How to Avoid Trademark Scams

Once your trademark is registered with the USPTO you will be subjected to companies trying to solicit your business.  Your federal trademark application and registration information is available on the USPTO database. Private companies, not associated with the official government office, may send mailings or emails directly to you to solicit your business.

They may offer legal services, monitoring services, US Customs and Border Protection, etc.  They will indicate that there are fees to be paid.  Often the names they use are similar to the USPTO and may include terms like U.S., United States, Registration, Office, Agency, Patent, etc.

Often the goal is to make their notification appear legit and official.  Often the fees they request are unnecessary.

How can I tell the difference between potentially misleading trademark offers and notices and legitimate USPTO emails and notices?

1. All official correspondence about your trademark application or registration will be from the “United States Patent and Trademark Office” in Alexandria, Virginia, and all emails will be from the domain “@uspto.gov.”
2. You have not previously hired this company.  If you hired a law firm or a company to complete your trademark registration, they will receive legitimate USPTO notices and will notify you.  See a list below of companies that have sent these notices and example letters.
3. Read the offer carefully.  Does it make sense?  Is the fee necessary? Once your trademark is registered with the USPTO, the only future fees from the USPTO will be a declaration of use after 5 years and renewals every 10 years.
4.  Contact an attorney you trust!  Inspired Idea Solutions will advise you, free of charge, of the legitimacy of the notice and if you need to do anything.

We do not want you to be the victim of a scam.

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List of companies that send out these misleading trademark offers and notices-

Click the name to view an example of the solicitation they sent

• Patent and Trademark Office (2200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., 4th Floor East, Washington, D.C.)
• Brand Registration Office (Trademark Selection Edition) (Washington, D.C.)
• GBO, Inc., Trademark and Patent Dep. (Miami, Florida)
• GLOTRADE (New York, New York)
• Intellectual Property Services USA Incorporated (Alexandria, Virginia)
• IOPR – Intellectual Office Property Register (Beaverton, Oregon)
• ITR Trademark Publication (Miami, Florida)
• P.T.M.A. Patent and Trademark Association (New York, New York)
• Patent & Trademark Agency (New York, New York)
• Patent & Trademark Bureau (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Patent and Trademark Bureau (Los Angeles, California)
• Patent and Trademark Bureau (230 Park Ave., New York, New York)
• Patent and Trademark Bureau (30 Broad Street, New York, New York)
• Patent & Trademark Office (250 Park Ave., New York, New York)
• Patent & Trademark Office (299 Park Ave., New York, New York)
• Patent & Trademark Office (387 Park Ave., S, New York, New York)
• Patent & Trademark Office (555 Madison Ave., New York, New York)
• Patent & Trademark Office (Jersey City, New Jersey)
• Patent & Trademark Office (Bothell, Washington) (Red stripe)
• Patent & Trademark Office (Bothell, Washington) Blue stripe)
• Patent & Trademark Resource Center (Seattle, Woodinville, & Bothell, Washington)
• Patent and Trademark Office (2200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., 4th Floor East, Washington, D.C.)
• Patent and Trademark Organization (New York, New York)
• P.T.M.I. (Alexandria, Virginia)
• PTMI – Register of Protected Patents and Trademarks (Staten Island, New York)
• TM-DB Register of Protected Trademarks (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• TM-DB Register of Protected Trademarks (Pearland, Texas)
• TM-DB Register of Protected Trademarks (Washington, D.C.)
• TM-DB Register of Protected Trademarks (Wilmington, Delaware)
• Trademark and Patent Office (Los Angeles, California)
• Trademark Compliance Center (Alexandria, Virginia) (version 2)
• Trademark Compliance Center (Alexandria, Virginia) (version 1)
• Trademark Compliance Center (Washington, D.C.)
• Trademark Compliance Office (Arlington, Virginia)
• Trademark Office Ltd. (New York, New York)
• Trademark Registration and Monitoring Office (Intellectual Property Rights Recordation Alert)
  (Los Angeles, California)
• Trademark Registration and Monitoring Office (Past Due Notice) (Los Angeles, California)
• Trademark Renewal Service (New York, New York)
• Trademark Renewal Service (Washington, D.C.)
• Trademark Safeguard – Trademark Monitoring Service (New York, New York)
• U.S. Trademark Compliance Office (Wilmington, Delaware)
• U.S. Trademark Compliance Service (Phoenix, Arizona)
• United States Trademark Maintenance Service (version 2) (Arizona)
• United States Trademark Maintenance Service (version 1) (Arizona)
• United States Trademark Registration Office (Los Angeles, California)
• USTM Information Services (Idaho Falls, Idaho)
• WTMR World Trademark Register (Washington, D.C.) (address 1)
• WTMR World Trademark Register (Washington, D.C.) (address 2)
• WTMR World Trademark Register (Washington, D.C.) (address 3)
• WTMR World Trademark Register (Washington, D.C.) (address 4)
• WTMR World Trademark Register (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
• WTP Trademark Publication (Miami, Florida)
• WTP Trademark Publication  (Fresh Meadows, New York)
• WT Worldwide Trademarks Ltd. (Claymont, Delaware)

Here is a video from the USPTO with examples

More information from the USPTO about these solicitations