Trade marks and Amazon Brand Registry: the complete guide for UK sellers

Which trade mark to file, what UK, EU and US filings cost, how to enrol in Amazon Brand Registry and what it unlocks, plus brand protection on other marketplaces.

If you sell your own brand on Amazon UK, file a UK trade mark for your brand name with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO), then enrol in Amazon Brand Registry, which is free. At the time of writing (November 2026), a UK online application costs £205 including one class, plus £60 for each extra class. Amazon accepts registered trade marks and, in some cases, pending applications, and its IP Accelerator programme can get you into Brand Registry sooner. If you also sell in the EU or US, you need separate protection there.

Word mark or figurative mark?

A word mark protects the words themselves, whatever font, colour or layout you use. A figurative mark protects a particular logo or stylised design. For most sellers the word mark is the more useful first filing, because it covers the brand name however it is presented, and the name is what copycats usually take.

Amazon accepts both text-based marks and image-based marks that contain words, letters or numbers. The brand name you enrol must match the text of the mark, and it must be permanently affixed to your products or packaging. Amazon's guidance says stickers, labels, stamps and tags do not count as permanent, so arrange printed packaging or product marking before you apply.

Choosing classes

Trade marks are registered for specific goods and services, grouped into 45 classes under the Nice classification: classes 1 to 34 for goods and 35 to 45 for services. Protection covers only what you select, and you cannot add goods or services after you apply. UKIPO's guidance gives a useful example: a business selling its own clothing line chooses class 25, while a shop selling other people's clothing looks at retail services in class 35.

List the goods you sell now and those you realistically expect to sell within five years. A registered mark that is not used for five years can be revoked, and every extra class adds to the fee. If you are unsure, UKIPO runs a classification enquiry service, and a chartered trade mark attorney can advise.

UK, EU and US filings: fees and timelines

• UK (UKIPO): £205 for an online application including one class, and £60 for each additional class. Right Start lets you pay in two stages (£125 each, plus £30 per extra class at each stage) and see the examination result before paying the balance. UKIPO's published timeline says an application that is not opposed is typically registered around three months after you apply, following publication and a two-month opposition period. Registration lasts 10 years; online renewal currently costs £245 plus £60 per extra class.
• EU (EUIPO): a UK mark does not cover the EU, and an EU trade mark no longer covers the UK. An online EU application costs €850 for one class, €50 for the second and €150 for each class after that. After publication there is a three-month opposition period that cannot be extended, so allow several months even for a straightforward application.
• US (USPTO): the base application fee is $350 per class, with surcharges if the application lacks required information or describes goods in free text rather than using the USPTO's ID Manual. Applicants based outside the US must be represented by a US-licensed attorney. Check the USPTO's current processing times before planning a US launch around the registration.

All fees above are correct at the time of writing (November 2026). You can also extend a UK application or registration to other countries through the international Madrid System, filed via UKIPO, which can be simpler than separate national filings. The cost depends on the countries you choose.

Enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry

To enrol you need a pending or registered trade mark issued by the designated trade mark office of a country with an Amazon store, and you must be the trade mark owner. Agencies and other authorised agents are added as users after the owner has enrolled the brand. UKIPO and EUIPO marks both qualify, but acceptance of pending applications varies by country, so check Amazon's country-specific requirements before you apply.

You enrol through Amazon's brand services site using your Seller Central login. Have ready the trade mark number, clear photos of your branded product and packaging, and the categories you sell in. Amazon may verify ownership through the contact named on the trade mark record, so make sure that person, often your attorney, expects to hear from Amazon.

If you do not have a trade mark yet, IP Accelerator connects you with Amazon-vetted IP law firms that charge pre-negotiated rates, and filing through the programme gives you access to Brand Registry while the application is still pending. Amazon launched it for the UK and several EU countries in 2020. You pay the law firm directly for its work.

What Brand Registry unlocks

Brand-building tools listed on Amazon UK's Brand Registry page include:

• A+ Content, for richer images, comparison charts and copy on detail pages.
• Brand Stores, a free multi-page store for your brand.
• Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display advertising.
• Brand Analytics, Brand Metrics, Manage Your Experiments and Amazon Attribution, for search, customer and testing data.
• Amazon Vine, Brand Tailored Promotions, Subscribe & Save, Virtual Bundles, Posts and Amazon Live.
• The Brand Referral Bonus on sales you drive to Amazon from outside it.

Protection tools include Report a Violation for suspected infringement, Transparency serial codes to help stop counterfeits, Project Zero, which lets eligible brands remove listings directly, and Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit. Several tools have their own eligibility rules, so check each one in your account.

Brand protection on other marketplaces

Registered rights help well beyond Amazon. eBay's Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) programme lets rights owners and their authorised representatives report infringing listings, including counterfeits and unauthorised use of copyright material, through the VeRO Portal, and publish a participant page explaining the rights they protect. TikTok Shop runs an Intellectual Property Protection Centre where rights holders submit their IP rights and report infringing products, videos and live streams. Most other marketplaces have their own infringement reporting routes, and a registration number gives any report a firmer footing.

How Farioxa can help

Farioxa can prepare and submit your Amazon Brand Registry application, help you add your team as users, and then put the tools to work through A+ Content, a Brand Store and Sponsored Brands campaigns. We are not a law firm, so for trade mark searches, filings and legal advice we recommend a chartered trade mark attorney or a firm in Amazon's IP Accelerator.