Infringing products has been an issue on Amazon for almost the entirety of the history of the marketplace. These Grey Market sellers target successful products, often from up-and-coming brands, hoping they don’t have the resources or experience to enforce their products on Amazon.
Zinc Enforcer has created an easy step-by-step guide to reporting and removing Grey Market sellers from Amazon’s online marketplace.
Step 1: Create Your Amazon Account
To enforce your IP on Amazon, you’ll first need to sign up.
Amazon is one of the most proactive online marketplaces in terms of removing Grey Market sellers.
Step 2: Join Amazon Brand Registry
Next, you’ll need to join the Amazon Brand Registry.
Amazon Brand Registry provides a business account on Amazon that has tools allowing you control over your product. It also includes access to brand-building tools, customer experience, and, most importantly, an IP enforcement platform.
We cover everything you need to know about Amazon Brand Registry here.
Step 3: Submit IP Documents
Next, you’ll need to upload your registered intellectual property documents and adding all of your active registered trademarks to your account.
1. In your account, click “Manage,” then select “Manage intellectual property.”
2. From the dropdown menu select your brand and click "Connect a trademark." Enter the required information.
3. To upload multiple trademarks, click "Connect multiple trademarks," and upload the downloadable template once complete.
After submission, you can check the 'Requests' tab for confirmation. Processing takes up to 30 days but typically is completed sooner. You will receive an email confirmation notifying you of approval or rejection.
Step 4: Report Infringement
With a configured Brand Registry account and supporting intellectual property documents, you can now begin reporting infringements.
Head to the Report Infringement page to start. You’ll need to identify the offending product listings with one of the following identifiers:
• Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASINs)
• ISBN-10s
• Product URLs
Amazon allows users to submit up to 50 products in a single report with no upper limit to the number of reports.
Note: Handling huge volumes of reports for counterfeit products can become chaotic without proper organization. This can be compounded when reporting infringement across several marketplaces. A system of notes, report statutes, and documentation of infringements is recommended.
Step 5: Wait for Processing
Amazon typically processes complaints within a few business days. Upon submitting your report, you'll receive a confirmation, and the platform will initiate a review of your case. Supplementary information or evidence may be required during this review period.
Providing accurate data is crucial to the success of your submission. Your intellectual property rights information must also be current and approved.
Automate Your IP Protection Online
Removing Grey Market sellers from Amazon is time-consuming, especially for smaller brands. Valid claims can be further hampered by low-quality, inaccurate, or insubstantial supporting data on the infringements. The painstaking nature of manual Buy-Box tracking and Test-Buying can be a significant drain on both manpower and costs to teams of all sizes.
Fortunately, there's a more streamlined approach. Reach out to us to learn more about how Zinc Enforcer automation can offer persistent Buy-Box tracking and a 75% savings on data collection and Test-Buying on Amazon.