An Amazon brand protection agency that tells you what Amazon will enforce.
Shelfcrest works as an Amazon brand protection agency for private label brands: Brand Registry set up and kept current, listings watched, counterfeits reported with evidence, and a straight answer on which problems Amazon acts on and which it does not.
What an Amazon brand protection agency actually does
Amazon brand protection is the work of keeping your brand's listings, images and name in your control on Amazon. Most of it runs through Amazon Brand Registry, which gives a trademark owner tools to report infringement and, for eligible brands, to remove counterfeit listings directly.
The tools only work on problems Amazon treats as violations. A counterfeit, a copied image or a misused trademark can be reported and removed. A reseller selling your genuine product outside your distribution agreement is a different matter: Amazon says such violations are not intellectual property infringement, and that it will not help enforce them.
So the first job of an Amazon brand protection service is sorting. Each problem goes to the route that can actually fix it: Report a Violation, Project Zero, the contact form for wrong detail pages, a better listing, or a supply chain decision that sits with the brand.
Six signs your brand needs protection on Amazon
Customer reviews mention a fake
Reviews on your own listing describe a product you did not make, which usually means another seller is shipping it.
Your images appear on other listings
Photos you paid for show up on a listing that is not yours. Amazon takes reports of copyrighted images added without consent.
Your brand name is used on someone else's product
A listing uses your trademark in its title or images to borrow your brand's trust.
You are not in Brand Registry yet
Without it, the reporting tools and automated protections are not available to you at all.
Your detail page keeps changing
Titles, images or bullets change without your approval, and sales drop while nobody notices.
New sellers keep appearing on your listing
Some may be selling counterfeits; others may be reselling genuine stock. The two need different answers.
What Amazon acts on, and what it does not
| Problem | Amazon's route | What you need | Does Amazon act? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counterfeit listing | Project Zero self-service removal, or Report a Violation | Brand Registry, a registered trademark in that store, a test buy | Yes. Project Zero removes the listing directly for eligible brands |
| Trademark used on another product | Report a Violation in Brand Registry | Brand Registry and the trademark record | Yes, when the report shows the infringement |
| Your images on another listing | Infringement report for copyrighted images | Proof the images are yours | Yes, for images added without consent |
| Detail page does not match the item | Amazon's contact us form, as Amazon's report page directs | The listing and what is wrong with it | Through that form, not the IP tools |
| Genuine product, unauthorized seller | None through Amazon's IP tools | Supply chain control and reseller agreements | No. Amazon says distribution violations are not IP infringement |
The last row is where most brand protection promises go wrong. An agency that says it will "remove unauthorized sellers" through Amazon is describing a route Amazon has said it will not take. Where the goods are genuine, the answer is in the supply chain and in contracts, which is legal work for a trademark attorney, not an agency.
Eight areas of Amazon brand protection, and the question behind each
- Brand Registry
- Is the brand enrolled, with the right trademark office, the right users and a trademark record for each store you sell in?
- Listing monitoring
- Which listings use your brand name, images or trademark, and which sellers are on your own detail pages?
- Counterfeit reports
- Has each suspected counterfeit been confirmed with a test buy before it is reported?
- Project Zero
- Is the brand eligible, and is every removal accurate enough to keep the 99 percent rate Amazon requires?
- Transparency
- Would serialization codes on each unit stop counterfeits before they reach customers, and is the cost worth it for this product?
- Images and content
- Are your photos and A+ Content showing up on listings that are not yours?
- Detail page control
- Do your title, images and bullets still say what you approved?
- Unauthorized resale
- Is the product genuine, and if so, where in the supply chain is it coming from?
The numbers behind Amazon brand protection
Amazon's own programs come with a few hard numbers. Project Zero requires an accuracy rate of at least 99 percent on removals, so every report has to be right. IP Accelerator lists maximum fees for trademark work through its network of law firms, which is where brand protection usually starts.
- Project Zero accuracy
- 99%the minimum to keep access to self-service removal
- Project Zero training
- 10 minutesrequired at enrollment
- US trademark filing
- $700maximum IP Accelerator fee, plus government fees
- Comprehensive brand review
- $1,800maximum IP Accelerator fee
Report accuracy = accepted reports / reports filed
Project Zero access holds while removal accuracy stays at 99 percent or higher
A test buy first: suspicion becomes evidence before anything is reported
Worked example, illustrative
A brand in Project Zero removes 200 suspected counterfeit listings over a quarter.
- At 99 percent, the brand can get at most 2 removals wrong in those 200.
- A third mistaken removal takes accuracy to 98.5 percent, below Amazon's minimum.
- That is why a test buy comes before each removal, and why a genuine reseller is never reported as a counterfeiter.
- One wrong call can cost the tool that makes every other removal instant.
| Program | What it does | Who can use it | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Registry | Reporting tools, automated protections, Report a Violation and the Impact Dashboard | Trademark owners with a pending or registered trademark | Not listed on Amazon's Brand Registry page |
| Project Zero | Self-service removal of counterfeit listings, plus automated protections | Brand Registry brands invited once they meet the criteria | Free once eligible |
| Transparency | Unit-level serialization codes that are checked before products reach customers | Brands that enroll their products | Brands pay for the codes |
| IP Accelerator | Connects brands with trademark law firms at pre-negotiated rates | Brands worldwide | No fee from Amazon; firms bill directly |
What a brand protection audit finds
Illustrative examples on an unnamed account. Not client results.
A competitor listing uses your product photos
Shoppers see your images on a product you did not make
File an infringement report for the copyrighted images, with the originals as proof
Brand Registry covers the US but not Canada or the UK
The tools only work in stores where the brand has a trademark on record
Add the trademark records for each store you sell in
Three sellers on your listing, one shipping a copy
Reviews mention a different material and a missing logo
Test buy from each seller, report only the confirmed counterfeit
A reseller with genuine stock undercuts your price
Amazon's IP tools do not cover genuine resale
Trace the lot to its source, and take the agreement question to your attorney
The first 30 days, then every week
Week 1: access and the risk list
The trademark owner adds Shelfcrest as a Brand Registry user, and as a service provider in Seller Central where listing work is needed. Every listing using the brand is found. Output: a ranked list of risks, each marked with the route that can fix it.
Week 2: Brand Registry fixed
Trademark records for each store you sell in, the right users with the right roles, and the brand details Amazon holds checked against your records.
Week 3: confirmed reports filed
Suspected counterfeits are test bought first, as Amazon recommends. Only confirmed infringements are reported, with the evidence attached.
Week 4: the first log
Every report, its evidence and its outcome in one log, plus the list of problems that are not Amazon's to fix and what the brand can do about each.
Every week after
New sellers on your listings, new listings using your brand name or images, changes to your detail pages, and follow up on open reports.
When Project Zero opens
Amazon invites brands once they meet its criteria. From then on, confirmed counterfeits are removed directly, with the accuracy rate watched on every removal.
Included in Amazon brand protection
- Brand Registry checked and kept current, with a trademark record for each store
- Weekly monitoring of listings, sellers, images and your detail pages
- Test buys arranged before any counterfeit report
- Reports filed through Report a Violation, with evidence
- Project Zero removals once the brand is eligible
- Advice on whether Transparency serialization is worth it for each product
- A log of every report and its outcome
- A plain list of what Amazon will not act on, and the options for each
- Your Brand Registry account, evidence and log stay yours
Trademark filing and legal action are not included: those need a trademark attorney, and Amazon's IP Accelerator lists firms at pre-negotiated rates. Test buy costs are paid by the brand. When the audit shows that listings or ads are the bigger problem, see listing optimization or full account management.
A 10-step brand protection check you can run this week
- Search your brand name on Amazon and note every listing that uses it.
- Open each of your own listings and note every seller on the offer list.
- Read your recent one and two star reviews for words like fake, different or copy.
- Check whether your brand is enrolled in Brand Registry, with a trademark for each store you sell in.
- Confirm who has access to your Brand Registry account, and remove anyone who should not.
- Run an image search for your main product photo and look for it on other listings.
- Compare your detail pages with the copy you approved last.
- For any suspected counterfeit, place a test buy before you report it.
- Report confirmed infringements through Report a Violation, with photos and order details.
- Keep a log: each report, the date, the evidence and the outcome.
If that list grows faster than you can work through it, that is the point where an Amazon brand protection agency pays for itself. The listing SEO guides cover keeping your own detail pages correct.
Doing it yourself, software, an attorney, or an Amazon brand protection agency
| Option | Works well when | Where it breaks |
|---|---|---|
| Doing it yourself | A few listings, a clear trademark, and time to follow reports through | Monitoring stops when you are busy, and reports go in without test buys |
| Monitoring software | Many listings across several marketplaces | Software flags; it does not test buy, decide which route applies, or follow a report through |
| Trademark attorney | Filings, cease and desist letters, legal action | Rarely watches listings week to week |
| Enforcement services on commission | Large volumes of clear counterfeits | Pay per takedown can reward reporting sellers who should not be reported |
| Amazon brand protection agency | You want one person watching the brand every week and filing only what is confirmed | Agencies that promise to remove every unauthorized seller through Amazon |
Who this service is for
A good fit
- Private label brands with a pending or registered trademark
- Brands seeing counterfeits, copied images or misuse of their name
- Brands expanding to new Amazon stores that need trademark records there
Not a fit
- Brands that want genuine resellers reported as counterfeiters
- Brands without a trademark application and no plan to file one
- Disputes that need a lawyer rather than a report
What Amazon brand protection costs
Brand protection: quoted after the audit
Brand protection is quoted in writing after the free audit, because the work depends on how many listings, stores and suspected infringers there are. It is a flat fee, never a charge per takedown. The monthly plans are on the pricing page.
Amazon brand protection agency FAQ
What does an Amazon brand protection agency do?
An Amazon brand protection agency watches your listings and your brand name, confirms suspected counterfeits with test buys, reports confirmed infringements through Brand Registry, uses Project Zero once the brand is eligible, and keeps a log of every report and its outcome.
Do I need Brand Registry for brand protection?
For most of it, yes. Brand Registry gives trademark owners Report a Violation, the Impact Dashboard and automated protections, and it is the way into Project Zero.
What do I need to enroll in Brand Registry?
Amazon asks for a logo with your brand name permanently affixed to your products or packaging, and a pending or registered trademark from the trademark office of a country with an Amazon store. You must be the trademark owner.
Can an agency enroll my brand for me?
No. Amazon asks the trademark owner to enroll the brand and then add an agent as an additional Brand Registry user. That keeps the account in your name.
Can you remove unauthorized sellers from my listing?
Not through Amazon's IP tools when the product is genuine. Amazon says violations of exclusive distribution agreements are not intellectual property infringement and that it will not assist in enforcing them. Counterfeits are a different case and can be reported.
What is Project Zero?
Amazon's program that lets eligible Brand Registry brands remove counterfeit listings themselves, with a self-service tool. It is free once the brand is eligible, and access depends on keeping removal accuracy at 99 percent or higher.
How do I become eligible for Project Zero?
Amazon reviews each brand's report history and other criteria, and invites brands to enroll once they meet them. Until then, reports go through Report a Violation.
What is Amazon Transparency?
A serialization program: brands apply unique codes to each unit so Amazon can check them before products reach customers. Brands pay for the codes.
Should I do a test buy before reporting a counterfeit?
Yes. Amazon recommends a test buy to confirm the violation, and a report built on a confirmed purchase is the one that holds up.
Do you file trademarks?
No. Trademark filing is legal work. Amazon's IP Accelerator connects brands with law firms at pre-negotiated rates, for example a maximum of $700 plus government fees for a US trademark application.
Someone copied my product photos. What can I do?
Amazon takes reports of copyrighted images added to its catalog without consent. Keep the original files and their dates as proof.
Do you charge per takedown?
No. Brand protection is a flat fee quoted after the audit, so there is never a reason to report something that should not be reported.
What happens if we stop?
Your Brand Registry account, the evidence and the report log stay yours. You remove Shelfcrest as a user on your side.
Get a free Amazon brand protection audit.
Send your store link. You get a written audit: every listing using your brand, Brand Registry gaps, suspected infringements, and which ones Amazon will act on.