Amazon starts IP accelerator to help Indian businesses protect their brands
E-commerce giant Amazon has launched the Intellectual Property Accelerator (IP Accelerator) Programme in India. It is offering sellers who are also brand owners (including small and medium-sized sellers) easy access to services from trusted intellectual property experts and law firms. Businesses may choose to engage with these IP law firms to help secure trademarks, protect their brands and tackle infringement, on Amazon.in and Amazon websites globally.
“Establishing IP rights is essential for businesses of all sizes to differentiate their products, earn customer trust and grow their business. However, the process can be complex and time-consuming, leading to a lot of businesses dropping off along the way,” said Pranav Bhasin, director, MSME and selling partner experience, Amazon India. “We are excited to launch IP Accelerator program in India, to support lakhs of sellers, especially small and medium-sized sellers with nascent brands, in establishing IP protection.”
Bhasin said over 8.5 lakh sellers are registered on Amazon in India, and the firm remains committed to bringing new tools, technology, and innovation to help them grow.
“Our Intellectual Property Accelerator Program enables businesses to protect their intellectual property, which in turn helps to ensure an authentic shopping experience for everyone,” said Mary Beth Westmoreland, vice president, technology, brand protection, Amazon. “IP Accelerator is already available in the US, Europe, Canada, and we are excited to offer the advantages of this program to our Indian businesses.”
The process of obtaining a trademark registration with the Intellectual Property India, Trademarks Registry (IN TMR) can run up to as long as 18-24 months. Brand owners, especially from small and medium businesses, may find it time-consuming and complex to go through the process on their own. The IP Accelerator Program helps them navigate this process by connecting businesses with trusted IP law firms that are subject matter experts in this field with experience in drafting trademark and other IP registration applications. Businesses can engage with these firms to overcome common hurdles that could otherwise further delay the issuance of a registration.
Businesses also have the option to avail of Amazon.in’s brand protection services to effectively protect and manage their brand and IP on the marketplace before their trademark is officially registered. Amazon.in empowers brands through programs like Brand Registry, Transparency, and Project Zero, which use machine learning and automated systems to weed out potential counterfeits from the marketplace. Amazon said this is enabling brands to protect their intellectual property rights.
IP Accelerator was launched in the United States in 2019, and has since then expanded to Europe, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and now India. The program was pilot-launched in India in 2020, and has received positive feedback from businesses. Sellers with new business set-up and young brand owners are particularly drawn to the convenience of finding easy access to trusted legal services. To date, 6 IP law firms have signed up to be service providers as part of the IP Accelerator program to support sellers on Amazon.in, including Hasan and Singh, Lexorbis, Sujata Chaudhri IP Attorneys, Amitabha Sen & co., Remfry & Sagar, H K Acharya & Company.
“We are happy to be associated with Amazon’s IP Accelerator Program as a selected firm,” said Sujata Chaudhri, Principal at Sujata Chaudhri IP Attorneys. “We are sure this program will create an excellent platform for the small, medium and start-up firms in India to get connected with a proven and trusted network of Intellectual Property (IP) law firms in India thereby giving access to various brand protection tools. We look forward to an engaging association with sellers on Amazon.in.”
IP Accelerator can be accessed by sellers on Amazon.in Service Provider Network (SPN), offering the benefit of availing the service at a single place. Sellers do not incur any additional cost in accessing IP Accelerator firm listings on SPN and they can choose to engage with the law firms directly and independently for services of their choice at mutually agreed terms.
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