Avoiding misleading payment requests

Customers are receiving an increasing amount of misleading invoices from companies requesting payment for trade mark, design and patent services such as publication, renewal or entry in business directories.

What is a misleading invoice?

AMisleading misleadinginvoices invoice refers to unsolicited mail or fraudulent invoices. They are sent by unsolicited organisations, who are not associated with the Intellectual Property Office. Misleading invoices can be received for all types of IP but mainly target trade mark customers. These invoices offermay high-costcharge servicesfor sucha as:

• renewal“renewal monitoring services
  
• “protection”service” or “publication”suggest for wider “protection” of your IP should you pay to be included in a European or international register

What should you do?

Do not pay them. ItThese isinvoices highlycould unlikelybe youa willscam. get your money back. This type of organisation operates across borders which makes enforcement extremely difficult. If you are unsure about somethingthe invoice you have received,received please do the following:

• send a copy to to misleadinginvoices@ipo.gov.uk and and someone from our team will respond to you.

• You can also report misleading invoices to to Action Fraud, andor your local Trading Standards office. For customers or representatives who have received a misleading invoice, please make an Information Report to Action Fraud via the the online reporting tool

• report. For customers or representatives who have paid a misleading invoice, please make a Crime Report to Action Fraud.

  If you have paid a misleading invoice it is highly unlikely you will get your local Tradingmoney Standards office.

ExamplesHow ofdo misleadingthese ororganisations unsolicitedget mailmy companiesdetails?

YouThe candetails viewof further  Examplesyour trade mark application are uploaded onto the public register within hours of redactedreceipt. scamOnce invoices (ODT,a 1.3patent MB)or thatdesign customersapplication haveis received.published details are also made available online. This information is made available to third parties searching our IP registers.

It

Why is commonthis fordata thesemade unsolicitedavailable?

As organisationspart of the application process, you are asked to changeprovide theiryour names.name Ifand youaddress dodetails. notThis recogniseinformation is a statutory requirement of each of the companyIP orActs.

Who ifare they’rethese notmisleading listedmail below,companies?

There pleaseare senda variety of unsolicited organisations who often use very misleading names. Included below is a copylist of some of the invoicecurrent to misleadinginvoices@ipo.gov.uk.organisations that may send you an invoice:

• EIPA
• EUIP
• European Agency Intellectual Property
• European Intellectual Property Agency (EUIPA)
• European Intellectual Property Services (EIPS)
• European Patent and Trademark Agency (EPTA)
• European Union Intellectual Property Directory (EUIPD)
• Intellectual Property Organisation Service (IPOS)
• International Organisation Intellectual Property (IOIP)
• International Patent and Trademark Register (IPTMR)
• International Property Services (IPS)
• International Trademark Register
• INT-Trademarks
• IPRO
• IPR Protection
• TPS – Trademark Publication Service
• Trademarks Worldwide Ltd
• World Intellectual Property Office for Trademarks (WIPOT)
• World Organisation for Trademarks (WOTR)
• World Patent & Trademark Agency
• WTPR

It is common for these unsolicited organisations to change their names. So, if you do not recognise the company or if they’re not listed above, please send a copy of the invoice to misleadinginvoices@ipo.gov.uk.

We have included examples of redacted scam invoices (ODT, 1.04 MB) that customers have received.

Further information

If you require further reassurance or information, please contact misleadinginvoices@ipo.gov.uk.