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Trademark scams are on the rise and include increasingly varied communications attempting to trick trademark applicants and registrants into paying fees. If you receive any communications regarding your trademarks from anyone...more
Recently there has been an increase in offers and notices from companies not associated with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office (PTO)...more
In a world where trademark owners craft their brand narratives with creativity and innovation a dark undercurrent emerges – a rising tide of scams driven by the same ingenuity and resourcefulness....more
Over the years many clients have forwarded to us scam trademark mailings. These mailings come from various official-sounding sources, all of which seek money to allegedly take action regarding the client’s trademarks....more
Those were the first words I heard when my client called me the other day. Moments later, I joined a call with my client and a very convincing “representative” of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) seeking money....more
In a February 2, 2023, article titled “USPTO warns of new spoofing scam targeting trademark owners,” we warned you about a spoofing tactic where scammers were calling trademark owners using “spoofing” to hide their true...more
One recent victim of scams preying on U.S. trademark filers and registrants answered a call that appeared to be from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). It wasn’t. The target of the scam was forced to...more
Every month, Erise’s trademark attorneys review the latest developments at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in the courts, and across the corporate world to bring you the stories that you should know about: Travis...more
Expanding on our blog post of January 2, 2024, yet another scam has been brought to our attention—with serious consequences. The signatory of a client was telephoned by the “Federal Trademark Office,” which requested a...more
As the new year gets underway, we want to flag the newest misleading trademark email scams, as these communications have become more advanced in their targeting....more
Especially during the holi-daze, it can be easy to let our safeguards down and fall prey to scammers looking to make a quick buck. Trademark applicants and registrants interacting with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office...more
Numerous clients are receiving unsolicited emails from a company called Trademark Omega. Future versions may originate from companies with different names. For your protection, we advise you to read the fine print....more
On August 30, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued new examination procedures for reviewing domicile addresses for trademark applicants. This step is intended to help combat widespread fraud (and...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued an alert regarding a new scam targeting trademark owners. Scammers are calling trademark owners claiming they work for the USPTO. Many of them use “spoofed”...more
On April 27, 2023, the US Patent and Trademark Office held an online webinar titled “Trademark scams: How to avoid them and what to do if you get fooled.” Various types of trademark scams were introduced...more
A record number of applicants are seeking to protect their trademarks by filing applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The problem? The rise in trademark applications has left open the doors...more
No sooner had we gone to press on our January article on the latest and greatest in trademark scams than the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a new alert raising awareness of yet another type of scam....more
As 2023 gets underway, we would like to remind our readers to remain vigilant for trademark scams, which target both new application filers and established brands, and have been known to arrive via email, mail, fax, and even...more
Last September, in our legal alert, “Beware! Trademark Solicitations” we warned clients of the ongoing disreputable efforts of companies who attempt to profit by confusing trademark owners into paying unnecessary “renewal...more
Thank you for reading the January 2023 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss an ongoing trademark dispute between the band OK Go and cereal company Post, how to stay vigilant about...more
Unsuspecting trademark owners are paying unnecessary trademark “renewal fees” that are not what they seem to be when first viewed. We are seeing continued efforts by companies attempting to confuse unsuspecting trademark...more
This is not our first warning about trademark scams, and (sadly) it will surely not be our last, but it bears repeating that trademark owners should be extremely wary of any unexpected communications (email, text, snail mail)...more
[co-author: Ivy Attenborough, Summer Associate] Thank you for reading the June 2022 issue of Sterne Kessler's MarkIt to Market® newsletter. This month, we discuss the differences between Copyright Claims Board and federal...more
On January 25, 2022, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) concluded that low-cost trademark filing companies, ABTACH Ltd., 360 Digital Marketing LLC, and Retrocube LLC (collectively, the “Respondents”) were engaged in...more
Once a trademark registration has been issued, trademark owners should be on the lookout for the inevitable “Renew Your Trademark” scam letters. Here, to assist trademark owners avoid these scams, we provide a breakdown of an...more