademark in the drop-down menu, ensure that you’ve selected content in the relevant store. You can also contact the trademark office to check if the trademark has expired or been declined.

We recommend that you complete a test buy to confirm that the product or packaging uses your trademark. If you received the item and confirmed that the product or packaging uses your trademark, enter the order number in the What is the Order ID number? field under Additional information.