[E-trademarks] TM Scam?

[Mark Kaufman]

Oh great and powerful Brain Trust:



We wrote to a client to renew a registration (due in a year, but inspired
by the upcoming increase in PTO fees).  Client said they’d send payment.
Before we renewed, another U.S. attorney had filed and paid the fee for
renewal.  Disappointed, I wrote to the client.  Client said that they
didn’t know who the new attorney was, and that client had mailed me a check
to do the work.   An email to the new attorney semi-bounces back with the
following message:



XYZ Law Firm will be away on vacation for the 2024-2025 holiday season.
Afterward [the firm] will begin the winding up process. If you have any
questions this email will be monitored sparingly but questions will be
addressed in time. [The Firm’s] Intellectual Property web services have
been faulty since 9/4/2024. If assistance is needed concerning a prior
response please call.



I’m not sure if the “2024-2025 holiday season” means the entire month of
December.  A phone call to new attorney’s cell phone doesn’t answer, and
“mailbox is full.”  I’ve sent a text message, but am not optimistic about
getting a response.



So:  I guess I’ll send the foregoing to TMscam at uspto.gov and, if anyone
thinks it’s advisable, to the Post Registration Department.  But the
curious thing about this hijacking is that the new, unauthorized “law
firm”, in the process of taking over the registration, paid the filing
fee.  Maybe they intend to assign the registration to some other scammer…



I welcome your thoughts and suggestions.



Thanks,

Mark



Mark S. Kaufman

Kaufman & Kahn, LLP

Email:  kaufman at kaufmankahn.com

www.kaufmankahn.com



10 Grand Central

155 East 44th Street, 19th Floor

New York, NY  10017

Mobile: +1 (917) 453-7807

Tel.:  (212) 293-5556, x 2







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