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Appstore Policy FAQ

Amazon Appstore Agreements and Policies

Q: Where can I see the Amazon Developer Services Agreement?
When you sign in to the Amazon developer portal, you will see a link to the agreement at the bottom of the page. Review the current version of the Amazon Developer Services Agreement
Q: Where can I find out about recent changes to the Amazon Developer Services Agreement?
The most recent changes to the agreement are described here.
Q: How do I terminate my Amazon Developer Services Agreement?
Our goal is to establish long-term relationships with developers, and we encourage you to contact us before terminating your distribution agreement to see if we can improve your Amazon Appstore experience.

If you would like to terminate your distribution agreement, please send an email with your developer name, contact information, and a list of your apps to apps-notices@amazon.com with a carbon-copy (CC:) to contracts-legal@amazon.com. It can take up to 10 days from our receipt of your email for your account to be officially terminated.

All requests to terminate an Amazon Developer Services Agreement are final, and all sales of your applications on Amazon will be suspended. You will have limited access to the developer portal after your distribution agreement has been terminated.

Q: What agreements and policies must I comply with in order to participate in the Program?
In order to distribute apps through our Program, you are required to agree to and comply with the Amazon Developer Services Agreement. All content you make available through our Program must also comply with all applicable laws. If you use any of the APIs, resources, tools or other materials we make available for developers on our portal, your use of those materials is governed by the Program Materials License Agreement. In addition, the use of certain APIs are subject to additional terms, as detailed in the relevant schedules of the Amazon Developer Services Agreement. Your use of the developer portal itself is governed by the Amazon Developer Services Portal Terms of Use. We've made available certain Amazon trademarks and logos for your use to promote the availability of your app in our Program. Your use of those trademarks and logos must comply with our Trademark, Brand and Marketing Guidelines. Finally, please carefully review these Policy Guidelines and ensure that the content you make available in our Program complies with these guidelines. You should also review all of our FAQs and the documentation for all APIs, resources, tools and other materials you use to understand additional requirements that may apply to you.
Q: Am I responsible for import and export compliance?
Yes. Many countries or regions around the world, including the United States, the EU, and other countries in which Amazon has marketplaces, regulate the export and import of products, including the export of software that includes encryption. Depending on your location and your app, the submission of an app to Amazon may be an export from your home country or region, and the access or download of apps from Amazon by international customers may be an export subject to applicable export control laws. You are responsible for ensuring that your app complies with all applicable trade control laws and for all obligations under those laws, such as export classification, registration, reporting, and licensing. In particular, if your app makes use of encryption technology, you may be required to obtain an encryption registration before distributing your app through our Program. For more information about US import and export regulations, please refer to the US Bureau of Industry and Security's website.

Policy: Content Guidelines

Q: Do my apps need to comply with a content policy?
Yes. Each app that you submit to us must adhere to the following content guidelines. If we determine that an app contains, facilitates, or promotes content that is prohibited by these guidelines, we will reject the app submission or suspend further distribution of your app and notify you by using the email address associated with your developer account. See Amazon Appstore Content Policy.

For specific examples of expected app functionality, see our Test Criteria for Amazon Appstore Apps.

Q: Are there separate ratings criteria for apps published in the Brazil marketplace?
Yes. The Brazilian Ministry of Justice requires Amazon to display badging and ratings according to local laws for all apps published in the Brazilian store. Amazon assigns the rating for the Brazilian marketplace, where applicable, based on the information you provide to us during the regular app submission process.

Policy: Intellectual Property

Q: What restrictions apply to my distribution of apps that contain a third party's intellectual property?
Amazon cannot distribute apps that infringe the intellectual property rights (including copyright, trademark and publicity rights) of a third party. In general, this means that you should either have obtained a license or otherwise received permission from any third party whose intellectual property you wish to use in your app. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that you hold all necessary intellectual property rights to distribute an app through Amazon. If you are unsure if you own all rights to the app, please consult an attorney.
Q: Does including a disclaimer in my app mean that I can use a third party's intellectual property without worrying about infringement?
No. Many developers believe that they may use copyrighted or trademarked content, or content that incorporates the name, image or likeness of a celebrity, without infringing upon the third party's intellectual property rights as long as they include a disclaimer stating that such use is unofficial or that they are not affiliated with the intellectual property owner. This is not the case – any unauthorized use of a third party's intellectual property, regardless of any disclosure or disclaimer, can constitute intellectual property infringement.
Q: What should I do if another developer is using my intellectual property without my authorization?
If you believe that an app on the Amazon Appstore contains content that is infringing your intellectual property, you can report it to Amazon using our online form.

Policy: Personal Information and COPPA

Q: My app collects personal information from end users. What requirements apply to the distribution of my app through the Program?
Your app must notify users and obtain their consent before collecting personal information. See Child-Directed App (COPPA) Policy for more details.
Q: The target audience for my app is children. What requirements must my app adhere to?
If your app is directed at children under the age of 13, see Child-Directed App (COPPA) Policy for information about the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other requirements.

Last updated: Apr 05, 2023