IPO Scammer Found Liable For Trade Mark Infringement and Passing Off

If you have registered a trade mark in your business, then you may be well aware of the bogus companies out there who try to imitate or pass themselves off as either being the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) or connected to it.

These companies set themselves up with official sounding names and then send invoices to those businesses which have recently submitted trade mark applications, requesting up to six times the usual filing fees payable. In some cases, it works and out of the many trade mark applications we have submitted on behalf of clients, thankfully (but unluckily for the client!) only one client has fallen for the scam. If you are unsure about an invoice that you receive for trade mark fees, do double check it.

Businesses that have fallen foul of the scam will be particularly pleased to hear that a persistent IPO scammer has been found liable for trade mark infringement and passing off, and ordered to pay £500,000, which is the maximum penalty permitted to be issued by the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC).

For more details on the case, click here.

For further information on intellectual property matters, please contact our Company Commercial team.

Please note the contents of this blog are given for information only and must not be relied upon. Legal advice should always be sought in relation to specific circumstances.