Combatting Counterfeits: Ensuring Your Amazon Products are Genuine
Published: September 21, 2023 | Amazon, E-Commerce Strategy, Tips & Tricks

Counterfeit products are a growing problem in the e-commerce industry, and Amazon is no exception. As an Amazon seller, it’s crucial to ensure that your products are genuine to maintain customer trust and protect your brand’s reputation. In this article, we’ll explore key strategies and tools that Amazon sellers can use to combat counterfeits and ensure product authenticity.
Protecting Your Brand on Amazon
The first step in protecting your brand on Amazon is establishing your intellectual property. Amazon uses advanced technology to identify true brand owners and give them the tools they need to establish and protect their intellectual property from counterfeit sellers. This includes trademarks, patents, and copyrights. By registering your brand with Amazon, you can access a suite of industry-leading tools and programs to protect your brand from counterfeits, fraud, and abuse.
Amazon Brand Registry
For most brands, Amazon Brand Registry is the entry point to Amazon’s brand protection and building programs. It provides access to powerful tools that help you protect your brand and intellectual property, including:
• Brand Gating: Allows authorized sellers to take action against counterfeiters and prevent them from listing their products on Amazon.
• Transparency: Enables you to track your products from the manufacturer to the Amazon fulfillment center, ensuring that only authentic products are sold to customers.
• Project Zero: Empowers brands to identify and remove counterfeit listings themselves, using Amazon’s advanced technology.
Removing Counterfeit Products from Amazon
If you discover counterfeit products on Amazon, there are steps you can take to remove them. First, report the counterfeit product to Amazon by opening the dropdown menu for “The primary complaint pertains to” and selecting the type of intellectual property infringement. Amazon has a Counterfeit Crimes Unit that investigates and takes action against counterfeiters. You can also work with a brand protection service provider to help you identify and remove counterfeit products from Amazon.
Best Practices for Ensuring Product Authenticity
In addition to using Amazon’s brand protection programs, there are best practices that Amazon sellers can follow to ensure product authenticity:
• Source Products from Authorized Distributors: Only source products from authorized distributors to ensure that you are selling genuine products.
• Perform Quality Control Inspections: Inspect products upon receipt to ensure that they are genuine and meet your quality standards.
• Monitor Product Listings: Monitor your product listings regularly to ensure that there are no counterfeit listings or unauthorized sellers.
• Educate Customers: Educate your customers on how to identify genuine products and report counterfeit products.
Case Studies: Success Stories in Combatting Counterfeits
Many brands have successfully combatted counterfeits on Amazon using a combination of Amazon’s brand protection programs and best practices. For example, a major electronics brand used Amazon’s Brand Registry and Transparency programs to identify and remove counterfeit products from Amazon, resulting in a 99% reduction in counterfeit claims. Another brand used Amazon’s Project Zero program to remove over 1,000 counterfeit listings in just one month.
Comparing Different Approaches to Combatting Counterfeits
There are different approaches to combatting counterfeits on Amazon, including using brand protection service providers and working with Amazon’s brand protection programs. Each approach has its pros and cons, and it’s important to evaluate them based on your specific needs and goals. For example, working with a brand protection service provider may be more expensive but can provide more personalized support, while using Amazon’s brand protection programs may be more cost-effective but require more self-management.
Counterfeit products are a growing problem on Amazon, but there are strategies and tools that Amazon sellers can use to combat them and ensure product authenticity. By registering your brand with Amazon’s Brand Registry and using its suite of brand protection programs, you can protect your brand from counterfeits, fraud, and abuse. In addition, following best practices for ensuring product authenticity and educating your customers can help you maintain customer trust and protect your brand’s reputation.
If you’re struggling to combat counterfeit products on Amazon and need help, contact geekspeak Commerce today. Our team of e-commerce experts can help you optimize your Amazon store page, improve your product listings, and provide excellent customer service to build trust and loyalty with your customers.