(Publ. 27 OCT 2020) Questionable operators continue to send invoices/offers where you are prompted to register or renew your trademark internationally. The letters give the appearance of being official and you are often asked to pay large sums of money. These records are false and have no legal effect. Users are warned to be especially alert.

Among other things, we have seen invoices about paying registration with the European Intellectual Property Office EUIPO (with its office in Spain) as the sender. One thing to pay attention to can be, for example, the IBAN number that contains a country’s abbreviation, usually any country other than Spain. EUIPO never sends invoices or letters requesting direct payment for services to users. If you receive an invoice from a company that appears to come from an official authority – don’t pay. Always check first! Offers concerning renewal of patents are also appearing.

On our site we have listed the names of unreliable operators. This list is continuously updated as we become aware of false invoices. In addition, examples of such false invoices are also published on the EUIPO and the WIPO websites. The Swedish Trade Federation (in Swedish) also publishes a warning list of Swedish operators.

Pay close attention when examining invoices/offers and always contact your IP law firm or consultant if you are in doubt, or if you have any questions.