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Mrz 06, 2012 (Newsletter Issue 4/12)
USA
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Official Warning


The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued an official warning.

One or more private companies not affiliated with the USPTO but using a name which appears to be "official" or somehow related to the USPTO or the United States Government has been directly contacting trademark owners around the world.

These companies offer to provide (for a fee) (1) legal services, (2) trademark monitoring services, (3) recording trademarks with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and (4) to “register” the marks in the company’s own private registry. The companies may appear to be using official government documents and they request payments. They may display your trademark and its serial number or registration number, or refer to a section of the U.S. Code or other government agencies. They may appear to be warning you that your trademark registration is going to expire.

The USPTO does not send any solicitations for payment of fees. All official USPTO correspondence will be from United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia. If it comes by e-mail, it will be from the domain “uspto.gov.” It is rare for the USPTO to contact a trademark owner represented by an attorney. Please read all such correspondence very carefully. If you have any doubts about correspondence you receive concerning your trademark, please do not send any payment without first asking us whether it is legitimate.

Misleading correspondence can be forwarded to the USPTO, at TMFeedback@uspto.go, subject=solicitations. When doing so, please let the USPTO know if you thought the letter was an official communication and whether you mistakenly paid any fees.

Source: Arnstein & Lehr LLP, USA