Brand owners, large and small, are often targets of intellectual property scams that are intended to elicit quick cash from innocent owners.  These trademark scams can result in trademark applicants and registrants paying fees to private companies mistakenly believing they are paying fees required by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to protect their valuable trademarks and brands.

Beware of Fraudulent Entity Trademark Scams

The USPTO has taken measures to combat trademark scams.  It maintains a list of fraudulent entities on its website, as well as other information to assist in identifying fraudulent notices.  It also includes warnings in various correspondence to trademark owners and their counsel. In an effort to further address the issue, the USPTO co-hosted its first public roundtable on fraudulent solicitations with the Trademark Public Advisory Committee. The roundtable’s objectives were to educate the public about misleading or fraudulent trademark solicitations, obtain more information about measures and actions taken by other governmental agencies, and to discuss ideas for combatting this unwaning problem.

More information about the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office roundtable and general information concerning trademark scams can be found on the USPTO blog.  However, as recommended by the USPTO, brand owners should seek counsel from experienced intellectual property attorneys if they receive suspect correspondence, and for assistance with navigating the complex legalities of registration, maintenance, and protection of trademark rights.

For more information on this topic, please visit our Trademark Protection service page, which is part of our Trademark Practice.

Klemchuk LLP is an Intellectual Property (IP), Technology, Internet, and Business law firm located in Dallas, TX.  The firm offers comprehensive legal services including litigation and enforcement of all forms of IP as well as registration and licensing of patents, trademarks, trade dress, and copyrights.  The firm also provides a wide range of technology, Internet, e-commerce, and business services including business planning, formation, and financing, mergers and acquisitions, business litigation, data privacy, and domain name dispute resolution.  Additional information about the trademark firm and its trademark attorneys may be found at www.klemchuk.com.

Klemchuk LLP hosts Culture Counts, a blog devoted to the discussion of law firm culture and corporate core values with frequent topics about positive work environment, conscious capitalism, entrepreneurial management, positive workplace culture, workplace productivity, and corporate core values.