Patent & Trademark Agency Ltd - Warning

[ThePublisher]

Today I've just got around to investigating a letter sent to me a couple of months ago regarding renewing my trademark. I was alerted when it arrived by the fact it was posted from Prague. On closer examination, in quite small print, they are inviting to act on my behalf to renew my trademark, for the princely sum of £1320. There are terms and conditions on the back printed in such feint grey ink as being almost impossible to read. The original fee for the trademark IIRC was around £200. Their reply paid envelope is for an address in Fleet Street.

If they hadn't posted it from Prague and had not asked for so much money, I may have paid it.

If you have a trademark, please be warned. This has appeared a year ahead of renewal being required. I have reported it to the IPO.

 

[Deleted member 226268]

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The IPO already know about all the scams !

This one seems to be a common scam.

All they have to do is check the register to see whose trademark / patents payment renewal dates are coming up.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/warning-misleading-invoices



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[Natali]

They perform some work for you. Take it for a fee. This is business.

 

[ThePublisher]

They perform some work for you. Take it for a fee. This is business.

No it's not, it's an attempted ripoff. Otherwise the terms would be clearly printed in black ink and there would be a copy for you to keep.

£1100 fee for simply completing a form is a scam in anybody's book.

 

[Edward Rose]

We recently received a renewal invoice from Patent & Trademark Agency Ltd. I smelt a rat as the bank account details were incomplete and for a GB account when the company is registered in The Netherlands. Also the phone number isn't recognised! I spoke to the UK IPO office and they confirmed that this company charges excessive renewal fees. They put me in touch with the EU IPO and I have paid a direct renewal fee of 850 euros instead of 2890.00! I am also now managing out trademarks directly on the EUIPO website. These other companies need to be publicly exposed!

 

[mhall]

£1100 fee for simply completing a form is a scam in anybody's book.

Like every solicitor I have ever met !

Yes it is extortionate but, they are in business because some fools pay them. This is no different from every other scam that hits business, from printing in police diaries to VAT registration and Business Registers - even BT are pulling off a scam by charging for entry into the Telephone Directory by default.

Scams are getting cleverer and "acceptance unless refusal gained" will be massive in the coming years.

Now more than ever, we need to read everything and not just dismiss mail as we used to do, especially from people who already have your bank account details. Business is an easy target as we do not have the protection that an individual has.

 

[UKSBD]

I seem to remember the head of Trademarks at the IPO got one of these letters

Can't find the link to it, but he posted it on the IPO website.

 

[Deleted member 226268]

A scary new world where you have to check every detail on your emails - twice.

http://www.epo.org/law-practice/legal-texts/official-journal/2016/07/a61.html

 

[ThePublisher]

It's about 18 months since I was originally contacted by these people, my trademark was due for renewal at the end of this month, and has been done directly with IPO at the correct price.

It certainly seems the IPO are trying to make people more aware of these scams as I've had 2-3 letters from the IPO in the last year about it, having never heard anything from them in the previous 8.5 years since my mark was registered.