This solicitation I received last week is clearly intended to look and feel like official government notice. First clue: the name “Trademark Office Ltd.” Domain name: trademarkoffice.us.
The notice states my trademark registration for APPTORNEY® is about to expire. That is not really true. The renewal is due between Jan. 4, 2016 and Jan. 4, 2017. And there is even a six month grace period after that. So my registration will only expire if I do not file a renewal before July 4, 2017. Yet the mailing says it is about to expire.
The fee quoted is quite high: $855. And the offer does not explain anything about the requirements to renew, or whether a Section 15 declaration would be useful. It appears then that they are charging $755, plus $100 USPTO filing fee, for filing a Section 8. That is more than I charge, for certain, and I provide legal advice. Do they provide legal advice? The offer is not clear.
The fine print on the back is practically impossible to read, as it is in light grey lettering (I scanned it in color, below).
Note that the USPTO is also warning about Trademrk Office Ltd. and related solicitations regarding renewal deadlines here.
