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USPTO Warnings About Unofficial Trademark Solicitations

April 19, 2012 by in General


The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has posted a warning on its website regarding solicitations that appear to be official notices and has begun enclosing similar warnings about these solicitations with issued registration certificates. The notices come from private companies that are not associated with the USPTO, but they resemble an official notice or suggest an affiliation with a government entity. Many notices appear to be an invoice stating an amount “due.” However, closer examination reveals that the communication is not an invoice for an amount due; it is a solicitation for legal services, trademark monitoring services, Customs recordation services, or inclusion in a private registry. All official USPTO correspondence is from the “United States Patent and Trademark Office” in Alexandria, VA (if by e-mail, from the domain @uspto.gov).

If you are represented by SSJR, all legitimate notices will come from our office. If you receive a solicitation of this type, please contact us before paying it. Trademark owners who receive such a solicitation may file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov. The Trademark Office also provides an e-mail for reporting misleading communications at TMFeedback@uspto.gov.