London, Leeds & Exeter
Wed 26th Oct 2016
IP Scam #2 – Beware of phony trade mark databases
Services: Brand protection, Patents, Trade marks
Sectors: Brand owners
As trade mark registrations are in the public domain, scammers are able to obtain your details from the publicly accessible official trade mark registers.
They then use this information to attempt to solicit paid-for entries and advertisements in databases or books. These are usually worthless or fraudulent, and are certainly not a requirement by any of the official bodies responsible for intellectual property protection.
If Page White & Farrer is handling your trade marks, then we can advise you on the best option for getting useful protection that deals with your business requirements.
Action
After registering a new trade mark, you may receive official looking invoices which suggest you include your trade marks in a database or books, and you should not feel obliged to accept any such unsolicited invitation. Check such correspondence carefully and you can send it to us at trademarks@pagewhite.com for verification.
Advice
For more advice on all aspects of trade mark protection for your brand in the UK, Europe and internationally, please contact James Cornish on 44 (0) 207 831 7929 or email james.cornish@pagewhite.com.
This briefing is for general information purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice relating to your particular circumstances. We can discuss specific issues and facts on an individual basis and answer any questions you receive from others about Brexit. Please note that the law may have changed since the date this was first published in October 2016.
