USPTO Begins Issuing Scam Warnings
As I have written before, trademark applicants and registrants should be on the watch for official-looking notices or requests asking for fees or registry enrollments. The USPTO has begun issuing a formal warning notice when it mails the Certificate of Registration. A copy is here.
I got a chance to see these for the first time today– had a couple registration certificates for clients come across my desk. (They are much more aggressively neon orange in person.)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve advised clients on when they can ignore an official-looking letter asking for fees. Good to see the Office taking on this issue.
Right?! My scanner doesn’t do the orange justice.
Unfortunately, it appears that the solicitations are no longer limited to scams/foreign companies. I’ve actually had some clients tell me that they are now getting solicitations from US law firms offering to file responses to outstanding office actions. In Arizona, such practices would definitely be unethical. I would think the same would be true under other State Bar rules as well, but perhaps not…