Commissioner for Trademarks announces USPTO cease and desist letter sent to "United States Trademark Registration Office"

Earlier today, in a public meeting of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee for the U.S.P.T.O. held at U.S.P.T.O. headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, it was announced by Commissioner for Trademarks Deborah Cohn that a cease and desist letter has been sent by the Office of the Solicitor of the U.S.P.T.O. to the outfit calling itself “United States Trademark Registration Office.”

United States Trademark Registration Office has been sending trademark applicants and registrants solicitations that are deceptive. Many have thought they are from the USPTO given the similarity in names and the letter’s official look and feel. See below for one such solicitation I received recently, including the envelope for it.

Commissioner Cohn noted that the letter invokes Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act. [I am not aware of any precedent where the USPTO itself has ever sued another party for violating trademark law.]

This is welcome news and hopefully will stop not only United States Trademark Registration Office but also scare off other similar outfits that are soliciting and misleading trademark holders.

If you have any information about United States Trademark Registration Office or have been mislead by their mailing, you are encouraged to file an on-line consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), at www.FTC.gov and/or contact the USPTO via TMFeedback@uspto.gov.

Commissioner for Trademark Deborah Cohn (image via uspto.gov)

Solicitation from United States Trademark Registration Office