Trademark for Amazon Brand Registry (India & US, 2026)

To get Amazon Brand Registry you need a trademark for your brand name (a word mark, or a design mark that contains your brand's words) filed with a government trademark office in a country where Amazon runs a store. In India that means filing Form TM-A with IP India, which costs Rs 4,500 per class for individuals, startups and small enterprises (Rs 9,000 for others) when e-filed. In the US it means filing with the USPTO at $350 per class. Amazon accepts pending applications in many cases, so you can usually enrol within days of filing rather than waiting a year or more for the certificate.

Not sure you qualify? Run your details through our free Amazon Brand Registry Eligibility Checker — 7 quick questions, a clear verdict and a next-steps checklist.

This guide covers which marks qualify, how to file in India and the US step by step, what IP Accelerator actually does, when to hire an attorney, and the mistakes that get Brand Registry applications rejected. If you want the bigger picture of what Brand Registry unlocks, start with our Amazon Brand Registry guide.

Why Amazon Needs a Trademark Before Brand Registry

Brand Registry gives you control over your product detail pages: A+ Content, Brand Stores, Sponsored Brands ads, Brand Analytics, and tools to report counterfeits and hijackers. Amazon needs proof that you, and not a reseller or a copycat, own the brand before handing over that control. A trademark filed with a government office is that proof.

The trademark also works outside Amazon: it lets you stop confusingly similar names in your category and is an asset you can license or sell.

Which Trademarks Qualify for Amazon Brand Registry

Amazon's published eligibility rules (on sell.amazon.com and sell.amazon.in) say:

• Type of mark: a text-based mark (word mark) or an image-based mark with words, letters or numbers (design mark).
• Status: an active registered trademark, or a pending application. Amazon states that "in some cases" you may enrol with a pending registration and points to country-specific requirements inside Seller Central.
• Office: the designated government trademark office of a country that has a corresponding Amazon store. You pick one office during enrolment and can add other countries' trademarks after approval.
• Match: the trademark text must match the brand name on your Brand Registry application, and an image mark must match the uploaded image exactly.
• Ownership: you must be the trademark owner. An agent can be added as a user only after the owner enrols.
• Product: your brand name, or a logo containing it, must be permanently affixed to your products or packaging.

Word Mark vs Design (Combined) Mark

A word mark protects the brand name itself in any font, colour or style. A design mark (called a device mark in India) protects a specific logo, and a combined mark protects the name as it appears inside that logo.

For Brand Registry, a word mark is the safer choice: it matches your brand name field cleanly, survives a logo redesign, and avoids rejections where the uploaded logo does not exactly match the record. File the word mark first and the logo later.

Registered vs Pending

Rules for pending applications have changed several times over the years, so confirm the current position for your marketplace in Seller Central before filing.

How to Register a Trademark in India (IP India)

Indian trademarks are filed under the Trade Marks Act, 1999 and the Trade Marks Rules, 2017. You can e-file yourself on the IP India portal or authorise a registered trademark agent or advocate.

Step 1: Search before you file

Search the IP India public search for identical and similar marks in your class, including phonetic variations. A name that sounds like an existing mark in the same class is likely to be objected to, even if the spelling differs.

Step 2: Choose your classes

India uses the international Nice classification of 45 classes. Each class is a separate fee. Common classes for Amazon sellers include:

• Class 3: cosmetics, skincare
• Class 9: electronics and accessories
• Class 21: kitchenware
• Class 25: clothing and footwear
• Class 28: toys and sports equipment

File in the classes covering the products you sell now and the ones you realistically plan to launch.

Step 3: File Form TM-A and pay the fee

Form TM-A is the application for registration. The official IP India fee schedule (per mark, per class) is:

Startups and small enterprises must provide the supporting certificate (for example DPIIT recognition or Udyam registration) to claim the lower fee. Fees are set in the First Schedule of the Trade Marks Rules, 2017, so check the IP India forms and fees page before paying in case they are revised.

You will need the applicant's details, the mark, the class and goods description, and either a user date or "proposed to be used". Online filing requires a digital signature certificate. Once filed, you get an application number immediately, and that number is what you use for Brand Registry.

Step 4: Examination

The registry checks formalities and then examines the mark for distinctiveness and conflicts. The result is either acceptance or an examination report with objections. Examination timing varies with the registry's workload, typically anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

Step 5: Reply to objections

If you get an examination report, you generally have one month from receipt to reply. Common objections are that the mark is descriptive or similar to an existing mark. If the reply is not accepted, a hearing is scheduled. Not replying in time leads to abandonment.

Step 6: Publication and opposition

Accepted marks are advertised in the Trade Marks Journal. Anyone can oppose within four months of publication. If no opposition is filed, or you win the opposition, the mark proceeds to registration.

Step 7: Registration

The registration certificate is issued and the mark is valid for 10 years from the application date, renewable indefinitely. Without objections or opposition, the whole process often takes around a year or more; contested applications can take several years. Plan your Amazon timeline around the pending application, not the certificate.

For the rest of your India setup (GST, seller account, listings), see our Amazon India seller setup guide.

How to Register a Trademark in the US (USPTO)

Filing basis

• Use in commerce (Section 1(a)): you already sell under the brand in the US and submit a specimen showing the mark on the product or packaging.
• Intent to use (Section 1(b)): you plan to sell. You later file a Statement of Use before registration.

USPTO fees (effective January 18, 2025)

Picking your goods description from the USPTO's ID Manual avoids the $200 surcharge and is usually enough for physical products.

US steps and timelines

• Search the USPTO trademark database for conflicting marks.
• File online, choosing the class, goods description and basis.
• Receive your serial number (use this for Brand Registry if your marketplace accepts pending applications).
• Wait for examination. The USPTO reported first-action pendency of roughly 4.5 months in the first half of FY 2026, down from earlier highs, but this moves with filing volume.
• Respond to any office action within the deadline stated in it (generally three months, extendable once for a fee).
• The mark is published in the Official Gazette with a 30-day opposition window.
• Registration follows (after a Statement of Use, for intent-to-use filings).

Foreign-domiciled applicants, including Indian sellers filing directly with the USPTO, must be represented by a US-licensed attorney.

Amazon IP Accelerator: What It Is and When to Use It

IP Accelerator is an Amazon programme that connects brands with a network of Amazon-vetted law firms for trademark filing and related services. Amazon describes it as available to brands worldwide, with providers covering trademark filings in about 21 countries and 22 trademark offices, including India and the US.

How it helps:

• Faster Brand Registry access: Amazon's FAQ says once your application is pending through the programme, you can enrol in Brand Registry.
• Capped pricing: Amazon lists maximum service fees for a single brand and class, for example up to $700 plus government fees for a US application, $650 for a high-level search and $1,800 for a comprehensive review. Rates in other offices are described as often comparable but variable.
• No Amazon fee: Amazon does not charge for the introduction; you pay the provider directly.

Amazon notes that some Brand Registry tools have their own requirements. IP Accelerator makes most sense when you have no trademark yet and want a vetted firm. If you already have a pending Indian application, you usually do not need it to enrol on Amazon.in.

DIY vs Trademark Attorney or Agent

Government fees are the same either way. The difference is professional fees and the quality of the search and goods description.

Ranges are indicative and vary by firm. The real cost of DIY is a rejected or opposed mark that costs months of Brand Registry access, so if your name is near an existing brand, pay for a professional search.

Choosing a Brand Name That Will Not Get Rejected

Trademark offices rank marks on a distinctiveness scale. The further toward "invented", the easier the registration.

• Invented (strongest): made-up words with no meaning, such as Kodak or Zomato.
• Arbitrary: real words unrelated to the product, such as Apple for computers.
• Suggestive: hints at a quality without describing it.
• Descriptive (weak): describes the product, such as "Pure Cotton Tees". Usually objected to.
• Generic (unregistrable): the name of the product itself, such as "Yoga Mat".

Practical rules:

• Avoid product words, quality words ("best", "premium", "fresh") and place names as your main element.
• Search phonetic and spelling variants, not just exact matches.
• Search Amazon for brands with similar names in your category.

Common Mistakes That Delay Brand Registry

• Brand on packaging does not match the trademark. The name printed on the product or packaging must match the trademark text and your Brand Registry application. A sticker or a different spelling is a common reason for rejection.
• Logo-only filing. A design mark without readable words does not meet Amazon's definition. File the word mark.
• Logo upload does not match the record. For a design mark, the uploaded image must match the filed image exactly, including colour if the mark was filed in colour.
• Applicant mismatch. The trademark owner must be the person or company enrolling, or must enrol first and add others as users. A trademark in a founder's personal name with Brand Registry in the company's name causes friction; decide ownership up front.
• Using the registered symbol too early. Use ™ while the application is pending. Use ® only after registration, and only in the country where it is registered. Falsely representing a mark as registered is an offence under India's Trade Marks Act.
• Ignoring objection deadlines. A missed reply leads to abandonment, which can remove your Brand Registry eligibility.
• Letting the mark lapse. Set renewal reminders well before the 10-year expiry in both countries, and remember the US requires a declaration of use between the fifth and sixth year.

India vs US Trademark at a Glance

What to Do After Your Trademark Is Filed

Once you have an application number, enrol at Brand Registry with your Seller Central login, enter the trademark office and number, and add product categories and photos showing the brand on the product. Amazon may send a verification code to the trademark's contact (often your agent), which you submit to finish.

After approval, the first thing most brands unlock is A+ Content. Our complete guide to Amazon A+ Content covers modules and layouts. If you want to skip the design work, zonfy's AI-powered A+ Content generator turns a product link or a few photos into A+ Content, a full listing, gallery images and a product video, on subscriptions starting at Rs 749 per month.

Trademark for Amazon: Your Checklist

• Pick a distinctive, invented or arbitrary brand name.
• Search IP India and/or the USPTO database for identical and similar marks, including phonetic variants.
• Decide who owns the trademark (individual or company) and keep that consistent with your seller account.
• Choose the classes for current and near-term products.
• File a word mark first; add a logo mark later if budget allows.
• In India, file Form TM-A online and claim the Rs 4,500 fee if you qualify as an individual, startup or small enterprise.
• In the US, file with the USPTO using an ID Manual goods description to avoid surcharges; use a US attorney if you are based outside the US.
• Consider IP Accelerator if you have no trademark and want a vetted firm with capped fees.
• Print the exact trademarked name permanently on your product or packaging, with the ™ symbol.
• Enrol in Brand Registry with your application number once your marketplace accepts it.
• Track examination, reply to objections on time, and monitor publication for oppositions.
• Switch to ® only after registration, and set renewal reminders.

A trademark is the slowest part of becoming a brand on Amazon, so start it first. File today, enrol with the pending number where Amazon allows it, and build your listing and A+ Content while the registry does its work.