Trademark Scams: What to Watch For

Obtaining and then protecting a trademark can be an arduous task. From dealing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to keeping those who want to infringe upon your trademark at bay, you have to be on the ball at all times to protect your trademarked idea or product. It also means you have to keep a close eye out for scammers who are looking to take advantage of you and your trademark.

In recent years, there has been an uptick in scams involving trademarks. In many cases, scammers send documents that look extremely official to those who hold trademarks and tell them that they need to send payments for things like being included in certain business directories, as JD Supra reports. Often times, companies are willing to fork over their hard-earned money to these scammers because the materials they provide appear to be official and they want to keep and protect their trademarks so that they don’t become vulnerable to infringement attempts. Unfortunately, these very scams can result in lost money for no real benefit and with no real threat – a vicious cycle that can cause real trouble for companies.

Fortunately, SMG Consulting Services exists to protect you from these scammers, especially scammers who operate in Latin America and Mexico. These kinds of scam attempts are especially dangerous in foreign nations because many American companies that take their businesses outside of the country are confused about how trademarks work. This means that they are even more susceptible to attempts by fraudulent entities that try to convince them to pay for a registry, local license or other false product they don’t really need. Companies end up paying money to scammers, thinking they are protecting or promoting their trademark, but in reality are losing cash to scammers.

SMG Consulting Services has experience doing trademark investigations and helping companies and individuals protect their products, services and branding in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and throughout Central America, and we can help you work your work through the ins and outs of trademark laws in foreign countries so that you don’t get scammed. It’s essential for you to protect your business logo, your slogan and your good name – especially as you move into a new market – and with our experience, we can help you to do just that. Reach out to us today to find out more about the trademark investigation and protection services available to our clients.

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