A Lawyer Explains All About the Amazon IP Accelerator Program

There is a program through Amazon where they connect businesses like yours with intellectual property (IP) law firms that provide trademark registration services and access to brand protections on the marketplace. The Amazon IP Accelerator Program offers many benefits for Online Sellers, so let our expert team of IP and Amazon lawyers walk you through all the details.

So what makes this program so unique, and are their IP attorneys better than an Amazon IP lawyer at ESQgo? The answer is, without a doubt, “No.” Let us explain why. 

What is Amazon IP Accelerator?

The Amazon IP Accelerator program is designed to assist brands that are not currently registered with the Brand Registry in obtaining intellectual property (IP) rights and brand protection more quickly in Amazon’s stores.

This means that you can get a trademark for your brand and gain acceptance into Amazon’s Brand Registry, along with all the benefits that come with it, at a faster pace.

The program connects sellers with a select group of reputable IP law firms that offer top-notch trademark registration services to help brands secure a trademark at competitive rates.

What Brand Registry benefits will you be able to access?

Enrolling in Brand Registry through an IP Accelerator law firm offers benefits like proactive brand protection, search and report tools, and brand-building tools to grow your business on Amazon.

• Amazon will use your brand information to proactively protect your brand and customers by removing potentially harmful listings.
• You will also have access to search and reporting tools, including the Report a Violation tool with text and image search capabilities. This makes it easier to report potential infringement, such as common law trademark infringement.
• The brand-building tools include Enhanced Brand Content product detail pages, Brand Stores, Sponsored Brands, and the Brand Dashboard.

Is worth mentioning that these benefits aren’t exclusive to the use of the IP Accelerator program but are accessible to any Seller that is accepted in Brand Registry.

Amazon IP Accelerator Will Help Me Get Your Trademark Faster?

The short answer is no, it wouldn’t help in that way. The main advantage of using IP Accelerator on Amazon is not how fast you can get your trademark.

The real benefit is that you can become a member of Amazon’s Brand Registry without waiting for your trademark to be fully processed. After submitting your trademark through one of the law firms affiliated with Amazon IP Accelerator, you will be invited to join the Brand Registry. This means you won’t have to wait for the USPTO to finish its work.

In other words, by using the Amazon IP Accelerator to recommend an Amazon IP lawyer, you can access Amazon Brand Registry in as little as 7 to 10 days from today.

What do I need to do to receive brand protections once the law firm files my trademark application?

After filing a trademark application through an IP Accelerator law firm, Amazon will invite you to enroll in Brand Registry.

Upon completing the enrollment process, you will be automatically joined in the brand protection service and given access to the Report a Violation tool. Additionally, you will have access to other helpful brand-building features.

Who can take advantage of the Amazon IP Accelerator Program?

The program is available worldwide, with law firms focusing on trademark applications in different offices in various countries. We aim to expand our services to more countries soon. At this moment these are the available countries: United States, Canada, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, India, Brazil, Singapore, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Japan.

How Much Does Amazon IP Accelerator Cost?

The IP Accelerator program from Amazon is free. This means that you won’t be charged by Amazon to connect with their list of approved law firms.

However, you will need to pay the law firm you choose to file your trademark. Amazon has already negotiated rates for certain services that cover a single brand and a single class of goods or services.

Maximum service fees by Amazon:

• A high-level brand search of Trademark Office records for relevant pending applications or registrations — $650
• A comprehensive brand review including Trademark Office records and unregistered uses — $1,800
• Filing a US trademark application — $700 (plus government fees)

Please note that extra fees will be charged for other services, such as searching for multiple brands or filing for different types of intellectual property like design patents.

Government Filing Fees

Please note that the government filing fees for trademarks are $275 per class, regardless of whether you use a lawyer through IP Accelerator, another lawyer, or file for your trademark yourself.

A ‘class’ refers to the category where your brand’s products belong, such as 028 Toys and Sporting goods or 018 Leather goods.

If you think your brand might have products covered by multiple classes, you may file your trademark under each class, but this can be costly at $275 per class. And here is when ESQgo expertise comes in handy.

We Do What They Do, Only Better

The Amazon IP Accelerator was launched to assist small- and medium-sized businesses in obtaining intellectual property rights and brand protection in Amazon’s stores. This is accomplished through two courses of action: connection with an IP lawyer to help you start filing a trademark for your brand and early access to certain brand protection features. 

Connection With An IP Lawyer

Attorneys affiliated with the Amazon IP Accelerator are touted as being able to perform certain functions, such as brand research and filing a trademark application. While this may be true, it is a service that every Amazon IP lawyer should provide, whether they are affiliated with the Amazon IP Accelerator program.

You may have the impression that utilizing the services of an attorney through the Amazon IP Accelerator will allow you to have your application received and reviewed by the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) more quickly than other attorneys. However, the timeline is the same, no matter who applies. For most businesses, it means waiting 8 to 12 months for the USPTO to review your application. 

There is a way to expedite your trademark application. Still, it is only available in limited circumstances and requires that you file a petition with the USPTO requesting special treatment. It is typically an option when an applicant faces the potential loss of substantive trademark rights. To prove this, the applicant must demonstrate special circumstances, such as pending litigation or trademark infringement (actual or threatened).

Accelerated Access for Brand Protection

Another reason it may seem like an attorney contracted through the Amazon IP Accelerator network is a superior choice is because it allows brands with a pending registered word or design mark to be eligible for early enrollment in Amazon Brand Registry. While this also may be true, it is not a benefit exclusive to Amazon IP accelerator law firms. Brands with a trademark pending registration are also eligible for Amazon Brand Registry. 

So why do we say we do what they do, only better? Allow me to introduce our Dynamic Brand Chamber.

Dynamic Brand Chamber

The USPTO requires that you identify the category of goods and services (known as “International Classes”) your trademark will cover. Each International Class identified will cost approximately $275. Because of this, when you expand your brand to include a different type of product than those currently offered, it is possible you may end up paying the government several thousand dollars for your trademark application. 

Dynamic Brand Chamber is our trademarked strategy that allows you to save money by only paying for one International Class yet register a USPTO trademark that allows flexibility in expanding to an unlimited number of product categories and enrolling in the Amazon Brand Registry. In other words, the Dynamic Brand Chamber saves you, our Amazon seller client, both time and money while allowing you to expand your business venture.

Consult With An Amazon IP Lawyer at ESQgo

If you are seeking advice on obtaining a trademark or patent, or you are interested in becoming a seller on Amazon, we encourage you to contact our firm to speak with an Amazon IP lawyer. Do not assume the best route is through the Amazon IP Accelerator. At ESQgo, we are lawyers that focus our practice on assisting Amazon sellers like you, and we take pride in our craft. You may reach our firm by calling 888-600-1925 or via our contact page.