Key Takeaways

  • Many so-called "patent and trademark bureaus" are fraudulent organizations that target business owners with official-looking letters and invoices.
  • Red flags include high fees, vague descriptions of services, and pressure tactics with fake deadlines.
  • The USPTO maintains a list of known fraudulent entities to help trademark applicants avoid scams.
  • Scammers often mimic official language, logos, and serial numbers to appear credible, but they are not affiliated with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
  • Trademark attorneys play an important role in protecting applicants by filtering communications, monitoring solicitations, and providing guidance.
  • Business owners should verify all correspondence through the USPTO website and only trust emails from the “@uspto.gov” domain.
  • International trademark scams are also increasing, with overseas entities offering unnecessary or overpriced services.
  • Proactive measures—such as consulting an attorney and reporting scams to the USPTO and FTC—are the best defense.

Every day a new patent and trademark bureau springs into existence. However, most of these bureaus are not legitimate. They are outright scams offering fraudulent services. Trademark attorneys often receive inquiries on the legitimacy of patent and trademark bureaus from concerned clients.

Patent and Trademark Bureau Scams

Trademark applicants must be on the lookout for trademark solicitation scams. Despite recent success in prosecuting trademark scammers — such as two California men who pled guilty to a mass-mailing scam that defrauded people of $1.66 million — new scammers pop up all the time.

In the last couple of months, numerous business owners received a letter with an invoice attached to it from a “Patent and Trademark Resource Center.”

The letter stated that the company's name was “Patent & Trademark Office” and that it was headquartered in New York, NY. The letter even had a realistic trademark, a serial number of the mark, and an authentic-looking barcode. To an untrained person, the letter would seem genuine, but most professionals would be able to tell at first glance that it was a scam.

Why Scammers Target Trademark Applicants

Fraudulent patent and trademark bureaus specifically target applicants because contact information from USPTO filings is publicly accessible. Scammers know that trademark owners are motivated to protect their intellectual property and may respond quickly to avoid perceived risks. These scams often arrive shortly after a filing is made, taking advantage of applicants’ unfamiliarity with the registration process.

The Red Flags

The first red flag in the latter example was the astronomical cost of $1,690 that the company was charging. Furthermore, the services they offered were not clearly described, thus making it hard to decipher if they only help with section 8 renewal, section 15 renewal, or both. They also did not express in the letter whether they provide legal advice on renewals and if they are attorneys belonging to the bar. Every piece of information in that letter was extremely ambiguous. They did have a website with the domain name patenttrademarkoffice.us, but unsurprisingly, the site was not up and running.

Business owners should immediately contact their attorney each time they receive a letter like this in their inbox. They should also report this fraudulent company to the FTC and USPTO.

It is of utmost importance to also know the most important red flags in these types of emails from scammers. Here are the three most crucial:

  • A hefty sum of money is involved.
  • The letter promises some sort of infringement by a third party if you, as the business owner, decide not to act immediately.
  • The email includes a real deadline, pressuring you to send them money right away.

Common Scam Tactics Used

Scam operations frequently use the following tactics to trick trademark owners:

  • Official-looking correspondence: Using government-style seals, barcodes, and case numbers.
  • Imitation of agency names: Slight variations of “U.S. Patent and Trademark Office” or “Patent and Trademark Bureau” to confuse applicants.
  • Invoice manipulation: Inflating renewal or monitoring fees far beyond actual USPTO costs.
  • International reach: Some scams claim to provide global trademark protection, but they are not connected to any official foreign trademark agency.

These tactics are designed to pressure applicants into paying for services they do not need.

The USTPO List of Fraudulent Companies

It would also be very wise to check out the USPTO website for a definitive list of these fraudulent companies. Here are a few examples:

  • Patent & Trademark Resource Center (Seattle & Woodinville, WA)
  • Patent and Trademark Organization (New York, NY)
  • Trademark Office Ltd. (New York, NY)
  • U.S. Trademark Compliance Office (Wilmington, DE)
  • Patent & Trademark Bureau (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Patent & Trademark Office (555 Madison Ave., New York, NY)
  • Patent & Trademark Office (299 Park Ave., New York, NY)
  • Patent & Trademark Agency (New York, NY)
  • Trademark and Patent Office (Los Angeles, CA)
  • P.T.M.A. Patent and Trademark Association (New York, NY)

International and Cross-Border Trademark Scams

While most scams originate domestically, business owners also encounter fraudulent solicitations from abroad. For example, applicants may receive invoices from companies claiming to provide trademark registration in Europe or Asia. These offers often:

  • Present themselves as mandatory foreign filings.
  • Charge several thousand dollars for “international protection.”
  • Lack any connection to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) or legitimate foreign IP offices.

Applicants should know that international filings can only be made through authorized procedures, such as the Madrid Protocol, not via unsolicited invoices.

How an Attorney Can Help

Attorneys can enlighten their clients about these scammers so that they can avoid getting duped. Trademark attorneys spend a significant amount of time trying to give business owners who are applying for a trademark needed advice and warn them about these types of scams.

To protect their clients, trademark attorneys often take a step further and purposefully exclude some specific contact information from trademark applications, including the email address and phone number of all their applicants. Doing this can help minimize the number of these scam letters that trademark applicants receive. However, due to the fact that every trademark applicant must provide an email address with their USPTO filing; scammers still get ahold of the contact information of trademark applicants.

Recently, the USPTO made a short video discussing how trademark solicitations work. After you register with the USPTO, the USPTO will send all official letters and emails to your attorney of record. Trademark applicants who haven't listed an attorney or don't yet have one must only open emails that came from the domain “@uspto.gov.” If this domain is not present in the email address, they must regard the e-mail as spam, as it is not coming from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It is very important to have an attorney look over any dubious or suspicious e-mails received.

Preventative Steps for Business Owners

Business owners can take several steps to reduce their risk of falling victim to a fraudulent patent and trademark bureau:

  1. Verify all notices: Cross-check suspicious letters with the USPTO database.
  2. Rely on official domains: Ensure that emails come from addresses ending in “@uspto.gov.”
  3. Consult your attorney: Attorneys can confirm whether a request for payment or renewal is legitimate.
  4. Report scams: File complaints with the USPTO and Federal Trade Commission to help protect other applicants.
  5. Educate internal staff: Train employees who handle mail or invoices to recognize and flag suspicious correspondence.

Being proactive is essential. Once money is sent to these entities, it is difficult—if not impossible—to recover.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is a patent and trademark bureau scam?
    It is a fraudulent organization that sends official-looking letters or invoices to trademark applicants, pretending to represent the USPTO or similar agencies.
  2. How can I tell if a letter from a patent and trademark bureau is real?
    Look for signs such as inflated fees, vague descriptions, or email addresses not ending in “@uspto.gov.” When in doubt, confirm through the USPTO website.
  3. Does the USPTO ever send invoices for renewals?
    No. The USPTO never sends unsolicited invoices. All payments are made directly through the official USPTO system.
  4. Can these scams come from outside the United States?
    Yes. Many applicants receive fraudulent offers from international entities claiming to provide global trademark protection. These are not legitimate.
  5. What should I do if I receive a suspicious letter?
    Do not send payment. Contact your attorney, verify the request through the USPTO, and report the solicitation to the Federal Trade Commission and USPTO.

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