Overview

Amazon's Brand Registry program comes with its own vocabulary that sellers need to understand to effectively protect their brands and navigate the platform's intellectual property tools. This glossary breaks down the key terms related to Brand Registry enrollment, trademark types, account structures, and user roles — giving sellers a quick reference guide for the concepts they'll encounter throughout the brand protection process.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Brand Registry is a global IP protection service — Amazon Brand Registry helps sellers protect their intellectual property by providing access to tools that prevent and remove inaccurate, inauthentic, or infringing product listings from the marketplace.
• Trademarks are central to enrollment — Sellers must understand the distinction between registered trademarks, pending trademarks, word marks, and design marks, as these determine eligibility and access to Brand Registry benefits.
• User roles control access to protection tools — Brand Registry uses a role-based permission system with three protection roles (including an administrator role) that govern who can report violations and manage brand protection features.
• Programs like Transparency and Project Zero offer advanced protection — Beyond basic Brand Registry, Amazon offers additional programs that use serialization codes and machine learning to combat counterfeits at scale.
• ASINs and GTINs are foundational identifiers — Sellers need to understand how Amazon's internal product identifiers (ASINs) and universal product codes (GTINs like UPC, ISBN, EAN) work within the catalog system.

Trademark Terminology

Understanding trademark types is essential for Brand Registry enrollment. A trademark is a word, symbol, or design that a company uses to identify its goods or services and distinguish them from competitors. Within Amazon's system, trademarks fall into two main categories: word marks (text-based trademarks) and design marks (image-based trademarks). Sellers should also understand the difference between a pending trademark, which has been filed but not yet approved, and a registered trademark, which has been fully approved and recorded by the relevant country's trademark office. Amazon provides specific guidelines for each accepted trademark office, so sellers should consult those resources to determine how their particular trademark is classified. The trademark owner holds the intellectual property rights to the brand, though those rights are limited unless the mark is formally registered.