Beware of Scam Notices

All correspondence about your patent and trademark applications will be from Karich & Associates, and, if by email, from the domain “@karich.net.” If you receive any notices from other sources they are almost certainly private scam companies not associated with the USPTO. Be especially wary of any notices requiring payment of any fees. These companies may have names similar to the USPTO. Their names may include the terms “United States,” “U.S.,” “Trademark,” “Patent,” “Registration,” “Office,” or “Agency.” Some companies attempt to make their offers and notices look like official government documents by using official government data publicly available from USPTO records. If you receive a patent or trademark related offer or notice that you believe is misleading, feel free to check with our office for confirmation. You may also file a consumer complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.FTC.gov and retain the notice and the envelope it came in. We also encourage recipients of misleading patent or trademark mailings to contact their state consumer protection authorities. For more information, including examples, visit the USPTO webpage called “Caution: misleading notices.” If the company who has contacted you is not identified on the USPTO webpage, please email TrademarkAssistanceCenter@uspto.gov and attach a copy of the notice and the envelope it came in, so that they may consider adding the example to their webpage. Unfortunately, they do not have the legal authority to pursue refunds from a private company for you if you paid money or signed up for services based on a misleading offer or notice.