Amazon Launches IP Accelerator in Canada to Help Small Businesses Secure a Trademark and Protect Their Brands
Amazon has launched an IP Accelerator in Canada to help small and medium-sized businesses secure and protect their trade marks through a network of trusted Canadian intellectual property law firms.
IP Accelerator and its brand protection tools are readily available to participating Amazon store businesses. In order to gain access to Amazon’s tools, brands had to first join Amazon’s Brand Registry and prove their legitimacy through a registered trade mark. The problem is that can take up to 8 months or more to obtain trade mark registration.
Amazon IP Accelerator was created to help brands that aren’t currently part of the Brand Registry to “more quickly obtain intellectual property (IP) rights and brand protection in Amazon’s stores.”
This means that, for example, you don’t have to wait for trade mark registration from the USPTO, because once you file for your trade mark, you will be invited to join the Brand Registry. Amazon says:
“Once Amazon becomes aware that you have filed a trademark application through an IP Accelerator law firm, then we will email you an invitation to enroll in Brand Registry. Once you complete that enrollment, we will automatically enroll you in our automated brand protections, provide you with access to the Report a Violation tool, and you will receive access to other brand-building features.”
Amazon IP Accelerator links SMBs with an organized group of local law firms who offer competitive fees for their services.
The lineup of law firms who are participating include Bereskin & Parr LLP, Brouillette Legal Inc., Chari Prenol Slaney & Turco, Clancy PC, JZC Intellectual Property Law, Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP, Palmer IP, and Ridout & Maybee LLP.
Mary Beth Westmoreland, VP, Brand Protection at Amazon has this to say about the IP Accelerator:
“More than 30,000 Canada-based third-party sellers have grown their business with Amazon, reaching millions of customers while grossing more than $2 billion on Amazon’s stores around the world. IP Accelerator allows our SMB selling partners to build on that success by protecting their valuable IP and setting them up for long-term growth. Establishing and protecting IP rights are essential for businesses of every size, and Amazon is pleased to introduce a new tool that provides access to specialized expertise to help protect brands.”
What IP Accelerator can do is link SMBs with lawyers who are knowledgeable in the process of trademark applications. In effect, IP Accelerator gives help to SMBs in protecting their brand through access to Amazon’s brand protection tools.
With more than 350,000 registered brands to date, the Amazon Brand Registry provides SMBs free access to the tools that help them maintain and guard their IP brands in Amazon stores. These tools are automated to monitor and eliminate content that are suspected as infringing or are inaccurate. These tools also allow brands to report suspected infringement acts.
Brands enrolled in the Brand Registry also acquire greater influence over product information details that appear in Amazon’s product detail pages which help customers make informed decisions when buying a product.
Brands say:
“Having the peace of mind that Amazon has vetted these firms and negotiated pricing for us lets us focus on what matters—building our brand.” Indigo Paisley
IP Accelerator first started in the US in 2019 then spread to other countries like the UK, Japan, India, and now Canada. The launch resulted in more than 6,000 trademark applications submitted to the different international trade mark offices by brands who enrolled in Amazon’s IP Accelerator program.
Amazon does not collect any fees for the use of IP Accelerator. The SMBs pay fees directly to the law firm at a reduced and pre-negotiated price. Businesses who wish to use IP Accelerator services can go to http://brandservices.amazon.ca/ipaccelerator and law firms who are interested in being involved in the program can visit IPAcceleratorWaitList@amazon.com.
Takeaway Points:
- Amazon introduces a program that helps SMBs safeguard their IP rights against illegal copying and infringement.
- Anyone that sells on Amazon can join the Amazon IP Accelerator.
- IP Accelerator is a free program and Amazon will not charge you to connect with its list of approved law firms.
- After you have selected a law firm, you pay them to file your trade mark at the pre-negotiated rate .
- IP Accelerator uses automated and data driven safeguards that aggressively eliminates content that are suspected as infringing or are inaccurate.
Our Trademark Lawyers in Sydney are Experts when it comes to Registering Trademark or Trademark Opposition Process in Sydney
Alessandra “Max” Maxine, Digital Administrator
Contact W3IP Law on 1300 776 614 or 0451 951 528 for more information about any of our services or get in touch at law@w3iplaw.com.
Disclaimer. The material in this post represents general information only and should not be taken to be legal advice.
