Thanks to the digitization of the marketplace, your business can now have unparalleled access to vast audiences on online platforms like Amazon and Walmart. However, while you now have an easy way to reach customers, increased visibility online comes with a heightened risk of brand infringement.
In the highly competitive digital marketplace, counterfeiters and opportunists are constantly on the lookout for brands to exploit. Thankfully, Amazon and Walmart offer brand registry programs to help safeguard your brand against unauthorized sellers. Leveraging these brand registry programs typically requires your business to have registered trademarks.
The risk of exposure on major online platforms
When you leverage major online platforms for brand exposure, you not only put your brand in front of a vast audience of potential customers. When you’re online, your business also becomes easily accessible to rip-off artists who can target your brand with:
- Counterfeit products
- Unauthorized listings
- Brand impersonation
These threats, among others, can lead to lost revenue, damage your brand’s reputation and jeopardize customers’ trust in your brand.
The power of brand registry programs
Brand registry programs on major online platforms can help you control your listings and help protect your intellectual property. By leveraging the programs, you can create more accurate and detailed product listings, which can improve your brand’s visibility and customer trust. You can also use brand protection tools to:
- Detect and remove counterfeit listings
- Proactively report intellectual property violations
- Access advanced search and reporting capabilities
By swiftly taking action against unauthorized sellers and counterfeiters, you can avoid prolonged periods of lost revenue and brand damage.
The crucial role of a registered trademark
While the benefits of brand registry programs are clear, it is important to note that enrollment typically requires a registered trademark. A trademark is a legal protection that secures exclusive rights to your brand’s identifying elements. Without a registered trademark, you may not be able to enroll in Amazon or Walmart’s brand registry programs, potentially leaving your brand vulnerable to infringement.
Obtaining a registered trademark should be a priority if you plan on operating your business in the online marketplace. It can deter potential infringers and provide you with the legal tools to defend your brand if necessary.
Amazon and Walmart’s brand registries offer powerful tools for safeguarding your brand, but these protections are often only available to businesses with a registered trademark. If counterfeiters have not yet targeted your brand, consider yourself fortunate—but don’t wait for a crisis in order to take action. A registered trademark is the “ounce of prevention” that can save you from the costly and time-consuming “pound of cure” needed to straighten out a compromised brand.