Both the USPTO and trademark owners have long been plagued by individuals and companies filing false trademark applications or sending owners fake letters telling them they owed fees to complete their application or maintain their mark. Personally, I tell my trademark clients that the USPTO will only communicate with me as the attorney of record. Therefore, if they get anything in the mail or via email that claims it is from the Trademark Office it is likely a scam and to forward it to me. (PS—they are always scams.) At the same time the USPTO has been working diligently to stop the scammers and prevent fraudulent filings.
On January 25, 2022, the Trademark Office issued sanctions against three companies: Abtach Ltd., 360 Digital Marketing LLC, and Retrocube LLC. They were found to have committed fraud, and as a result over 5,500 trademark applications are considered “invalidly filed”. All applications filed by these companies have been cancelled. The USPTO’s statement and list of other suspect filings can be found at https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/trademark-updates-and-announcements/orders-issued-commissioner-trademarks?utm_campaign=subscriptioncenter&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=.
There are far too many companies out there who claim they can file or maintain a trademark on your behalf. If you really want to protect your rights and your mark, it is worth it to hire a proper trademark attorney to make sure your rights are properly protected.
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