Amazon blames error for blocking Nintendo resellers from listing products

Amazon Marketplace sellers who deal in new, used, and refurbished Nintendo products woke up to a peculiar notice yesterday: without warning, Amazon was telling third-party sellers that they could no longer list Nintendo products of any kind without seeking approval. The policy change appeared to affect both Nintendo games and Nintendo hardware like 3DS handhelds. At first blush, it looked like two companies had stuck a so-called brand gating deal, common in e-commerce and designed to restrict third-party sellers who may traffic in counterfeits.

After a day of silence, Amazon says the email notifying Nintendo resellers of the apparent policy change was a mistake. “Yesterday’s email was sent in error and all impacted listings were...

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