When developing a product for a business, the first thing that comes to mind is “how to sell it?” It is a natural question for entrepreneurs entering their niche industry and market. We get busy with conceptualizing marketing strategies, creating investor proposals, and training the sales department on how to sell our products; which is a practical strategy if you want to grow your business. There’s nothing wrong with it. But in a sense, we need security. Especially when the product you’ve made is innovative, that only a brand like yours conceptualized and brought it to market. In this article, we will talk about brand registry in eCommerce, and how it helps businesses protect their brand.
What is Brand Registry in eCommerce
Brand registry is a program offered by Amazon. It is designed to help brand, business owners, and manufacturers to protect their intellectual property and maintain control over their branded products on its platform.
Amazon is an eCommerce giant spanning its services all around the world. It has developed a brand registry program for businesses in its marketplace platform.
But now, a B2B eCommerce marketplace in the Philippines, Shoppable Business, is also implementing a brand registry that enables brands, businesses, and manufacturers to protect and maintain control over their brand, and later, we will talk more about Shoppable Business’ brand registry program.
What’s the Difference Between Brand Registry and Patent?
While both programs offer protection to your intellectual property, serve different purposes and offer distinct advantages, brand registry in eCommerce and a patent are quite different. Here are the differences:
1. Purpose and Scope:
Brand Registry focuses on protecting a brand’s identity and reputation. It helps brand owners prevent unauthorized sellers from using their brand name, logo, and product listings. Brand registry is specific to branding and does not protect the underlying technology or functionality of a product.
A patent, on the other hand, protects inventions and innovations. It grants the patent holder exclusive rights to make, use, and sell the patented invention for a limited period, typically 20 years from the date of filing. Patents cover a wide range of innovations, including new products, processes, machines, and more.
2. Nature of Protection
Brand Registry primarily protects the brand’s visual identity, trademarks, and associated content. It focuses on preventing unauthorized use of the brand’s name and logo, as well as ensuring product listings accurately represent the brand.
Patents provide exclusive rights to inventors or owners to prevent others from making, using, selling, or importing their patented inventions. This protection extends to the underlying technology or innovation itself.
3. Application Process
The process of brand registry, as seen on platforms like Amazon, typically requires brand owners to have a registered trademark for their brand. The registration process involves providing evidence of trademark ownership and meeting platform-specific criteria.
Obtaining a patent involves a more complex and specialized process. Inventors or companies must file a patent application with the relevant government authority in this case, the The Philippines Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL). The application requires detailed technical descriptions and often undergoes examination by patent examiners.
4. Duration of Protection
Brand Registry protections are ongoing as long as the brand owner maintains their trademark and adheres to the platform’s policies. There is no fixed expiration date for brand protection through registration.
Patents have a limited duration, typically 20 years from the date of filing. After the patent expires, the invention enters the public domain, and others can use it without restrictions.
5. Applicability
Brand Registry is primarily applicable to brands and businesses concerned with maintaining their brand identity on eCommerce platforms.
Patent is applicable to inventors and companies across various industries who want to protect their innovations and inventions, whether they are tangible products, manufacturing processes, software algorithms, or other novel discoveries.
Brand Protection
The term is pretty much self explanatory. Brand protection is protecting your brand from external factors in your market. Brand protection is a strategy, practice, and actions undertaken by a company or a brand owner to safeguard their brand and products. This saves your business from threats and risks in your market position. These threats are product counterfeiting, trademark infringement, and unauthorized distribution.
Why Brand Protection is Important in eCommerce
Brand protection, overall, whether physical or digitized, is equally important for a business.
- Maintaining Brand Reputation
A strong brand reputation is vital in eCommerce. Negative experiences with counterfeit or low-quality products can tarnish your brand’s image, erode consumer trust, and result in long-term damage to your reputation.
- Consumer Trust
Trust is the foundation of eCommerce. When customers trust your brand, they are more likely to make purchases and become repeat buyers. Brand protection ensures that customers receive genuine products, enhancing trust and loyalty.
- Quality Assurance
Brand owners want to ensure that their products meet specific quality standards, keeping their customers happy. Unauthorized sellers may not adhere to these standards, potentially leading to subpar product quality. Protecting your brand helps maintain control over product quality.
- Price Control
Unauthorized sellers on eCommerce platforms can engage in price undercutting, which can harm your brand’s perceived value and profitability. Brand protection helps prevent this practice and maintains pricing integrity.
- Legal Compliance
Registering trademarks and protecting your intellectual property is often a legal requirement. Failing to do so can result in legal disputes, fines, and damage to your brand’s legal standing.
- Risk Mitigation
Counterfeit and unauthorized products can lead to financial losses and legal liabilities. Brand protection measures help mitigate these risks and safeguard your business interests.
Now that we’ve discussed brand protection and its importance, let us have a look at brand registry in eCommerce.
Shoppable Business – Brand Registry in B2B eCommerce Philippines
The brand registry program of Shoppable Business is a proactive system that keeps your brand secured at all times.
- It’s a plug and play experience
Brands, businesses, and manufacturers won’t have to worry about the lengthy process of registering their brand and getting brand protection in Shoppable Business. Through Shoppable Business’ program, you can get verified through its vetting process, providing you with the benefits and privilege of brand registry protection.
- Protecting Brand Identity
Brand registry allows brands and business owners to create and maintain a trusted and exclusive presence for their products in eCommerce. This helps prevent unauthorized sellers from using their brand name, logo, and product listings to sell counterfeit or unauthorized products.
- Enhanced Brand Control
Once a brand is registered, brand owners have more control over their product listings. They can create detailed product descriptions, and ensure that product information is accurate and consistent.
- Shoppable Analytics
Brand registry provides access to Shoppable Analytics, which offers valuable insights into customer search and purchase behavior. This data can help brand owners make informed decisions about inventory, marketing, and product development.
- Report and Removal Tools
Brand owners can report and request the removal of counterfeit or unauthorized listings more efficiently through brand registry. This helps in maintaining the integrity of the brand and ensures that customers receive genuine products.
- Incentive System
When your brand is registered with Shoppable Business, your business can earn incentive rewards when you reach a selling quota and a customer satisfaction feedback.
- Dedicated 24/7 Customer Support
Your brand is privileged to 24/7 customer support access and contact real-time support for any concerns and inquiries about your products and brand.
- Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
Shoppable Business takes a proactive stance in enforcing intellectual property rights of registered brands. They work to prevent the sale of counterfeit or infringing products, ensuring products are only 100% authentic guaranteed.
Shoppable Business offers more than just brand protection. Shoppable Business is a B2B eCommerce platform in the Philippines that aims to make digital procurement easy. With tools and features to automate and streamline procurement such as live data analytics, re-ordering, and one click approvals, businesses can digitize their procurement without the pains and hassle of traditional procurement.
With business digitization, it enables businesses and brands to build a digital presence in its eCommerce platform, along with security and brand protection.
Why Become a Seller in Shoppable Business
- Access to a large customer base – giving businesses the opportunity to expand their reach and increase sales
- Increased visibility and brand awareness – a platform for businesses to showcase their products/services and potentially attract new customers
- BNPL (Buy now, Pay later) – grow your ASP; buyers/companies can apply for a loan up to ₱150,000.00
Why Become a Buyer in Shoppable Business
- Wide product selection from different categories – a one-stop-shop solution for businesses’ procurement needs
- Save company time and money – Customized orders, RFQ for specific quantities, bundles, configuration, Track their orders, view purchase history
- Need it now but limited budget – BNPL apply and get up to ₱150,000.00
What are you waiting for? Start your transition to digitized procurement with Shoppable Business as a buyer for your procurement needs or a seller to provide procurement solutions for your clients.
