Amazon has effectively banned Comic books from being sold here
First, through the insane problem that already has a lot of mentions on the forums, Suspected Intellectual Property Violations. I already get the comics through distributors... now I need to get licensing rights?? If a publisher makes a Star Trek comic, they want to sell it.... it's the point of making it. No one needs to get special Star Trek licensing to sell a Star Trek book. I didn't write the thing myself. It's not fanfiction.
But now, as of late yesterday, a new problem as emerged. Comics and magazines don't have UPC's or ISBN's. They have ISSN's. And Amazon has never recognized ISSN's. I've been selling here for well over a decade and Comic books have simply always been exempt for needing a UPC for that reason.
But for some reason, late yesterday afternoon, that changed. Now I get an error when I try to create a new product detail page demanding I have some sort of number. Or get a GTIN exemption for each publisher. But comics have hundreds of publishers. And new ones come and go every month.
What I'm unsure of is, did Amazon actually do this on purpose? Or is it just a glitch?
Amazon has effectively banned Comic books from being sold here
First, through the insane problem that already has a lot of mentions on the forums, Suspected Intellectual Property Violations. I already get the comics through distributors... now I need to get licensing rights?? If a publisher makes a Star Trek comic, they want to sell it.... it's the point of making it. No one needs to get special Star Trek licensing to sell a Star Trek book. I didn't write the thing myself. It's not fanfiction.
But now, as of late yesterday, a new problem as emerged. Comics and magazines don't have UPC's or ISBN's. They have ISSN's. And Amazon has never recognized ISSN's. I've been selling here for well over a decade and Comic books have simply always been exempt for needing a UPC for that reason.
But for some reason, late yesterday afternoon, that changed. Now I get an error when I try to create a new product detail page demanding I have some sort of number. Or get a GTIN exemption for each publisher. But comics have hundreds of publishers. And new ones come and go every month.
What I'm unsure of is, did Amazon actually do this on purpose? Or is it just a glitch?
26 Antworten
Seller_J46Ruz3VzvWCV
When it happens on Friday it is usually something new and permanent ... or a suppose "fix."
We can wish, but I'm not so sure it's a glitch.
I could see Amazon wanting to fix a misuse of the overall exemption by requiring individual publisher exemption. This would conform to what already exists for all other categories where exemption is based on "brand."
Seller_w9IxwsraRb9lc
Are they requiring you supply authorisation from the Publisher or just an UPC/EAN Barcode. If it just Barcodes that is an easy fix if you know hw to use them on Amazon.
[Moderator edit: removed personal solicitation].
Seller_T0Jq6WkYGZbkC
Can you post an example of a comic you are having trouble with?
Seller_XSqPquQH4FvW1
DC and Marvel, and some game manufacturers have not allowed used books on here for a while. On the other hand, I tried to create a listing for a local history today, and it said I had to apply for a GTIN exemption. I have had one for at least 10 years already, so I don't know what's going on here.
Seller_1oT4ZOwrSByEE
Amazon is responsible for all the knockoffs sold here, they spend most of their effort rooting out bad sellers and fake items.
Even if you are selling genuine things, buying from a distributor is not considered buying direct and you are going to run into alot of issues selling those here.
Amazon was the wild west for a long time and alot of people sold lots of bad things, but they lost alot of money and are now cracking down across the board on bad sellers, if you take my advice, register your company trademark and list as your own brand or you will never be able to list all that stuff.
Danny_Amazon
Hey there @Seller_4Sh29kRkwLHjN- thanks for starting this discussion. Based on our help page focused on GTIN requirements for books, it does sound like an exemption would be necessary in cases where ISBNs, EANs, or JANs do not exist. I do appreciate the feedback around this process though. Have you connected with support at all if you do believe a glitch is impacting this?
Thanks!
Danny
Seller_JPMo6wCZLFhTD
I think the bigger picture: part of a move by Amazon to exit a number of product categories. It started for me in January 2022 with Entertainment Collectibles (EC) category being dissolved. It appeared nothing happened to EC in January, then in May, yes, you guessed it, "Suspected IP Violations" and requirements for brand authorization...essentially killing the category and almost taking my account with it. Will Ford really give me authorization to sell a 1965 Ford Mustang advertisement?
Amazon is using the Brand hammer to shape the marketplace as they want it. This year the process seems to be spreading to sports cards, handmade(?), maybe now comic books, probably will soon hit used magazines and on from there. Maybe I'm reading this wrong but that's the picture I see.
Bots are also moving some books to other categories resulting in IP violations. I struggle to keep up with the hits to our account. The point is we need to read the 'writing on the wall' and identify the products Amazon no longer wants here and have a plan to quickly exit these categories to protect our accounts, or the violations will pile up.
Seller_R2dP7Hunjcdj0
Absolutely correct.
Comic Books manufactured by U.S.A. based companies all have contractual agreements with a few Major Wholesale Distributors. For decades, Diamond Comic Distributors held a virtual monopoly on the sales of comic books in the U.S.A.
In the last few years Diamond has lost their exclusive rights to Distribute ALL of the main publishers; Marvel, DC and Image.
The first to go was DC Comics. They transferred the Diamond accounts to two different New Comic Distributors, based on where YOUR account was located in the U.S.A., either UCS or Lunar.
UCS went out of business, and now Lunar hold the monopoly for ordering DC Comics in the U.S.A.
Marvel left Diamond next and formed a partnership with Penguin/Random House. Diamond account holders can still order Marvel Comics through Diamond (for a slightly higher amount), who in turn gets them from PRH.
Finally, Image partnered with Lunar as well, although Diamond still offers their products too.
Even IF a person could find a Publisher who offers a subscription service for receiving their books (a program that ended many decades ago), the documentation would amount to a "Receipt", not a Wholesale Invoice, and would still not be acceptable to Amazon.
So there is, and never has been a way to purchase Comic Books Wholesale Direct from a Publisher.
As for UPC codes on Comic Books; this is another kettle of fish that requires a bit of history. The VAST majority of ALL Comic Books Published to date DO NOT have UPC codes.
To begin with, Comic Books began in the 1930's, a LOOOONG time before computers, let alone laser scanners for UPC codes. Comic Books were published for many decades without a UPC code simply because they predate the invention of UPC codes by decades. Back then, ALL comic books were sold at Newsstands, along with newspapers and magazines.
In the 1980's a new phenomenon appeared: The Comic Book Store. These business lived on the weekly flow of regular customers who would arrive on New Comic Book Day (which has changed many times over the years, and is currently Tuesday). Comic Book stores became SO popular that the aided in the actual demise of the Newsstand, and now, virtually NO Newsstands exist anymore.
Along side of the development of the "Direct Market" as the Comic Book Stores became known was the development of the Personal Computer. By the mid-1980's, the first Comic Book created entirely on a computer (Shatter) was created.
It was at this time that UPC Codes and Bar-Code Scanners were created. During this period of time, Marvel and DC comics would actually create TWO different covers for the same Comic Book, using the exact same image. The new cover design included a rectangular Box on the lower front cover. For "Newsstand" Editions, the Box would contain the UPC Code. For "Direct Market" Editions (Comic Book Stores), the Box would contain a fully inked headshot image of the main character.
This two-cover program did not last long, and died when the Newsstand Business died. Since that time MOST Comic Books published by decent-sized publishers include a UPC code on the book, either front cover or back cover.
This means that the VAST majority of ALL Comic Books published to-date DO NOT HAVE A UPC CODE, and NEVER did!
It is unreasonable to expect a 3rd Party Retailer to have to purchase a NEW UPC code for the Comic Book. Why should ONE particular Amazon Seller fund the expense for ALL Amazon Sellers who could then join the listing without having to shoulder the expense?
And a 3rd Party Seller could not seek protection by hiding the ASIN under their own "BRAND". NO Comic Book that was published and sold Wholesale through a recognized Distributor can be "BRANDED" to one particular 3rd Party Seller's "Brand". By definition, we, the 3rd Party Seller merely hold the Resale Rights as established by the licensing agreement between the Actual License Holder, the Manufacture, the Wholesale Distributor and the 3rd Party Retailer.
And IF a 3rd Party Seller can NOT "Own" the right to sell that comic exclusively, and then IF a Comic Book does NOT have a UPC code, and I purchase a UPC Code for it, I cannot then "BRAND" it as my own and restrict all others from joining the listing. Just because the Comic Book lacks a UPC code does NOT mean that it lacks an "Rights Owner".
ALL Comic Books purchased Wholesale form a Distributor were legally licensed, and while we have the right to Retail them, we do NOT have the right to "Exclusivity" in Selling them.
So, any one 3rd Party Seller who purchases a UPC code for a Comic Book is funding the cost for ALL other 3rd Party Sellers who likewise have that item to offer. Why should one Seller bear that burden?
IF THIS NEW CHANGE IS TRUE, THIS EFFECTIVELY REMOVES ALL COMIC BOOK SALES FROM AMAZON FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF ALL COMIC BOOKS EVER PRODUCED.
Which is beyond sad!
I really HOPE that this is some misunderstanding or error that will be quickly resolved. To me, this smell of more A.I. intervention on Amazon, once again taking what WAS working, and working WELL, and ruining it!
Amazon keeps wondering WHY things aren't a good as they were, and yet they fail to understand that with every ASIN their 'bot removes (in error), Amazon LOSES the potential Sale!
The IRONY is that Amazon began, and in fact made their fortune as a Book Seller! Surely MOST Books published throughout human history ALSO lack a UPC code. Is Amazon going to remove all of those books as well?
Does this mean that a NEW online store will appear specializing in the sales of Books?
Seller_8bKTbjGobJoAL
Who knows why Amazon does what it does. Lots of incompetence most likely. Makes me long for the jeff Bezos days. They were bad but nothing like this. Anyway, what you are describing is nothing new, it's been going on for years, forcing innocent, good 3rd party sellers to find creative ways around it. I spend a good part of every day cleaning up after Amazon's idiocy. Incorrect IP violations, absurd high price deactivations (they know nothing about how comic back issue pricing works) wrong listing violations (for listing a 40 year old collectible comic as collectible!) and giving no avenue of action to correct the violation which isn't a violation in the first place. The majority of the time they won't even accept the solutions that they themselves tell you to do! It's maddening! Between their price fixing, micro managing and obsession for control they are effectively destroying 3rd party sellers. If I were to be paid for all the time I have spent correcting Amazon's incompetent interference I could retire.
Seller_z1JDNz6de1lqc
Like Comics most items will return back to the original online marketplace eBay! Amazon just wants to copy Alibaba and sell junk KO garage branded items. Like toys they are going back and eliminating older major US brands listings saying child safety certificate must be supplied even though Amazon does not keep on file such documentation for any toy item and those documents are only used for manufactures when items are imported not domestically sold. When Amazon removes items or entire lines we dont even bother fixing listings we just move to other market places and retail is actually currently looking better than any online platform higher prices and not constantly being attacked by price fixing bots. Just type in marvel or DC and scroll down and look at how many sponsored non licensed items are listed so clearly Amazon has double standards and are intentionally manipulating markets.
