UK IPO alerts IP owners to potential new renewals scam

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is warning patent and trademark owners of another potential renewal fees scam.

On December 2, the IPO said it had been alerted to a possible fraudulent renewal fee letters scheme that was being conducted by a Latvian company.

The bogus company will typically send out letters to patent and trademark owners that are due to renew their intellectual property rights in the near future.

“Misrepresentation to our customers will not be tolerated. The IPO will continue to work closely with enforcement partners until those responsible are stopped,” the IPO said in a statement.

Last month, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court fined an agency the maximum £500,000 ($756,000) damages award after it found that it was incorrectly passing itself off as the IPO.

The organisation, called the Intellectual Property Agency, had contacted patent and trademark owners with notices asking them to pay a fee to renew their rights.

The IPO has asked IP owners to contact Action Fraud if they have received any suspicious correspondence regarding renewal of patent and trademark rights.