Amazon Asks Partners to Stop Using Amazon Exclusives Branding as New E-Commerce Rules Take Effect

Amazon has asked the members of Amazon Associates Program in the country to stop using the phrase “Amazon Exclusives,” following the new e-commerce rules that went into effect in India on Friday. Although the company's email communication sent to the Associates program members claims the decision has been taken over an internal mandate, the timing clearly points to the new e-commerce rules. The government of India had revealed the revised regulations for the e-commerce players in December last year.

“Pursuant to an internal mandate, Amazon has decided to cease the use of the phrase 'Amazon Exclusives' in all formats and across all media (both online and offline marketing and communication channels). Accordingly, we request you to kindly terminate use of 'Amazon Exclusives' phrase, with immediate effect,” Amazon wrote in the communication.

The e-commerce giant now wants its partners to use the term “Available Online on Amazon.in,” where they were earlier using “Amazon Exclusive,” which seems like a clever way to skirt any possible conflict with the revised e-commerce investment rules.

Amazon Associates is an affiliate programme run by Amazon globally, which allows website owners and influencers to promote Amazon products on their websites and social media channels. For the same, they are given a part of the sale value as commission.

Earlier, a number of products disappeared from Amazon India overnight as the Seattle-based company started complying with the revised norms. In a statement to Reuters, the company said it was "committed to remaining compliant to all the laws of the land."

In an announcement in late December, India had said that it will start barring the e-commerce players from selling products from the companies that they have stake in.

"An entity having equity participation by e-commerce marketplace entity or its group companies, or having control on its inventory by e-commerce marketplace entity or its group companies, will not be permitted to sell its products on the platform run by such marketplace entity," the commerce ministry had said in a statement at the time.

The e-commerce sites are still allowed to sell these products to their partners, who can then offer them via the same shopping websites to the consumers. The revised rules went into effect today.