Trade Marks
WARNING
WARNING - Unsolicited mail offering unofficial registration services
Many owners of patents, designs and trade marks have received letters from third parties inviting them to "register" their rights in various publications in return for payment of a fee. These letters often resemble invoices referring to a recently published patent, design or trade mark. The fee requested can be quite substantial and is commonly in excess of £1000.
The companies sending out these letters are not linked to any Government body so cannot grant any rights in a patent, trade mark or design. The World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) and the Community Trade Mark Office (OHIM) have lists of companies of which they are aware as being involved in these practices and in respect of which they have posted warnings on their websites. The companies listed include:
CCIT - Commercial Center for Industrie and Trade
Central Data-Register of International Patents
CPD - Central Patent Database
CPI - Company for Publications and Information Anstalt (Sociıtı pour publications et information SARL)
CPTD - Central Patent & Trademark Database
EIEC - European Institute for economy and Commerce
FIPTR - Federated Institute for Patent and Trademark Registry Inc.
FIPTR - Service - Federated Institute for Patent & Trademark Registry
IBFTPR - International Bureau for Federated Trademark & Patent Register
IBIP - International Bureau for Intellectual Property
Institut ıconomique pour le commerce, l'artisant, l'industrie (WIHH-Wirtschaftsregister fır Industrie, Handel, Handwerk AG)
Institut of Commerce for Industry, Trade, Commerce/Wirtschaftsinstitut fır Industrie, Handel, Handwerk AG
IOIP - Organization for Intellectual Property
IOPTS - International Organization for Patent & Trademark Service
IPTR - International Patent and Trademark Register
ODM - Office Data Management
ODM - Patent Trademark Register
ODM - Register of International Patents
Register of International Patent Bulletin/Registre des donnıes bulletin europeın des brevetes
Register of International Patents
RIPT - Register of International Patents and Trademarks
Trademark Publisher GMBH
WIG - Wirtschaftszentrale fır Industrie und Gewerbe AG / Commercial Centre for Industry and Trade / Centrale ıconomique pour l'industrie et le commerce
The companies of which we are aware tend to approach clients directly rather than through us as the usual address for service in relation to such matters. If you are not sure about the source or the nature of the services offered in any unsolicited correspondence, please let us know and we can advise whether any action is necessary.