Listing hijacking is probably the most frustrating thing that can happen to a marketplace seller. In the worst-case scenario, hijackers can not only sell counterfeits registered under your brand but also change the data of your listing like images, descriptions, etc. Until now, the only way to prevent this was to contact Walmart Support, prove that you are a brand owner, and request them to remove the hijacker from the listing page. Unfortunately, this process could take days or even weeks, allowing the hijacker to keep selling your item and tarnish your reputation at the same time. To prevent such situations, Walmart recently introduced a Walmart Brand Portal.
What is Walmart Brand Portal?
This new tool is designed to help you manage your brands and protect intellectual property rights. It will be presented in the form of a separate hub which will unify the list of your registered brands, intellectual property claims, and authorized representatives.
You will be able to add as many brands as you want as long as you have an active trademark registration with the USPTO (the United States Patent and Trademark Office). Walmart Brand Portal also allows you to report any legitimate claims of intellectual property infringement, including claims of copyright, trademark, patent, and counterfeit. There is even an option to authorize third-party representatives (for example, GeekSeller) to submit claims on your behalf. Every claim that you submitted can be easily tracked and monitored on the dashboard.
Important Information
- Walmart Brand Portal is perfect for right owners with registered trademarks looking for a better way to protect their intellectual property. It can also be used by authorized third-party brand protection agencies and legal representatives.
- Currently, it is only available for US sellers.
- WIPO or EUIPO trademarks are not accepted at this point. Only USPTO (the United States Patent and Trademark Office) trademarks will be accepted.
How to apply?
You can register with Walmart Brand Portal here. You will need to provide some basic information about your company and brands, including an active trademark number registered with USPTO. After you apply, you can monitor the application status by logging into your Walmart Brand Portal account.
Let us know if you will be using this feature in the comment section below, and check this post for more information.
