I recently submitted a brand registry application, but it was denied immediately after submission. I’m trying to understand the possible reasons for this and would appreciate any advice on how to move forward.
This is the explanation:
Why did this happen?
This decision was made due to one or more of the following reasons: a) your account was engaging in conduct that violates Brand Registry’s policies, such as, but not limited to, invalid notice submissions through our notice submission channels or tampering with the catalog; b) your application or account is related to other Amazon accounts or brands that have violated Amazon or Brand Registry’s policies, c) you are associated with one or more selling accounts as a primary owner and all of them have failed seller verification, d) inability to provide sufficient evidence of branding on products/packaging; e) you have a selling account that is de-activated, or f) your trademark application appears to be filed by a filing firm that may be violating US federal regulations and USPTO rules (explained below).
If you are enrolling with a US trademark, please note that the USPTO requires foreign domiciled applicants or registrants to be represented by a U.S. licensed attorney . This rule & was designed to improve the quality of trademark submissions by U.S. attorneys who are bound by ethical rules to follow the USPTO rules of professional conduct and their state bar codes of conduct. The USPTO has guidance on evaluating filing firms and how to avoid potential USPTO rule violations here . Additional scrutiny may be triggered by Amazon for use of a suspicious filing firm. Attorneys suspected of misconduct may be investigated by the USPTO. If you are working through an intermediary, rather than directly with a US licensed attorney, to seek a US trademark registration or enrollment into Brand Registry, your application may be subject to additional scrutiny by Amazon and the USPTO. Before hiring an attorney or a trademark service company, check whether they are subject to an Order for Sanctions 2 from the USPTO or listed as an entity on the Potentially Misleading Solicitations webpage . If you are concerned about the validity of your application or the conduct of any of the entities involved in your application, consult with a private U.S. attorney who is knowledgeable about trademark law (and not connected to any entity listed on the Order for Sanctions & or Potentially Misleading Solicitations webpage [) to evaluate your application. If you need help finding an attorney, you can find resources from the USPTO here . You can also leverage the Amazon IP Accelerator program to connect with a curated network of vetted IP law firms. You can learn more about the program here . Please note that the use of a firm vetted by the Amazon IP Accelerator program is not required for enrollment in Brand Registry.
Please note that enrollment in Brand Registry is at Amazon’s sole discretion. Any misuse of Amazon’s Brand Protection tools or suspected misconduct in the acquisition or maintenance of vour intellectual property