Amazon-Linking Site Can’t Get Retail Mark, Trademark Board Says

July 31, 2024, 9:39 PM UTC

An “Amazon Affiliate Store” can’t register an online retail trademark because it only provides referral services and not retail, a trademark tribunal said Wednesday in a precedential decision.

Florida resident Gail Weiss sought to register “Gabby’s Table,” but her own evidence shows that customers who click on products she promotes are redirected to third-party sellers’ sites to complete their purchase, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board said. The “Amazon Associates” program by Amazon.com Inc. lets website owners create an affiliate storefront and earn commissions when customers click through their links and buy products.

The opinion noted that applications must show ...

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