Amazon IP Accelerator Program: Improved Brand Protection

The vast number of sellers and selection on Amazon creates a breeding ground for counterfeit and intellectual property violations. Amazon has received negative exposure for these issues in the media.

Amazon has been introducing new programs over the past years to mitigate these problems. These programs include the Brand Registry, Project Zero, Transparency, and, most recently, the IP Accelerator Program.

Amazon Brand Registry

Amazon relaunched the Brand Registry in 2017 as a tool to protect brands against counterfeit and IP infringements. It is also intended to provide customers with a better shopping experience.

To be part of the program, brands must have a registered trademark. Within the Brand Registry brands can proactively protect their intellectual property including logos, images, and other brand assets. They can also report any violations to Amazon.

Having access to this program enables brands to take ownership of their content and provides access to more marketing tools to help optimize the brand and customer experience, such as Brand Stores and A+ Content. If you're interested in learning more, including how to sign up, check out this detailed Brand Registry guide.

Amazon Project Zero

With the goal of driving counterfeits to zero, Project Zero is a self-service counterfeit removal tool for brands. Using automation and Amazon’s machine learning, Amazon can proactively scan over billions of product listings every day looking for suspected counterfeits.

The brand shares key pieces of information for Amazon to detect possible counterfeit including their logo, trademark, and other key data about their brand. Brands also have the ability to manage this themselves without having to rely on Amazon via a self-service tool.

Eligible brands must have:

a registered trademark enrolled in the Brand Registry
submitted reports of potential infringements with an acceptance rate of at least 90% in the last six months

Amazon Transparency

Amazon Transparency is a product serialization service that proactively identifies counterfeits to prevent them from reaching the end customer. A unique code is assigned to each individual unit at the point of manufacture allowing the brand owner, retailers, and customers to scan the item and check the authenticity of the product.

Brands can also use Transparency to provide the customer with additional product data such as the manufacture date and product ingredients via the Transparency app. To enroll the brand needs to be able to prove they are the brand owner, have a barcode (GTIN, EAN, or UPC), and be able to apply a Transparency code to every single unit manufactured.

Amazon IP Accelerator Program

The most recent brand protection tool Amazon launched was the IP Accelerator program in October 2019. This program helps brands quickly obtain intellectual property (IP) rights so they can register and receive brand protection through the Brand Registry on Amazon a lot sooner than they could with the standard process.

The IP Accelerator program connects brands with trusted legal firms that offer trademark registration services at competitive, pre-negotiated rates, all vetted by Amazon.

When a brand goes through the IP Accelerator program to select a law firm to register their trademark they will automatically get an invitation to the Brand Registry. Basically, it is a fast-track path to the Brand Registry without having to wait months for an approved registration, which is a great benefit given the importance of having a registered trademark when selling on Amazon.

These law firms can help brands with the entire trademark filing process from the initial brand research to filing the trademark application. They can also help with additional IP support including copyright registrations and design patents.

As of 2022, more than 16,000 brands are using IP Accelerator.

The program is available globally, and no fee is required. The only cost is the fee charged by attorneys. The pre-negotiated rates have maximum fees: up to $1800 for a brand review and a $700 US trademark application fee, in addition to some other potential government fees. However, you can get a high-level brand search of Trademark Office records for relevant pending applications or registrations for $650.

How to Use the IP Accelerator Program

To enroll in the IP Accelerator Program, just go to the IP Accelerator page under the Service Provider Network found in Seller Central. Once Amazon can see that a trademark application has been filed through the program, an invitation to the Amazon Brand Registry will be sent to the brand owner.

Is it Worth the Investment?

If you are looking to sell on Amazon and have your own brand or are already selling on Amazon and do not yet have a trademark, you should obtain one immediately.

Not only does a trademark protect your brand from potential hijackers and IP violations, it also unlocks a number of marketing tools to help you grow your brand on Amazon. Amazon is continuing to invest in tools for brand owners, and if you do not have a registered trademark, you will not be able to take advantage of these features. You'll also risk losing out to the competition that may already have access to these features.

While there is an invested cost to registering a trademark, long term it is worth the cost. With the Amazon IP Accelerator program, the process has been made a lot simpler for brand owners selling on Amazon.

Strengthen Your Brand Protection with SellerPulse

While the Amazon Brand Registry and associated programs like Project Zero, Transparency, and IP Accelerator are highly recommended, you should also consider a product monitoring service like SellerPulse.

The software includes number of offer change alerts, which serve as an early warning sign that a hijacker or counterfeiter may be targeting your listing.

SellerPulse will notify you whenever a new seller appears on your listing and provide you with recommended actions for removing them. It will also let you when an offer has been removed.