I get calls in my office frequently from clients who have received a solicitation in the mail which request payment of money. The scenario goes like this. You, or more likely your attorney, filed an application to register your trademark in connection with particular goods or services in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO.)

Your application, including your contact information, is a matter of public record. Unscrupulous companies mine this information and send the applicant a solicitation requesting payment of money. In most cases, the services offered are not required in order to obtain the trademark  registration.  Even worse, some of these companies have been making their solicitations appear as if they are official business from the government. As such, these are typically scams. One such  company has been sent a cease a desist letter from the government.  I always tell my clients for whom I have filed trademark applications, if it doesn’t come from my office, your response is not required.