We’ve been talking about Brand Registry here a lot in the past weeks. We defined Amazon Brand Registry roles and Amazon Brand Registry frequently used terms. We shared how to report a violation through Amazon Brand Registry.

Now let’s discuss intellectual property (IP) violations and how to respond to an IP violation correctly if you have one against you.

IP Types and how they’re enforced

First, let’s start by reviewing the three main types of IP rights:

• Copyrights are legal protections for original works of authorship.
• Trademarks are legal protections for a word, symbol, design, or combination of the same that a company uses to identify goods and services.
• Patents are legal protections for inventions.

Most of the IP violations map to one of these three IP types. Refer to the Amazon’s IP enforcement table for a breakdown of types of notice you may receive, and required actions you need to take based on the IP infringement notice.

Letters of Authorization & Licensing Agreements

When following up on a required action, you’re frequently required to provide a Letter of Authorization (LOA) or Licensing Agreement (LA). These documents must be from the relevant brand owner to use their registered trademark.

Amazon requirements for an LOA or LA include:

• Scanned copies of agreement in PDF or Image format are accepted.
• All information must be visible and easy to read.
• Must be signed or stamped by the brand or manufacturer.
• If you own the trademark in question, provide proof of ownership.
• Screenshot of email from brand owner is accepted but the email must be sent from a brand domain.
• All documents must be authentic and unaltered.

Pro tip: You may remove pricing information, and highlight/circle the ASINs under review so it is easy for the reviewer to identify. However, the rest of the document must be visible.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Here are some common decline reasons of appeal or dispute:

• The documents you submitted do not reflect your sales volume during the last 365 days.
• You didn’t provide contact information for your supplier, including name, phone number, address, and website. (Don’t worry, We will maintain the confidentiality of your supplier contact information.)
• You submitted a Word document. Remember you can only send .pdf, .jpg, .png, or .gif files.
• Submitted documents were not authentic or unaltered.

Pro tip: If asked to submit an invoice(s), ensure you check the number of days being requested and/or the amount of invoices that accurately depict the inventory in stock and what has been sold. Reminder, you’re trying to provide proof that the product you are selling is authentic.

Was your IP infringement appeal denied?

If so, there’s a good chance this was because your LOA or LA wasn’t considered valid. The following documents are not considered valid when submitting LOA/LAs:

• Invoices, inventory documents, distribution rights, and reseller agreement.
• Letters in an editable format such as Word document, Excel, or Notepad.
• Receipts from online or physical (brick-and-mortar) retailers.
• Order confirmations (online and hard copies) and packing slips.
• Commercial or customs invoices (a customs declaration provided by the person or corporation that is exporting an item across international borders).
• Bills of lading (a document issued by a carrier that lists goods being shipped and specifies the terms of their transport).
• Sales orders, purchase orders, quotes, or pro-forma invoices (a document sent in advance of a shipment or delivery of goods but does not serve as an agreement).

Important: This policy is not legal advice. You should consult a lawyer if you have a specific question about your IP rights or the IP rights of others.

• You must comply with all federal, state, and local laws and Amazon policies applicable to your products and product listings.
• You may not violate the IP rights of brands or other rights owners.