Amazon Brand Registry gives a brand owner more control over product detail pages, access to brand tools such as A+ Content and Brand Analytics, and the "Report a Violation" function for infringing listings. Enrollment rests on one prerequisite: a trademark from a government trademark office that Amazon accepts. For sellers on Amazon stores in the European Union, that office is usually the EUIPO, because a single EU trademark covers all 27 member states.
Two separate processes
Filing an EU trademark is a proceeding before the EUIPO. Enrolling a brand in Brand Registry is a separate process run by Amazon under its own criteria. This article covers the points where the two meet.
Does the EU trademark need to be registered already?
No. Amazon accepts an active registered trademark or a pending application, provided it comes from an accepted office. The EUIPO is one of them, and a pending EU trademark application is accepted without going through Amazon's IP Accelerator programme. The enrollment form asks for the application or registration number exactly as the EUIPO issued it.
Amazon Brand Registry eligibility
"…an active, registered trademark or a pending trademark application for your brand name or logo that's issued by the designated government trademark office of a country with a corresponding Amazon store."
A pending application carries a risk that a registration does not. The EUIPO examines the application and publishes it, after which third parties have three months to file an opposition. If the application is refused or withdrawn, the enrollment no longer has a trademark behind it.
Word mark or figurative mark?
Amazon accepts a word mark, or a figurative mark that contains words, letters or numbers. A purely graphic logo without any text does not qualify. The brand name entered in Brand Registry has to match the trademark exactly, including spaces and special characters: "Brand Name" and "BrandName" are treated as different names. For a figurative mark, the image uploaded during enrollment has to match the image on the register.
A common mistake
A seller files only a logo with stylised lettering, later redesigns the logo, and the branding on the product no longer matches the registered image. A word mark protects the name regardless of font or layout and is the more robust basis for Brand Registry. A logo can be filed in addition where its graphic design itself needs protection.
What the trademark filing covers, and what it does not
Filing the EU trademark and acting as representative before the EUIPO is a trademark matter. The Brand Registry application itself is Amazon's own process: Amazon decides on enrollment, sets the evidence it requires (product photos with permanently affixed branding, recent supply or manufacturing invoices) and can request further verification at any stage. No trademark filing guarantees acceptance into Brand Registry.
The verification code is where the two processes meet. According to Amazon's documentation, after reviewing an application Amazon sends a verification code to the contact listed in the trademark register, which for an EU trademark with a representative is the representative of record. In practice, delivery to that contact is not reliable. The code has to be entered in the Brand Registry case within 10 days, so the trademark owner should watch the case log directly rather than rely solely on the code being forwarded.
Steps to Brand Registry with an EU trademark
File the EU trademark as a word mark in the classes that cover the products sold on Amazon.
Note the application number once the EUIPO has issued it; Brand Registry accepts it while the application is still pending.
As trademark owner, enroll the brand in Brand Registry, select the EUIPO as trademark office and enter the brand name exactly as filed.
Watch the Brand Registry case log directly for the verification code and enter it within 10 days. Delivery to the address on file is not always reliable in practice, regardless of who is listed as representative.
Applicants based outside the EU
Sellers based in Hong Kong, mainland China, the United States, the United Arab Emirates or any other country outside the European Economic Area can file an EU trademark application themselves. For everything after the filing, Article 119(2) EUTMR requires a representative who meets Article 120(1) EUTMR: a legal practitioner qualified in an EEA member state, or a professional representative on the list the EUIPO maintains. Without one, the EUIPO issues a deficiency notice, and if the deficiency is not remedied within the deadline, the application is refused. The same applies to applicants in the UK and Switzerland, since neither belongs to the EEA.
Details on that notice: EUIPO Notice of Absence of Formal Requirements (Article 41 EUTMR). For an application that has already been filed, a representative can be appointed separately: EU Trademark Representative.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Amazon accepts pending applications from accepted trademark offices, including the EUIPO, and no IP Accelerator filing is needed for this. Enrollment relies on the application number. If the application is later refused or withdrawn, the enrollment loses its trademark basis.
In general, yes. An EU trademark is a single right valid in all EU member states, so it covers the Amazon stores in the EU, such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Belgium and Ireland. Separate national trademarks for each store are not required.
Yes, if the domicile or establishment is outside the European Economic Area. Filing the application alone is allowed, but every later step before the EUIPO requires a representative under Article 119(2) EUTMR. This applies equally to applicants in the UK and Switzerland.
According to Amazon's documentation, the contact listed in the trademark register. For an EU trademark with a representative, that is the representative of record. In practice, delivery to that contact is not reliable, so the trademark owner should keep the Brand Registry case log in view rather than rely solely on forwarding by the representative. The code has to be entered within 10 days.
Only if the logo contains words, letters or numbers. A purely figurative mark without text is not accepted. The image uploaded during enrollment has to match the registered image.
No. Amazon decides on enrollment under its own criteria, including product images and supply documentation. The trademark is a prerequisite, not a guarantee.
Metzler Legal is a Berlin law firm specialising in trademark law, admitted since 2010, and files EU trademark applications for brand owners inside and outside the EU, including representation before the EUIPO. Scope and process: EU Trademark Registration.
This article explains the general framework and does not constitute legal advice for a specific application or enrollment. Amazon's requirements can change; the requirements shown in Brand Registry at the time of enrollment govern.