Beware of Unofficial Trademark Solicitations
You will never be contacted by the Patent and Trademark Office regarding your trademark, but you will receive lots of scam and spam mail.
Trademark registrations are open public records that can be accessed by anyone through www.USPTO.gov. Because they include such detailed information, registration owners are an easy target for scams and solicitations from third parties. Many of these companies or individuals will try to defraud you by demanding “fees” or exaggerating the necessity of some service.
Third party scams often use confusing names and imagery. They often try to give the impression that they are official government regulators. They format their letters or emails to mimic official communications and include confusing terms such as “United States,” “U.S.,” “Trademark,” “Patent,” “Registration,” “Office,” “Agency,” or specific legal references. They almost always require “fees” to be paid and common service offerings include legal services, trademark monitoring, recordation of your trademark in additional databases, enhanced government protection of your trademark, or other services. Competent trademark professionals are aware of these scams and are unlikely to advertise their services this way.
If you receive a scam solicitation you should disregard it, or get in touch with your attorney before acting on a solicitation.
For additional information on this topic, visit the USPTO’s website.
