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Protect Your Brand on Amazon: A Simple Guide for Indian Online Sellers

Learn how to use Amazon Brand Gating to protect your products from counterfeiters and unauthorized resellers. This comprehensive guide covers the basics, importance, and setup process of Brand Gating for online sellers in India.

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Your brand is more than just a logo or a catchy tagline – it's the essence of your business. It includes the quality of your products and the customer service you provide. But what happens when counterfeiters and unauthorized sellers attack your brand? It can hurt your profits and damage your brand's reputation. That's where Amazon Brand Gating comes in.

What is Amazon Brand Gating?

Amazon Brand Gating is a feature that helps businesses protect their products from counterfeiters and unauthorized resellers. By enrolling in Brand Gating, you can prevent fake sellers from listing certain products on Amazon. Only authorized sellers with permission from your brand can sell these products.

Why is Brand Gating Important?

Counterfeit products have been a problem since Amazon started. Despite Amazon's efforts to block these products, counterfeits still exist. Big brands like Nike and Birkenstock have stopped selling on Amazon because of counterfeiting issues. In 2021, Amazon blocked more than 2.5 million counterfeit listings. Counterfeits hurt your sales and can damage your brand's reputation if customers unknowingly buy poor-quality fake products.

How Does Amazon Brand Gating Work?

If your products are brand-gated, resellers must prove they have permission from your brand to sell them. They need to provide:

  • Written permission from your brand.
  • Three purchase invoices from the manufacturer or distributor within the last 90 days.
  • A non-refundable fee of $1,500.

Setting Up Amazon Brand Gating

1. Enroll in Amazon Brand Registry

To use Brand Gating, you need to be enrolled in the Amazon Brand Registry. Here's how:

  • Own a registered trademark.
  • Provide verification documents as the lawful trademark owner.
  • Upload product images featuring the trademark name.
  • List the categories where your brand holds product listings.
  • Set up an Amazon Professional Seller account.

2. Compile Your Product ASINs

After registration, make a list of ASINs you want to protect. Start with your best-selling products.

Note: Ensure your product is not in Amazon's restricted categories like firearms, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, etc.

3. Provide Documentation

Prove to Amazon that you actively fight counterfeits by:

  • Registering in Amazon Brand Registry.
  • Using your brand logo on products and packaging.
  • Offering product bundles.
  • Enrolling in Amazon Transparency.
  • Reporting counterfeit issues.
  • Sending cease-and-desist letters to counterfeit sellers.

4. Submit and Track Your Application

After compiling your product ASINs and documentation, submit them to Amazon and track your application's status.

Verify If Your ASINs Are Brand-Gated

To see if your ASIN is brand-gated:

  • Log in from a different seller account.
  • Go to the "Catalog" menu and select "Add a Product."
  • Search for the item you want to sell.
  • If the product is brand-gated, Amazon will show a message saying, "You need approval to list in this brand."

How Can Resellers Sell Brand-Gated ASINs?

Resellers must:

  • Be a professional seller.
  • Pass a seller performance check.
  • Provide three purchase invoices from manufacturers within the last 90 days.
  • Pay a non-refundable fee of $1,500.
  • Show proof of authorization to sell from the parent brand.

Additional Tools for Brand Gating

Counterfeit Crimes Unit

In 2020, Amazon created the Counterfeit Crimes Unit to detect counterfeiters globally and help law enforcement prosecute them. This unit encourages brands to file lawsuits against counterfeiters.

Transparency by Amazon

This service, available in the US, provides unique barcodes to label products, ensuring authenticity before shipping to customers.

Amazon Project Zero

Project Zero uses three tools to detect and remove counterfeit products:

  • Automated Protections: An AI algorithm that detects and removes counterfeit products.
  • Self-Service Counterfeit Removal: Lets sellers flag and delist counterfeit products.
  • Product Serialization: Adds a unique serial number to each product to verify its authenticity.

Final Thoughts

As a seller on Amazon, protecting your brand and products from counterfeiters is crucial. Amazon has tools like Brand Gating, the Counterfeit Crimes Unit, and Project Zero to safeguard your brand's reputation and customer trust. By using Amazon Brand Gating, you can significantly reduce the risk of fake products being sold under your brand name.

But if you need help with the process, visit xpertseller.com or schedule a call at this link. We can help you protect your brand on Amazon and achieve long-term success.