Amazon launches IP Accelerator to help businesses secure trademarks

E-commerce major Amazon on Sunday launched Intellectual Property Accelerator (IP Accelerator) programme in India to help sellers who are also brand owners, including small and medium-sized sellers, secure trademarks, protect their brands and tackle infringement on Amazon.in and Amazon websites globally.

The programme will offer easy access to the sellers to services from intellectual property experts and law firms with whom they can engage to secure trademarks.

"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," Amazon said in a release.

The IP Accelerator programme will help the sellers 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, the release said.

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Amazon had launched IP Accelerator in US in 2019, and has since then expanded to Europe, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and now India. The programme 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," the online retailer said.

Till date, six IP law firms have signed up to be service providers as part of the IP Accelerator programme -- Hasan and Singh, Lexorbis, Sujata Chaudhri IP Attorneys, Amitabha Sen & co., Remfry & Sagar, H K Acharya & Company.

"Establishing IP rights is essential for businesses of all sizes to differentiate their products, earn customer trust and grow their business...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," said Pranav Bhasin, Director, MSME & Selling Partner Experience, Amazon India.   

Sellers can access IP Accelator programme on Amazon's Service Provider Network without incurring any additional cost, and can choose to engage with the law firms directly and independently for services of their choice at mutually agreed terms, the release said.

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