Important information for trademark owners!

Written by Stephanie Pottick

If you have filed a trademark application or already own a trademark registration, the odds are you will receive one or more communications trying to scam money from you.

Instead of looking like an offer, it looks like it could be an official invoice (or notice) from an official office; in this case, WIPO stands for World Intellectual Property Organization, and you’ll notice the communication lists WIPOT.  They want you to think you have to pay it as a routine part of keeping your trademark active.

How and why is this happening?  Well, your physical address and/or e-mail address is probably listed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or other official website in connection with your trademark.  Since applicant information is public record, third parties look up and use this information to scam money from unsuspecting trademark owners by sending official looking communications that look legitimate.

Don’t be fooled! Many trademark owners have been scammed out of thousands of dollars. Unless you know for sure any such letter or communication is legitimate, you should IGNORE the impulse to immediately respond to it. Instead, if you have any questions, look on the USPTO website, ask your lawyer or ask someone who knows. Of course, you don’t want to lose your valuable trademarks, but you also don’t want to be the victim of a scam.

Hope the above information is helpful!