SellerGard CAN HELP BUILD YOUR AMAZON BRAND
The Karich & Associates SellerGard program protects e-commerce sellers with trademarks and patents. Patent, trademarks, and all forms of intellectual property (“IP”), are extremely valuable potential tools in your arsenal. Trademarks enable access to Amazon Brand Registry (ABR) and Enhanced Brand Content (EBC). Patents enable sellers to dominate their marketplace, and protect their top spot, by removing competitive listings that attempt to copy successful products. Schedule a free consultation to speak with an experienced patent and trademark attorney about how to develop your own IP portfolio, and how to leverage it to grow your company. Eric Karich is our Registered Patent Attorney who has helped launch many start-up companies and has served on Advisory Boards of several successful ventures. Mr. Karich practices exclusively in the field of intellectual property, specializing in patents, trademarks, and licensing.
Important Information for Amazon Sellers
By: Eric Karich, Registered Patent and Trademark Attorney
Amazon sellers take note, there have been some important changes in the fields of patents and trademarks that could have a big impact on your business.
Learn more about Amazon Brand Registry
Understanding the IP Policy Changes Coming to Amazon Sellers
Amazon is keenly interested in protecting the intellectual property rights of its third-party sellers because the company depends upon them for their long-term success. In a recent newsletter to shareholders, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos explained that third-party sellers currently make up a majority of the site’s gross merchandise sales, with the share of revenue from third-party sellers having grown from just 3 percent in 1999 to 58 percent today.
However, Amazon has been struggling to develop and implement new systems to protect its sellers from counterfeits and IP infringement. Amazon is in the process of implementing four big changes.
Read our latest article in E-commerce Times to find out more about these important changes.
Reporting Infringement on Amazon
By: Eric Karich, Registered Patent and Trademark Attorney
If you are or are planning to be an Amazon seller, it is important to make sure that the goods you are selling, and the content of your listings, do not violate intellectual property or you could lose your selling privileges. If you believe that a product listing or a seller is infringing on your trademark, patent, or copyright, you may use tools provided by Amazon to take action.
Intellectual Property on Alibaba
By: Eric Karich, Registered Patent and Trademark Attorney
Design patents can be useful for online sellers outside of Amazon, such as on Alibaba (a site you can use to order products directly from Chinese manufacturers), which has a simplified process for eliminating infringement. Alibaba has also implemented a “good-faith” takedown mechanism, which allows intellectual property holders to obtain verification on their accounts. Benefits of joining the mechanism include faster processing of takedown requests, simplified requirements for burden of proof, and others.
WHY YOU MUST CREATE A DISTINCTIVE TRADEMARK. NOW!
By: Eric Karich, Registered Patent and Trademark Attorney
The most valuable asset owned by your company is invisible. If you haven’t taken the necessary steps to protect the asset, you can easily lose it, or worse, be sued for infringing the rights of others. That asset is your Trademark. True, the mark may have little value when it is first introduced to consumers, but after even a few short years of use in commerce, the value of the mark becomes incalculable. It embodies the very heart and soul of the company. Over time, patents expire, new products come and go, even owners and executives may change, but the value of the mark just grows and grows, as long as the company takes care of its customers.
I wanted to take a moment to thank you again for the work that you did to obtain our patent. I would like to especially note that I appreciated how you clearly and patiently addressed all the questions and concerns I had. It has been a pleasure to work with you and I look forward to more projects in the future…
Eric Karich and his entire staff have exceeded all of my expectations in terms of professional courtesy and conduct…not to mention the fact that they are the most knowledgeable, efficient, and the most personally accommodating people that I have ever had the privilege to do business with.