The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is warning businesses and the public to beware of approaches from a Latvian-based company which has set itself up using the same name, to defraud unsuspecting victims.
The IPO is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.
The Latvian company has been inviting businesses and members of the public to pay renewal fees for patents and trademarks. They have been using documentation designed to look like official renewal reminders for registered patents and trademarks sent by the genuine IPO.
The authorities stress this company is not part of, or associated with the UK’s IPO. The City of London Police is investigating this matter and has said that no-one has been arrested. Also be aware, the IPO adds, that several other companies solicit business as renewal agents using trading names and methods which resemble those used by the IPO. They usually charge fees much higher than the official renewal fees.
Where approaches are made by companies offering patent and trademark renewal for a fee, verification should be sought from the Intellectual Property Office. Similar dealings have affected the data protection regulator the ICO.
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