Here at Total Trademarks we work with many Amazon store owners to secure their trademark rights. Trademarking in a competitive marketplace such as Amazon helps sellers create and maintain a business presence, which is important when consumers have so many options to choose from. Amazon sellers with creative and distinctive trademarks are more likely to be successful for a few reasons:
1. Dominate search results when customers search for your brand
With a distinct and trademarked brand name, customers searching by brand are more likely to visit your store and buy your products. Trademarking your brand name gives you the exclusive right to use the name in association with your specific type of products in the United States.
2. Prevent dilution of your trademark by deterring others from using your name
Trademarking your brand name creates a publicly searchable record of your trademark registration in the USPTO’s TESS database. This database is accessible to anyone with an internet connection and it’s easy to conduct a basic search. Many startups, including new Amazon sellers, will research their branding options in advance to determine if a name is available to use.
3. Convey features of your products with features of your trademark
Many of the best brand names are suggestive of their underlying products (think, NETFLIX). Creating a distinctive mark and securing a federal trademark registration will help to identify and convey your products for new clients who are unfamiliar with your brand.
4. Avoid infringement issues in the Amazon marketplace
We get at least one call every month regarding a trademark infringement issue in the Amazon marketplace. Taking the basic steps to secure your rights in advance will help you to avoid these problems. Prior to submission of a trademark application, we conduct a clearance search to identify other parties using your mark or a variation thereof. This helps to prevent our clients from infringing on another party’s mark. On the other hand, if you’re the party that’s infringed upon you will need a registration to effectively utilize the Amazon trademark infringement resolution process.
If you have question about securing a trademark for your Amazon business contact us for a free phone consultation.