Scammers and thieves are invading many aspects of business and our lives. Who has not received an e-mail from the “Nigerian Prince” asking for money?
Some scams are crude, repetitive and primitive and have played for years such as the Nigerian Prince e-mail, one of the longest-running internet frauds.
Nowadays, scammers are becoming sophisticated, and actively searching in government agencies’ public records and databases such as the United Patent and Trademark Office, looking for information to defraud.
Beware of the Trademark Scammers
Scammers are taking advantage of people who filed trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and sending them false trademark registration applications from bogus international organizations, which claim to renew the applications internationally. This particular organization claims to be located in the Czech Republic.
First of all, there is no such international agency which files trademarks worldwide.
We recently received one of those. Here is the picture.
Second, any correspondence regarding trademark registrations or applications in the United States must be from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with address in Alexandria, Virginia. This is a venerable federal agency of the United States. The electronic communication from USPTO comes from the domain uspto.gov.
It becomes more complicated when filing trademarks, copyrights and patents abroad, since some countries manage these processes country by country, and others such members of the European Union, have collective registration.
Is important to consult a qualified trademark attorney in the USA to manage the process here in the USA and abroad.
Contact us
Attorney Marcos E. Garciaacosta can help you navigate all the intricacies of the filing process, plus will make himself available for the post-filing questions and activities and renewal.
Schedule an appointment at (480)324-6378 for a consultation in phone or in-person to our offices located at 659 E. Main Street in Mesa, Arizona.