• Services
  • Attorneys
  • Media & Insights
  • Online Payment
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. A description of the selection methodology can be found here.
  • Services
  • Attorneys
  • Media & Insights
  • About Us
  • Delivering Value
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Meritas
  • Contact Us
  • Online Payment
    A
    Alternative Dispute ResolutionAntitrust & Trade RegulationAppellate Practice
    B
    Banking & Financial ServicesBankruptcy, Creditors’ Rights, and Financial RestructuringBeer LawBusiness Law
    C
    Cannabis LawConstruction LawCooperative and Condominium Law (Co-op & Condo)Criminal Defense
    E
    Economic Development LawElder Care & Special Needs LawElectronic Discovery ("E-Discovery")Environmental LawERISA & Employee BenefitsEstate Planning and Administration & Wealth PreservationExecutive Compensation and Employment Strategies
    F
    Food, Beverage & HospitalityFranchise Law
    H
    Health Care & Life SciencesHealth Care ProvidersHigher EducationHospitals and Health Networks
    I
    ImmigrationInsurance CoverageIntellectual PropertyIntellectual Property Litigation, Arbitration, and Dispute ResolutionIntellectual Property Portfolio Strategy, Management & LicensingInternational BusinessInternet Law
    L
    Labor & EmploymentLiquor Law, Licensing, Manufacturing, and DistributionLitigation
    M
    Media Law & Creative Economy PracticeMergers & AcquisitionsMunicipal Law
    N
    Non-Profit Law
    P
    Patent Preparation and ProsecutionPharmaceutical / Medical Devices / Pharma ServicesProducts and Consumer Liability DefenseProfessional LiabilityPublic Utilities
    R
    Real Estate, Finance, and Land Use
    S
    SecuritiesSolar Energy
    T
    TaxationTelecommunicationsTrademark & Copyright Protection & Enforcement
    V
    Venture Tech & Emerging Growth Companies
    W
    White Collar Investigations & DefenseWorkers’ Compensation
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Pennsylvania
    • Blogs
    • Articles
    • Podcasts
    • COVID-19 Resources

    Categories

    Copyright Copyright Infringement Copyright Licensing Copyright Office Copyright|Copyright Infringement|Intellectual Property Copyright|Copyright Infringement|Intellectual Property|Social Media Copyright|Copyright Infringement|Social Media Copyright|Intellectual Property Copyright|Intellectual Property|Social Media|Trademarks Court Decisions Double Patenting>Same Invention Double Patenting>Terminal Disclaimers Drafting Patents Drafting Patents>Claims Drafting Patents>Claims>Written Description False Advertising Federal Circuit Food & Beverage Food & Beverage|Intellectual Property Food & Beverage|Labeling|Legislation Food & Beverage|Trade Dress Food & Beverage|Trademark Infringement|Trademark Office|Trademark Registration|Trademarks Food & Beverage|Trademark Infringement|Trademarks|Unfair Competition Food & Beverage|Trademark Office|Trademark Registration|Trademarks|TTAB Food & Beverage|Trademark Office|Trademark Registration|TTAB Food & Beverage|Trademark Office|Trademarks Food & Beverage|Trademark Office|Trademarks|TTAB Food & Beverage|Trademark Registration|Trademarks Food & Beverage|Trademarks General In The News Intellectual Property Labeling Lanham Act Legislation Licensing Navigating the Patent Office Navigating the Patent Office>Examiner Interviews Obviousness/Inventive Step>Prima Facie Obviousness Patent Patent Eligibility Privacy Right of Publicity Social Media Supreme Court Trade Dress Trademark Infringement Trademark Infringement|Trademark Office|Trademark Registration|Trademarks Trademark Infringement|Trademark Registration|Trademarks Trademark Infringement|Trademarks Trademark Office Trademark Office|Trademark Registration|Trademarks Trademark Office|Trademark Registration|Trademarks|TTAB Trademark Office|Trademarks Trademark Registration Trademark Registration|Trademarks Trademark Registration|Trademarks|TTAB Trademark Registration|TTAB Trademarks TTAB Uncategorized Unfair Competition
    Blogs > More Than Your Mark® > CAUTION: Trademark Scams Continue
    Member
    Jeanne Hamburg
    Visit Profile

    CAUTION: Trademark Scams Continue

    CAUTION: Trademark Scams Continue

    Scammers haven’t stopped sending our clients fake trademark renewal notices, bilking them of thousands of dollars. For this reason, I am posting an updated version of my original blog post, "Beware the Trademark Scammers," to help you differentiate between legitimate reminders and the many trademark scams being perpetrated by those out to steal your money.

    Sometimes, it seems not a day goes by without a client calling me about a trademark-related scam. To help you avoid becoming another victim, I would like to share five frequently asked questions about two of the more common fraudulent schemes.

    I received a notice in the mail. Does my trademark need to be maintained?

    The dates in the notice may or may not be accurate and your registration may not be due for maintenance. Please contact your trademark attorney to learn if the registration is in danger of expiring/being canceled. Most likely the sender is just looking to scam you out of money and will take no action with respect to your trademark.

    Should I contact the sender of the notice or send money in?

    No, I recommend ignoring any paper notices about upcoming deadlines and reaching out to your trademark counsel if you have any questions.

    Does the Trademark Office mail notices such as these? How can I tell legitimate notices from trademark scams?

    The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) never mails renewal notices. No matter how official the notice looks, and even if it says “U.S. Trademark Office” or “U.S. Patent and Trademark Office," the notice is not legitimate. The three notices here, here, and here are examples of such real-looking, but fraudulent notices.

    Are renewal notices received by mail or email the only type of trademark scams I should be worried about?

    No, a new, second type of scam was born after Amazon launched its Brand Registry. Counterfeiters who wish to sell their products on Amazon started to file “change of correspondence address” forms changing the names of the correspondent associated with registrations in the USPTO. Then, when Amazon sends the code to the counterfeiter’s address, the counterfeiter is able to enroll in the Amazon Brand Registry, pose as the legitimate trademark owner, and sell its infringing products. The good news is that the USPTO has caught on to the scam and has begun to scrutinize these change of correspondence address forms.

    What can I do to avoid trademark scams?

    These scams are one of the many good reasons to have an attorney handle the filing and maintenance of your trademark registrations.

    I hope that knowing about these common fraudulent schemes will help you avoid being the victim of trademark scams. If you have questions about this blog post or any related intellectual property matters, please feel free to contact me at jhamburg@norris-law.com.

    Member
    Jeanne Hamburg
    Visit Profile

    Related Posts

    FINALLY A WAY TO SANCTION THOSE WHO DEFRAUD THE USPTO Trademarks in the Metaverse: Brand Protection for Virtual Goods & Services To Search or To Sink: The Importance of Clearing Your Brand

    Share

    Tags

    #brand enforcement #Scam #USPTO

    Helpful links

    • About Us
    • News
    • Services
    • Blogs
    • Attorneys
    • Articles
    • (COVID-19)
    • Award Methodology
    • Events
    • Join our Team
    Connect
    Online Payment

    Connect with Us

    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • Youtube

    Join our growing team

    We are looking for quality attorneys to help us do more for our clients. At Norris McLaughlin, each attorney has the same opportunity to succeed whether you’re at the beginning of a career or pinnacle of the profession.

    Learn More

    Subscribe to our content

    Receive timely legal information delivered to your inbox

    This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    © , Norris McLaughlin, P.A., All Rights Reserved. Attorney Advertising.
    VIEW OUR DISCLAIMER,  TERMS OF USE,  AND PRIVACY POLICY

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume you consent to our cookie policy. Learn more