Original product images that sellers upload in Amazon are copyright materials.

Copyrights confer automatic protection at the moment these materials are created. But enforcing copyrights is a different animal – an aspect which most, if not all, sellers do not pay attention to. As a result, hijackers conveniently copy these materials to pass off as their own without being penalized. As a defense, hijackers can always challenge a seller’s ownership of the copyrights. Therefore, the burden of proof to establish ownership of the copyrights is on the seller’s part. Without registration, the seller claiming copyright infringement is at a disadvantage.

The simple fix is copyright registration. Registering copyrights enforces an owner’s rights to his copyrights. It creates a public record of copyright ownership, therefore turning the table around. With copyright registration giving a legal presumption of ownership and validity of the copyrights, putting the hijackers on defensive to argue that there was no copyright infringement. Therefore, registration makes it easier for sellers to enforce rights in Amazon.

In addition, the following are some cool benefits of a copyright registration:

1. Only copyright owners are eligible for an award of statutory damages.  An award of statutory damages allows recovery for a certain amount for copyrights infringed.
2. Copyrights owners may record their copyright registration with U.S. Custom and Border Protection which has the authority to detain, seize, forfeit, and ultimately destroy merchandise seeking entry into the United States if it bears an infringing trademark or copyright that has been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or the U.S. Copyright Office (USCOP].

To end, copyright registration enhances and enforces an owner’s rights to his/her copyrights.