The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has posted an official warning regarding fraudulent solicitations on its Trademark Home page. As we mentioned in our post last week, patent and trademark registrants and applicants should be on the lookout for non-USPTO solicitations that resemble official USPTO communications.
After a number of our clients received these fake notices, we directly contacted the Deputy Commissioner of Patents. We are pleased that the USPTO responded to our concerns, and those of others in the intellectual property community, by officially addressing these scams.
The USPTO warning echoes the issues we raised last week, noting that private companies not associated with the USPTO are using trademark application and registration information from the USPTO’s databases to mail or e-mail trademark-related solicitations, which may include offers: (1) for legal services; (2) for trademark monitoring services; (3) to record trademarks with U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and (4) to “register” trademarks in the company’s own private registry.
Given the growing incidence of these scams, the USPTO encourages applicants and registrants to read trademark-related communications carefully before making a decision about whether to respond. In addition, it points out that all official correspondence will be from the “United States Patent and Trademark Office” in Alexandria, VA, and if by e-mail, specifically from the domain “@uspto.gov.”
How Can We Help?
While some of the correspondence you receive regarding your intellectual property may be legitimate, we encourage our readers to consult with us before enrolling in these services or sending any money.
At Sheldon Mak & Anderson, we recognize that innovation is your competitive edge - and it needs protection. As a full-service intellectual property firm with more than two decades of experience, we provide local, regional, national, and international legal services in the following areas: patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, IP litigation, international patent and trademark prosecution, licensing, alternative dispute resolution, and green technology.
Contact our knowledgeable intellectual property attorneys today TOLL FREE at 1-855-UR IDEAS (1-855-874-3327) or email us at tri@usip.com to find out how we can provide powerful protection for your unique ideas.
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