Amazon Brand Registry requires a trademark in the marketplace country, so a US seller needs a US trademark for Amazon.com. A China trademark does not satisfy that requirement, but it serves a different purpose: stopping Chinese factories and marketplace sellers from copying your product.
What Brand Registry actually requires
Amazon checks for an active registered trademark in the country of the marketplace you are enrolling in. For Amazon.com, that means a US trademark from the USPTO. A Chinese registration will not satisfy Brand Registry in the US.
Where a China trademark fits
If your products are made in China, your supply chain and your copycats are both in China. Chinese sellers can register your name or copy your product on Temu, Shein, 1688 and other platforms. A China trademark and a China design patent give you the rights to stop them, and customs recordal adds border enforcement.
The enforcement chain
- China trademark: stops others selling under your brand
- China design patent: stops lookalike products
- Customs recordal: intercepts counterfeit exports at the border
Practical advice
File the US trademark for Brand Registry. File the China trademark before your product launches in China or appears on Chinese platforms, because China is first-to-file and the squatter who files first wins. Many of our clients file both at the same time. Tell us your markets and we will map the filings you need.
