Beware Of Non-USPTO Solicitations

Duane Morris is reporting on the prevalence of official-looking invoices that are actually patent- or trademark-related scams by private companies not affiliated with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These companies obtain patent or trademark application and registration information from the USPTO's databases and then mail or email invoices to the owners, often using names that contain such terms as "U.S.," "Trademark," "Patent," "Registration," "Agency" or "Office." For examples of such invoices, see USPTO's announcement at http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/solicitation_warnings.jsp.

While maintenance requirements and fees are due during the term of a patent or trademark registration, owners of these patents or trademark registrations should be aware about ensuring that communications regarding these issues are from the USPTO or their legal counsel, and not from an unaffiliated company. The contents of these communications may concern services