Amazon has applied to the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to register the trademark “Amazon Pharmacy”, in a move that has, unsurprisingly, been taken as a strong indication that Amazon intends to enter the UK’s pharmaceutical space. This follows recent and ongoing efforts by Amazon to diversify into a myriad of markets and services – in October 2019 Amazon announced its “Amazon Intellectual Property Accelerator” service, a program intended to help brands obtain intellectual property (IP) rights and brand protection in Amazon’s stores. According to the IPO filing, “Amazon Pharmacy” is intended to cover a number of services, including scientific research.
Amazon has applied to trademark the “Amazon Pharmacy” brand across the world, with applications having been made in Australia, Canada, the EU, Israel, and China, amongst others. The global retail giant already sells prescription medicines online in the US via its subsidiary PillPack, which Amazon purchased in 2018.
No decision on Amazon’s application has yet been made by the IPO.
