Protect your trade marks against the latest registration scam

Unscrupulous self-styled ‘registrars’ are currently targeting legitimate trade mark owners. Businesses and individuals across the UK and the EU have been receiving letters requesting payment of funds to register trade marks or renew registrations. Official-looking documents promise comprehensive international protection at a cost of around €1,500.

In fact, the so-called protection is entirely worthless.

The European governing body for Community trade marks, The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), has issued warnings not to heed the unsolicited offers, which have no legal merit or commercial value.

Letters have been received from a variety of self-styled organisations, including:

• FIPTR Service - Federated Institute for Patent & Trademark Registry in Florida
• WIG - Wirtschaftszentrale Für Industrie und Gewerbe AG in Zurich
• Institut économique pour le commerce, l'artisant, l'industrie in Zug
• Trademark Publisher GMBH in Vienna
• CPI - Company for Publications and Information Anstalt (Société pour publications et information SARL) in Vaduz
• EIEC - European Institute for economy and Commerce in Brussels
• WIG - Wirtschaftszentrale für Industrie und Gewerbe AG in Zürich

These organisations have nothing to do with the OHIM's Community trade marks register or any of its official publications.

UK trade mark owners have also been subject to unsolicited approaches from other organisations, which are similarly unauthorised and have no connection with the UK Intellectual Property Office.

“Trade marks are valuable assets,” says Robert MacGinn, “and require care and attention to ensure that they are properly protected”.

“If you are suspicious of any unsolicited material that refers to trade mark protection, you should not hesitate to contact the OHIM or Silverman Sherliker’s Intellectual Property experts for advice. We are always happy to advise on the best forms of protection and commercial exploitation.”