Trade Mark Scam Warning! Don’t fall for this Scam
We are aware of various instances of illegitimate trade mark firms emailing businesses with false claims that the business must urgently engage that firm to apply for trade mark protection before another party registers an identical mark/logo.
We have been forwarded emails from fake firms including ‘Trade Mark Registry Hub’ and ‘TM Registry Filer’.
The scammers impersonate real trade mark lawyers or attorneys by using their names in email signatures. That way, a recipient may search the lawyer’s name to find that they indeed work in trade marks, albeit at another legitimate firm. The scammers ask for fees in advance that are paid for and then lost.
You can search for registered Victorian law firms via the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commission website.
For overseas law or IP (intellectual property) firms, we recommend that you conduct due diligence about the legitimacy of the firm and email, and discount any unsolicited attempt to coerce you into making any action or payment.
If you receive any correspondence regarding your branding from a supposed trade mark firm, we advise that you check whether the law firm is registered and when in doubt, contact your trusted lawyer.
If the email is from an unregistered and unknown firm, ignore and delete the email.
Tisher Liner FC Law offers various intellectual property services, including the registration and opposition of trade mark applications.
We also deal with general intellectual property advice include the registration of business names, logos, and other trade marks, the enforcement and defence of trade mark rights, and copyright protection and enforcement.
For assistance and advice concerning intellectual property rights, contact Michael Fetter, head of our Commercial team at Tisher Liner FC Law.
