Ep. 39 How Brands Can (and Can’t) Remove Sellers on Amazon

Amazon’s rules aren’t always what they seem. In this episode, Danan Coleman sits down with Zac Garthe, former Amazon IP attorney and now CEO of Sigil, to break down the realities of brand protection, counterfeit enforcement, and MAP pricing.If you’re a brand owner or Amazon seller, this episode is packed with practical strategies to protect your business and avoid costly mistakes.🔗 Connect with Zac Garthe🌐 Website: https://sigilprotects.com/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-garthe/📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6485fb3tRofRjLXWFqQ9QA 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Sigil/61563142253191/⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro & Zac’s background as an IP attorney01:39 – Working with Amazon & Walmart attorneys02:46 – Launching Sigil: the “delete button” for fraudulent sellers03:51 – Inside Amazon beta testing (2017–2018)05:24 – Thoughts on Amazon’s counterfeit crimes unit07:45 – Why Amazon runs multiple programs & experiments09:42 – Amazon’s hidden marketplace experiments10:40 – How Sigil works to protect brands & sellers11:47 – Where to learn more: sigilprotects.com13:36 – Do brands have the legal right to remove sellers?14:37 – Counterfeits vs. listing hijacking explained16:44 – How sellers can report violations properly18:41 – 25% of Brand Registry reports are false19:51 – Escalating cases inside Amazon’s “escalation culture”22:59 – Amazon’s fraud & abuse prevention team (reviews)25:33 – The biggest mistake brands make with IP enforcement27:19 – Why false counterfeit complaints can backfire legally30:36 – Counterclaims & the Lanham Act explained32:05 – MAP pricing policies: what sellers must know34:15 – MAP lawsuits & price fixing risks37:44 – Paying for expertise vs. cutting corners40:06 – “Buy nice or buy twice” mindset41:18 – Misunderstandings about Amazon’s rules42:42 – Why sellers must always check Amazon’s policies46:42 – Amazon’s “guilty until guilty” enforcement culture49:28 – Review manipulation & competitor sabotage50:39 – Why escalation often requires outside experts52:06 – How AI is changing brand protection54:25 – Wrap up & where to connect with Zac#TheeComGrowthShow #Sigil #BrandProtectionKEEP IN TOUCH:🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danancoleman📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecomgrowthshow👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheeComGrowthShow 🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/eComGrowthShowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@eComGrowthShowDanan Coleman is an expert in the Amazon field. He's been actively selling on Amazon since 2010 and in the SaaS and Service network for Amazon sellers since 2018. After helping companies like ManageByStats and Carbon6 scale and be sold, he started his eCom Triage [https://ecomtriage.com] to help sellers with solutions to complicated and seemingly impossible tasks like removing negative reviews and detecting critical and detrimental changes to your product detail pages. He also consults both brands and agencies in the Amazon space.