Got a trademark letter asking for money? Check this first.
Anyone who files a U.S. trademark becomes public record, and private companies mail and email official-looking notices to those owners. Many look like they came from the USPTO. Most are sales pitches for overpriced or useless services. Here's how to tell the difference in a couple of minutes.
Red flags
- It asks you to pay by invoice, wire transfer or a payment link. The USPTO does not send invoices; its fees are paid inside its own filing system when something is filed.
- The sender has an official-sounding name that is not the USPTO, such as "Patent and Trademark Bureau", "Trademark Renewal Service" or "World Trademark Registry".
- It offers to list your mark in a private "registry" or directory. Those listings have no legal effect.
- It says your renewal or maintenance filing is due much sooner than it really is, often a year early.
- It claims someone else is trying to register your mark and you must pay or reply to stop them.
- The fee is far higher than the USPTO fee for the same filing, or the payment goes to a non-U.S. bank.
- The fine print says it is "a solicitation, not an invoice".
What real USPTO correspondence looks like
- Emails come from an address ending in @uspto.gov. Scammers can fake this, so also check the next point.
- Every real office action, notice and registration certificate also appears in the USPTO’s TSDR record for your serial number.
- If an attorney filed for you, the USPTO writes to that attorney, not to you directly.
What to do
- Don't pay, reply or click any link in the notice.
- Look up your serial number at tsdr.uspto.gov and compare.
- If an attorney represents you, forward it to them.
- Report it to TMScams@uspto.gov and the FTC.
TradeMaker clients: forward the notice to support@trademaker.app and we'll check it against your file.
Common questions
How do I check if a trademark notice is real?
Look up your serial or registration number in the USPTO’s TSDR system (tsdr.uspto.gov). Real USPTO correspondence about your mark is posted there. If the letter asks for something that isn’t in TSDR, treat it as a solicitation.
When is my trademark renewal actually due?
A Section 8 declaration is due between the 5th and 6th year after registration. A combined Section 8 and 9 renewal is due in the year before each 10-year anniversary. Both have a 6-month grace period with an extra fee.
Where do I report a trademark scam?
Email the USPTO at TMScams@uspto.gov, and report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. If you paid, contact your bank or card issuer right away.
Haven't filed yet? Search your name for free, or see how an attorney-filed application works.
General information, not legal advice.