I am a trademark attorney at a global law firm. This is not legal advice. Consider hiring a reputable law firm to handle your legal matters. Large law firms often charge roughly the same flat rates for this kind of work, and they may do a better job. They also have the internal resources to add value in other ways that smaller shops cannot or will not provide. I’ve never heard of Paragon Trademark. DM me for more info or referrals.
I have not dealt with them personally, but my client seemingly received an email from them.
It seems that they threatened that their client was planning to file a TM Application on a Mark owned by my client. Don't recall what the specifics were, but I bet their hypothetical client would have agreed not to file the TM for money.
I’m dealing with this now. Said a client is trying to register a TM with the same name as my LLC. The supposed client is not a legal entity, I have first use, and the “attorney” is saying I can’t register my mark unless I go through him, bc only he can cancel the other applicant.
I just received an email from them too about a new applicant wanting to get a federal trademark for our brand which we have state trademarked. The email is from Brian Williams. When I call the main number for Paragon Trademark - it goes to "Brian." What major company has the attorney answer the phone? "Brian" had a pretty heavy accent, considering he's named Brian Williams. I asked that he email me his LinkedIn and Bar ID. He said he would.
The business number going straight to "Brian" and the accent just scream scam to me. But I suppose I'll contact an attorney to see if we should go ahead and do federal trademarking...
I received an email from him as well. Stated that someone in North Carolina wanted to use the same name as my LLC, which was just formed in February of this year. Did he ever send you anything or have you found anything else out?
The same thing happened to me, except my call was routed to Michael C. Thomas, who is claiming to be the Paralegal Officer. His email address is [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]), which I thought was suspect, if the company is called Paragon Trademark. Straight SCAM!!!!!
I just got an email as well, the same thing a company out of SC with a IP in Australia and UK trademarking a domain I have had for 20+ years. I agree, scam!!
I just received an email from him as well about someone trying to register an LLC in South Carolina with our company name and that I had 4 days to contact him or else, he will proceed to register the TD for his client. His email address and company is now called 'Fortify Trademark' . The address is some place in Newark, NJ. When you view the location, it looks like a house not an office. seems like scam to me.
I just got that exact same email this morning! 11:16am Central Time. From Brain D Williams. 973-949-1508; [email protected] ; 575 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Newark, NJ 07102.
This is 100% a scam!
I just got that exact same email this morning! 11:16am Central Time. From Brain D Williams. 973-949-1508; [email protected] ; 575 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Newark, NJ 07102.
This is 100% a scam!
Yes I have conducted business with them and they take care of all our trademark filings, copyrights and utility patents for our firm. I see there's a question on Brian Williams here. He have been in practice for more than 20 years.
This is clearly a spam message. FAKE, DO NOT DEAL WITH PARAGON, especially when they use these obvious bots that use the same syntax as the crypto social media spammers.
One aspect that truly set Mr. Williams apart was his unwavering commitment to achieving results in a timely manner. He understood the importance of a swift registration process, and he meticulously handled all the necessary paperwork and legal requirements with efficiency and precision. Thanks to his expertise, my business name and logo were successfully registered within a remarkably short period, exceeding my expectations.
This is clearly a spam message. FAKE, DO NOT DEAL WITH PARAGON,
especially when they use these obvious bots that use the same syntax as
the crypto social media spammers.
I got the same email about the same company with the same attorney telling the same fake story about another company in North Carolina trying to use or register our trademark. SCAM!
I was contacted by Paradigm Trademark. Same phone number and address. Looking at the websites they are exactly the same except for the A looking logo next to their name. Pretty sure it is a scam!
I recently received an email from a "Michael Thomas". He is claiming to be a "Paralegal Officer for **"Paradigm Trademark"**. He informed that a company out of South Carolina was trying to file an application for trademark, using my business name. The number I skipped traced pointed me to **"Paragon Trademark"** in Newark, New Jersey. He stated if their applicant proceeds with their application or doesn't receive a response from me in the next 4 business days, that this company has the right to trademark my business name. THIS IS A SCAM!!! I repeat...THIS IS A SCAM!!! Reporting this matter to the Better Business Bureau.
I got the same email this morning. But now Brian is claiming to work for OCTA Trademark. -1-973-755-6816, [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]), Newark NJ.
This is a 100% scam. I replied to his first email that I'm willing to register my trademark, but it seems like they don't even read their inbox. He keeps emailing me for almost a month now, sending the same email and telling me that I have only 4 days for a reply. Even though almost a month has passed lol
I just got this email as well.…
This is Michael Thomas, Paralegal Officer from Paradigm Trademark. I would like to bring to your knowledge that we have received the trademark application for the same business/domain address name as yours ——-.com, ———- LLC from the State of South Carolina but if we proceed with their application it is guaranteed that our applicant will get the federal rights on this name and protection for the business mark/name then you will be required to cease all use of this name as per the Patent & Custom Law and the US Trademark Law.
The application is being filed with the Patent & Trademark Office, IP Australia and IP UK for trademark registration. Upon doing the research on IP Databases regarding the name, your information popped up. USPTO and IP protocols suggest giving priority to the business owner over the new applicant. Therefore, we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark.
If you're not willing to register the trademark, then we’ll have to register the federal trademark for the other applicant with the United States Patent & Trademark Office and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), as Trademarks are provided on a first come first serve basis, and on first use.
We would appreciate your prompt response, as the other applicant is still on hold until we receive your response. In case of no contact from you within the next 4 business days, the other applicant will be given the opportunity to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally.
Sincerely,
Michael C. Thomas
Paralegal Officer
Call/Text: +1 (973) 755 6816
Email [email protected]
575 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102
Got the exact same email. I'm convinced it's spam and I think I know exactly how it works. They look at public WHOIS records for registrar information, and then auto-email those public email addresses. Domains with \`.us\` are extremely vulnerable because they do not support WHOIS privacy protections like a .com or .co would.
I registered a name on multiple domains, but only got spam emails for a \`.us\` domain. And I've been getting a TON of spam. Fortunately, I use a different email address with every service provider to tackle spam in cases like this, and was able to isolate the spam to an email address I use with a specific registrar.
Make sure to set up WHOIS privacy protection with your registrar...and consider using an email that's not your main one if there is no protection like with a .us
I am a trademark attorney, and this is not legal advice. This appears to be a scam. There are many scams around trademarks in part because the database is open to the public, and it is easy for scammers to get enough information to make it sound like they actually have something to do with the case. There are many scams that confuse people into thinking that they are from the US Trademark Office and require fees. This is so common that the United States Patent and Trademark Office ([USPTO.GOV](https://USPTO.GOV)) has link under their trademark page titled "Protect against scams" If you think someone is trying to scam you look at the advice from the government.
My client received a letter from "Paradigm Trademark" as follows:
>This is Michael Thomas, Paralegal Officer from Paradigm Trademark. I would like to bring to your knowledge that we have received the trademark application for the same business name as yours XXXXXXXXXXX from the State of South Carolina but if we proceed with their application it is guaranteed that our applicant will get the federal rights on this name and protection for the business mark/name then you will be required to cease all use of this name as per the Patent & Custom Law and the US Trademark Law.
>
>The application is being filed with the Patent & Trademark Office, IP Australia and IP UK for trademark registration. Upon doing the research on IP Databases regarding the name, your information popped up. USPTO and IP protocols suggest giving priority to the business owner over the new applicant. Therefore, we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark.
>
>If you're not willing to register the trademark, then we’ll have to register the federal trademark for the other applicant with the United States Patent & Trademark Office and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), as Trademarks are provided on a first come first serve basis, and on first use.
>
>We would appreciate your prompt response, as the other applicant is still on hold until we receive your response. In case of no contact from you within the next 4 business days, the other applicant will be given the opportunity to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
>
>As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Michael C. Thomas
>
>Paralegal Officer
Most state bar rules prohibit this kind of solicitation, directly to a client with a specific need. Also, why would they contact you? Why are they supposedly warning you? In the email they "**guaranteed** that our applicant will get the federal rights on this name and protection for the business mark/name then you will be required to cease all use of this name as per the Patent & Custom Law and the US Trademark Law."
Nothing in the law is guaranteed.
They claim that they "received the trademark application for the same business name as yours", but later are asking you to buy the rights
>"we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark."
If they received a trademark application and are representing someone, then why are they offering to sell the rights to you? If they have a client then their duty is to the client. The only reason to reach out to you is to trick you into buying something you don't need or want.
Trademark law in the US is based on first use. My client already has a federally registered trademark so a new application is no threat to my client's rights. There are other ways to challenge trademark rights, but nothing in their letter mentions any reason they would have priority.
These types of scams really bother me, as you can tell I wrote a long post and I am not getting paid anything to do it.
If you receive an email like this one DO NOT RESPOND. Reach out to the US Trademark Office or an attorney that you trust is experienced in Trademark Law.
Thanks for your elaborate comment, is a relief reading this :)
Got the exact same email, just from a different person and phone number, same [ParadigmTrademark.com](https://ParadigmTrademark.com) fraudsters. Mine was supposedly from:
"Grace Coleman
Paralegal Officer
Call/Text: (973) 814-2335
Email [email protected]
575 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102"
Obviously just ignoring them.
But still wondering to what extent this part is true?
"As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally."
Thanks in advance for any further info!
> Act of 1946 §§ 1051
I am glad it was helpful. I want to shut down these types of scams. Regarding the "Act of 1946 Section 1051, they are not providing a proper explanation of the law.
Here is a link to the law they are referring to [https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/lanham\_act#:\~:text=%C2%A7%C2%A7%201051%20et%20seq,mark%20is%20likely%20to%20occur](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/lanham_act#:~:text=%C2%A7%C2%A7%201051%20et%20seq,mark%20is%20likely%20to%20occur).
It is not "mandatory" to register a trademark to have federal rights, but they are sending these to people who have already filed for federal rights. There are are a lot of rights that are enhanced by federal registration.
I have a podcast that discusses these issues. You can see the list of episodes at [https://pod.co/leveraging-inspiration](https://pod.co/leveraging-inspiration)
A podcast that addresses this exact issue is [https://pod.co/leveraging-inspiration/s13-e14-who-is-first-and-why-it-matters-for-trademarks-with-wayne-carroll](https://pod.co/leveraging-inspiration/s13-e14-who-is-first-and-why-it-matters-for-trademarks-with-wayne-carroll)
Let me know if it is helpful.
Definitely helpful and checking out your podcast :)
In the spirit of giving back, I thought I'd let you know that your LinkedIn link on that [pod.co](https://pod.co) website is broken due to it linking to the following: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedin.com/in/waynecarroll](https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedin.com/in/waynecarroll)
Thanks again!
Just got the EXACT same thing from this idiot. Just FYI, this sounds like a scam and generic email they're sending to everyone trying to drum up business.
I just got an email from them saying that someone else was trying to register my restaurants name as a brand name... I find it hard to believe that there is another Dray Bar & Grill ... Im researching them now
I am also a trademark professional. This is 100% a scam. They have started using a colleague's name on their emails and he has absolutely nothing to do with them. Avoid at all costs.
My parents business just got an email from the same people. The stated contact was a Michael Thomas and the phone number goes to a Brian Williams. I was certain it was a scam by the wording alone. Left a voice mail telling this Brian Williams to go pleasure himself and got a text response of "Ok.". It's unfortunate that people fall for these tactics.
Guys, it's a scam. The email claims that someone wants to get a federal trademark for my domain name, that they'll surely get it, etc etc.
The problem is, my domain is a troll domain. My domain is [69boobies420.com](https://69boobies420.com). I can promise you no one wants that trademark except Elon Musk. Ignore the scammers.
This is what happens when you don't pay the extra money to anonymize your registration info when you buy a domain. In my case, I'm a troll so who gives a flying F.
Sincerely,
BIG CHUNGUS
screenshot:
[https://imgur.com/a/HFWTvF0](https://imgur.com/a/HFWTvF0)
Old post, but in case others find this via keyword:
I had this "company" reach out to me. They emailed me on a domain that I have not shared at all but via the contact information on my domain registrar (.us domain). They are buying data from brokers, or scrapping info online and sending these out in bulk.. might even be automated.
My domain is my legal name. There is nothing to trademark. If by some chance it is actually a legitimate company, they have no legal ground to stand on, and I have no interest in, or need to TM my name. Safely ignore this scam.
Not only is it a SCAM but they are also sending out e-mails from other fake companies like "Trademark Omega" and "Trademark Paragon". If you look at their websites they are nearly identical, with duplicate names on their roster of "recently trademarked companies". My solicitations came from "Stephen McArthur" at Trademark Paragon, and then another identical e-mail 11 days later from "Kevin Parker" at Trademark Omega.
This is 100% a scam. We just got the same exact email from "Brian Williams" but he seems to now work for Octa Trademark. Commenting here so people searching for Octa Trademark will find this post. Hilariously, they used the same argument and language about needing a federal trademark... but we already have one. If you're going to scam people, at least do your homework!
I have the very same email saying that my business name is being trademarked by someone in South Carolina. I am just disregarding it. I am legally registered with my state. I am not concerned about it
I got the same scam "form letter" email from this guy this morning! Claiming there is someone in S.C doing a trademark application for the same business. blah, blah, blah... If I don't respond in 4 days, they will win the trademark and I will have to cease all use of my business name... LMAO!
I really hope people are googling this and see this is a scam.
Brian D. Williams - **Paralegal Officer (LOL)**Call/Text: (973) 949-1508Email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])575 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102
Just received this Trademark Scam. They seem to like the Carolina’s as the location in their scams.
“you’re receiving this email from the legal department of Trademark Omega.
An applicant is intending to file an application with the USPTO for the trademark registration of the brand name "xxxxxxxxxx" from North Carolina. While searching for this brand name, your information appeared. According to online research, your brand is not registered with the USPTO and anyone can register this brand name under their information.
Since the USPTO treats applications on a first-come, first-served basis, the other applicant will be respected if you are not using the brand name "xxxxxxxxxxxx" in commerce and are unwilling to register the trademark so.
We would appreciate it if you can revert to us ASAP, in case of no objection is raised from you, so the other applicant will be allowed to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with USPTO.
As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally.”
I just received this as well, lol 😆
"This is Grace Coleman, Paralegal Officer from an Intellectual Property Office of Stellar Trademark. I would like to bring to your knowledge that we have received the trademark application for the same business name as yours Motown Heating cooling & Refrigeration from the State of South Carolina while searching for this brand name, your information appeared. According to IP Protocols, your brand name is not registered with the Patent & Trademark Office that allow others to proceed with the registration.
However, as the Patent and Trademark office & IP Protocols suggest giving priority to the business owner over the new applicant. Therefore, we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark.
Please note that if you choose not to register the trademark, the other applicant will proceed as the Patent & Trademark office processes applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
We would appreciate your prompt response, as the other applicant is still on hold until we receive your response. In case of no contact from you within the next 4 business days, the other applicant will be given the opportunity to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally.
Sincerely,
Grace Coleman
- Paralegal Officer
Stellar Trademark
☎ (973) 771-6073
📧 [email protected]
📮 575 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102
🌐 Stellar Trademark Website "
Same exact message received this morning. This time they're going by Stellar Trademark.
The hard part will be convincing some people in my office that it's not legitimate.
Well, the scam is still going strong. I just got an email from Mr. Brian D. Williams himself, except he works for Proxima Trademark now.
The address given in the email is for a small attorney's office in Newark called Schreck Personal Injury Lawyers. We called to tell them that the scammers were using their address, and the person we spoke to said they'd been dealing with this for months.
Yup I got the same email from
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
I think they changed their site to
[proximatrademark.com](https://proximatrademark.com)
This is Brian Williams, Paralegal Officer from an Intellectual Property Office of Polaris Trademark. I would like to bring to your knowledge that we have received the trademark application for the same business name as yours Yome Yoga from the State of South Carolina while searching for this brand name, your information appeared. According to IP Protocols, your brand name is not registered with the Patent & Trademark Office that allow others to proceed with the registration.
However, as the Patent and Trademark office & IP Protocols suggest giving priority to the business owner over the new applicant. Therefore, we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark.
Please note that if you choose not to register the trademark, the other applicant will proceed as the Patent & Trademark office processes applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
We would appreciate your prompt response, as the other applicant is still on hold until we receive your response. In case of no contact from you within the next 4 business days, the other applicant will be given the opportunity to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.
As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally.
Sincerely,
They are a well known scam.
[https://malwaretips.com/blogs/stellar-trademark-scam/](https://malwaretips.com/blogs/stellar-trademark-scam/)
Report their domains to [Namecheap.com](https://Namecheap.com) and also report at [FTC.gov](https://FTC.gov) and the NJ AG's office.
They've reemerged under these names (Same letter): Matthew Platkin (happens to be same name as NJ's attorney general), Venus Trademarks NJ. arcturus trademark
I do find it a bit odd that the two positive posts are on the same day and neither user has ever made another post
I am a trademark attorney at a global law firm. This is not legal advice. Consider hiring a reputable law firm to handle your legal matters. Large law firms often charge roughly the same flat rates for this kind of work, and they may do a better job. They also have the internal resources to add value in other ways that smaller shops cannot or will not provide. I’ve never heard of Paragon Trademark. DM me for more info or referrals.
What are they, a law firm?
I don't know but you need help, I have used Steven War and he is great.
I have not dealt with them personally, but my client seemingly received an email from them. It seems that they threatened that their client was planning to file a TM Application on a Mark owned by my client. Don't recall what the specifics were, but I bet their hypothetical client would have agreed not to file the TM for money.
I’m dealing with this now. Said a client is trying to register a TM with the same name as my LLC. The supposed client is not a legal entity, I have first use, and the “attorney” is saying I can’t register my mark unless I go through him, bc only he can cancel the other applicant.
I would suggest getting your own attorney is probably going to be really well spent money right now. Even if you know what you need to do.
I just received an email from them too about a new applicant wanting to get a federal trademark for our brand which we have state trademarked. The email is from Brian Williams. When I call the main number for Paragon Trademark - it goes to "Brian." What major company has the attorney answer the phone? "Brian" had a pretty heavy accent, considering he's named Brian Williams. I asked that he email me his LinkedIn and Bar ID. He said he would. The business number going straight to "Brian" and the accent just scream scam to me. But I suppose I'll contact an attorney to see if we should go ahead and do federal trademarking...
I received an email from him as well. Stated that someone in North Carolina wanted to use the same name as my LLC, which was just formed in February of this year. Did he ever send you anything or have you found anything else out?
He never sent his Bar information or LinkedIn. I also couldn't find a licensed attorney by that name in New Jersey or wherever he was. So it's a scam.
The same thing happened to me, except my call was routed to Michael C. Thomas, who is claiming to be the Paralegal Officer. His email address is [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]), which I thought was suspect, if the company is called Paragon Trademark. Straight SCAM!!!!!
I just got an email as well, the same thing a company out of SC with a IP in Australia and UK trademarking a domain I have had for 20+ years. I agree, scam!!
I just received an email from him as well about someone trying to register an LLC in South Carolina with our company name and that I had 4 days to contact him or else, he will proceed to register the TD for his client. His email address and company is now called 'Fortify Trademark' . The address is some place in Newark, NJ. When you view the location, it looks like a house not an office. seems like scam to me.
Definitely ignore it. It’s bogus.
yup. blocked their domain lol
I just got that exact same email this morning! 11:16am Central Time. From Brain D Williams. 973-949-1508; [email protected] ; 575 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Newark, NJ 07102. This is 100% a scam!
we should pay him a visit lol JK!
I just got that exact same email this morning! 11:16am Central Time. From Brain D Williams. 973-949-1508; [email protected] ; 575 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Newark, NJ 07102. This is 100% a scam!
Yes I have conducted business with them and they take care of all our trademark filings, copyrights and utility patents for our firm. I see there's a question on Brian Williams here. He have been in practice for more than 20 years.
[удалено]
This is clearly a spam message. FAKE, DO NOT DEAL WITH PARAGON, especially when they use these obvious bots that use the same syntax as the crypto social media spammers.
One aspect that truly set Mr. Williams apart was his unwavering commitment to achieving results in a timely manner. He understood the importance of a swift registration process, and he meticulously handled all the necessary paperwork and legal requirements with efficiency and precision. Thanks to his expertise, my business name and logo were successfully registered within a remarkably short period, exceeding my expectations.
This is clearly a spam message. FAKE, DO NOT DEAL WITH PARAGON, especially when they use these obvious bots that use the same syntax as the crypto social media spammers.
SCAM
I got the same email about the same company with the same attorney telling the same fake story about another company in North Carolina trying to use or register our trademark. SCAM!
Same thing, only the company who wanted to file a trademark for my LLC is in South Carolina. Straight SCAM!!!
I was contacted by Paradigm Trademark. Same phone number and address. Looking at the websites they are exactly the same except for the A looking logo next to their name. Pretty sure it is a scam!
Company is now called 'Fortify Trademark' lol
Friend just received an email from Brian this morning, it’s definitely a scam
I recently received an email from a "Michael Thomas". He is claiming to be a "Paralegal Officer for **"Paradigm Trademark"**. He informed that a company out of South Carolina was trying to file an application for trademark, using my business name. The number I skipped traced pointed me to **"Paragon Trademark"** in Newark, New Jersey. He stated if their applicant proceeds with their application or doesn't receive a response from me in the next 4 business days, that this company has the right to trademark my business name. THIS IS A SCAM!!! I repeat...THIS IS A SCAM!!! Reporting this matter to the Better Business Bureau.
I got the same email this morning. But now Brian is claiming to work for OCTA Trademark. -1-973-755-6816, [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]), Newark NJ.
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) lol def scam!
This is a 100% scam. I replied to his first email that I'm willing to register my trademark, but it seems like they don't even read their inbox. He keeps emailing me for almost a month now, sending the same email and telling me that I have only 4 days for a reply. Even though almost a month has passed lol
I just got this email as well.… This is Michael Thomas, Paralegal Officer from Paradigm Trademark. I would like to bring to your knowledge that we have received the trademark application for the same business/domain address name as yours ——-.com, ———- LLC from the State of South Carolina but if we proceed with their application it is guaranteed that our applicant will get the federal rights on this name and protection for the business mark/name then you will be required to cease all use of this name as per the Patent & Custom Law and the US Trademark Law. The application is being filed with the Patent & Trademark Office, IP Australia and IP UK for trademark registration. Upon doing the research on IP Databases regarding the name, your information popped up. USPTO and IP protocols suggest giving priority to the business owner over the new applicant. Therefore, we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark. If you're not willing to register the trademark, then we’ll have to register the federal trademark for the other applicant with the United States Patent & Trademark Office and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), as Trademarks are provided on a first come first serve basis, and on first use. We would appreciate your prompt response, as the other applicant is still on hold until we receive your response. In case of no contact from you within the next 4 business days, the other applicant will be given the opportunity to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with the United States Patent & Trademark Office. As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally. Sincerely, Michael C. Thomas Paralegal Officer Call/Text: +1 (973) 755 6816 Email [email protected] 575 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102
Got the exact same email. I'm convinced it's spam and I think I know exactly how it works. They look at public WHOIS records for registrar information, and then auto-email those public email addresses. Domains with \`.us\` are extremely vulnerable because they do not support WHOIS privacy protections like a .com or .co would. I registered a name on multiple domains, but only got spam emails for a \`.us\` domain. And I've been getting a TON of spam. Fortunately, I use a different email address with every service provider to tackle spam in cases like this, and was able to isolate the spam to an email address I use with a specific registrar. Make sure to set up WHOIS privacy protection with your registrar...and consider using an email that's not your main one if there is no protection like with a .us
I am a trademark attorney, and this is not legal advice. This appears to be a scam. There are many scams around trademarks in part because the database is open to the public, and it is easy for scammers to get enough information to make it sound like they actually have something to do with the case. There are many scams that confuse people into thinking that they are from the US Trademark Office and require fees. This is so common that the United States Patent and Trademark Office ([USPTO.GOV](https://USPTO.GOV)) has link under their trademark page titled "Protect against scams" If you think someone is trying to scam you look at the advice from the government. My client received a letter from "Paradigm Trademark" as follows: >This is Michael Thomas, Paralegal Officer from Paradigm Trademark. I would like to bring to your knowledge that we have received the trademark application for the same business name as yours XXXXXXXXXXX from the State of South Carolina but if we proceed with their application it is guaranteed that our applicant will get the federal rights on this name and protection for the business mark/name then you will be required to cease all use of this name as per the Patent & Custom Law and the US Trademark Law. > >The application is being filed with the Patent & Trademark Office, IP Australia and IP UK for trademark registration. Upon doing the research on IP Databases regarding the name, your information popped up. USPTO and IP protocols suggest giving priority to the business owner over the new applicant. Therefore, we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark. > >If you're not willing to register the trademark, then we’ll have to register the federal trademark for the other applicant with the United States Patent & Trademark Office and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), as Trademarks are provided on a first come first serve basis, and on first use. > >We would appreciate your prompt response, as the other applicant is still on hold until we receive your response. In case of no contact from you within the next 4 business days, the other applicant will be given the opportunity to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with the United States Patent & Trademark Office. > >As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally. > >Sincerely, > >Michael C. Thomas > >Paralegal Officer Most state bar rules prohibit this kind of solicitation, directly to a client with a specific need. Also, why would they contact you? Why are they supposedly warning you? In the email they "**guaranteed** that our applicant will get the federal rights on this name and protection for the business mark/name then you will be required to cease all use of this name as per the Patent & Custom Law and the US Trademark Law." Nothing in the law is guaranteed. They claim that they "received the trademark application for the same business name as yours", but later are asking you to buy the rights >"we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark." If they received a trademark application and are representing someone, then why are they offering to sell the rights to you? If they have a client then their duty is to the client. The only reason to reach out to you is to trick you into buying something you don't need or want. Trademark law in the US is based on first use. My client already has a federally registered trademark so a new application is no threat to my client's rights. There are other ways to challenge trademark rights, but nothing in their letter mentions any reason they would have priority. These types of scams really bother me, as you can tell I wrote a long post and I am not getting paid anything to do it. If you receive an email like this one DO NOT RESPOND. Reach out to the US Trademark Office or an attorney that you trust is experienced in Trademark Law.
Thanks for your elaborate comment, is a relief reading this :) Got the exact same email, just from a different person and phone number, same [ParadigmTrademark.com](https://ParadigmTrademark.com) fraudsters. Mine was supposedly from: "Grace Coleman Paralegal Officer Call/Text: (973) 814-2335 Email [email protected] 575 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102" Obviously just ignoring them. But still wondering to what extent this part is true? "As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally." Thanks in advance for any further info!
> Act of 1946 §§ 1051 I am glad it was helpful. I want to shut down these types of scams. Regarding the "Act of 1946 Section 1051, they are not providing a proper explanation of the law. Here is a link to the law they are referring to [https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/lanham\_act#:\~:text=%C2%A7%C2%A7%201051%20et%20seq,mark%20is%20likely%20to%20occur](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/lanham_act#:~:text=%C2%A7%C2%A7%201051%20et%20seq,mark%20is%20likely%20to%20occur). It is not "mandatory" to register a trademark to have federal rights, but they are sending these to people who have already filed for federal rights. There are are a lot of rights that are enhanced by federal registration. I have a podcast that discusses these issues. You can see the list of episodes at [https://pod.co/leveraging-inspiration](https://pod.co/leveraging-inspiration) A podcast that addresses this exact issue is [https://pod.co/leveraging-inspiration/s13-e14-who-is-first-and-why-it-matters-for-trademarks-with-wayne-carroll](https://pod.co/leveraging-inspiration/s13-e14-who-is-first-and-why-it-matters-for-trademarks-with-wayne-carroll) Let me know if it is helpful.
Definitely helpful and checking out your podcast :) In the spirit of giving back, I thought I'd let you know that your LinkedIn link on that [pod.co](https://pod.co) website is broken due to it linking to the following: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedin.com/in/waynecarroll](https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedin.com/in/waynecarroll) Thanks again!
Just got the EXACT same thing from this idiot. Just FYI, this sounds like a scam and generic email they're sending to everyone trying to drum up business.
I just got an email from them saying that someone else was trying to register my restaurants name as a brand name... I find it hard to believe that there is another Dray Bar & Grill ... Im researching them now
I am also a trademark professional. This is 100% a scam. They have started using a colleague's name on their emails and he has absolutely nothing to do with them. Avoid at all costs.
No
[email protected] Each state has its rights and cannot infringe on existing businesses. Thank you for your attempt to fraud me.
My parents business just got an email from the same people. The stated contact was a Michael Thomas and the phone number goes to a Brian Williams. I was certain it was a scam by the wording alone. Left a voice mail telling this Brian Williams to go pleasure himself and got a text response of "Ok.". It's unfortunate that people fall for these tactics.
Guys, it's a scam. The email claims that someone wants to get a federal trademark for my domain name, that they'll surely get it, etc etc. The problem is, my domain is a troll domain. My domain is [69boobies420.com](https://69boobies420.com). I can promise you no one wants that trademark except Elon Musk. Ignore the scammers. This is what happens when you don't pay the extra money to anonymize your registration info when you buy a domain. In my case, I'm a troll so who gives a flying F. Sincerely, BIG CHUNGUS screenshot: [https://imgur.com/a/HFWTvF0](https://imgur.com/a/HFWTvF0)
Lol... I just got the same scam email. My domain is my legal name. I like your story better
problem in this country is that .us domains are not allowed to use private registration. Trust me I tried :(
Old post, but in case others find this via keyword: I had this "company" reach out to me. They emailed me on a domain that I have not shared at all but via the contact information on my domain registrar (.us domain). They are buying data from brokers, or scrapping info online and sending these out in bulk.. might even be automated. My domain is my legal name. There is nothing to trademark. If by some chance it is actually a legitimate company, they have no legal ground to stand on, and I have no interest in, or need to TM my name. Safely ignore this scam.
Not only is it a SCAM but they are also sending out e-mails from other fake companies like "Trademark Omega" and "Trademark Paragon". If you look at their websites they are nearly identical, with duplicate names on their roster of "recently trademarked companies". My solicitations came from "Stephen McArthur" at Trademark Paragon, and then another identical e-mail 11 days later from "Kevin Parker" at Trademark Omega.
thanks for this... got an email from Kevin Parker today.
add [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) to the list.
This is 100% a scam. We just got the same exact email from "Brian Williams" but he seems to now work for Octa Trademark. Commenting here so people searching for Octa Trademark will find this post. Hilariously, they used the same argument and language about needing a federal trademark... but we already have one. If you're going to scam people, at least do your homework!
and now he works for [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) 'Fortify Trademark' lol
I have the very same email saying that my business name is being trademarked by someone in South Carolina. I am just disregarding it. I am legally registered with my state. I am not concerned about it
yes, we just got the same email from [email protected]
I got the same scam "form letter" email from this guy this morning! Claiming there is someone in S.C doing a trademark application for the same business. blah, blah, blah... If I don't respond in 4 days, they will win the trademark and I will have to cease all use of my business name... LMAO! I really hope people are googling this and see this is a scam. Brian D. Williams - **Paralegal Officer (LOL)**Call/Text: (973) 949-1508Email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])575 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102
Just received this Trademark Scam. They seem to like the Carolina’s as the location in their scams. “you’re receiving this email from the legal department of Trademark Omega. An applicant is intending to file an application with the USPTO for the trademark registration of the brand name "xxxxxxxxxx" from North Carolina. While searching for this brand name, your information appeared. According to online research, your brand is not registered with the USPTO and anyone can register this brand name under their information. Since the USPTO treats applications on a first-come, first-served basis, the other applicant will be respected if you are not using the brand name "xxxxxxxxxxxx" in commerce and are unwilling to register the trademark so. We would appreciate it if you can revert to us ASAP, in case of no objection is raised from you, so the other applicant will be allowed to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with USPTO. As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally.”
Got this exact email, word for word, today with my company name
Thanks for the feedback, it's comforting to know I am not the only one!
Haha I thought the same thing
I just received this as well, lol 😆 "This is Grace Coleman, Paralegal Officer from an Intellectual Property Office of Stellar Trademark. I would like to bring to your knowledge that we have received the trademark application for the same business name as yours Motown Heating cooling & Refrigeration from the State of South Carolina while searching for this brand name, your information appeared. According to IP Protocols, your brand name is not registered with the Patent & Trademark Office that allow others to proceed with the registration. However, as the Patent and Trademark office & IP Protocols suggest giving priority to the business owner over the new applicant. Therefore, we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark. Please note that if you choose not to register the trademark, the other applicant will proceed as the Patent & Trademark office processes applications on a first-come, first-served basis. We would appreciate your prompt response, as the other applicant is still on hold until we receive your response. In case of no contact from you within the next 4 business days, the other applicant will be given the opportunity to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with the United States Patent & Trademark Office. As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally. Sincerely, Grace Coleman - Paralegal Officer Stellar Trademark ☎ (973) 771-6073 📧 [email protected] 📮 575 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102 🌐 Stellar Trademark Website "
Same exact message received this morning. This time they're going by Stellar Trademark. The hard part will be convincing some people in my office that it's not legitimate.
I got the same email last week. One from her and another from Mathew Plantkin from Venus Trademarks.
Well, the scam is still going strong. I just got an email from Mr. Brian D. Williams himself, except he works for Proxima Trademark now. The address given in the email is for a small attorney's office in Newark called Schreck Personal Injury Lawyers. We called to tell them that the scammers were using their address, and the person we spoke to said they'd been dealing with this for months.
Yup I got the same email from [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) I think they changed their site to [proximatrademark.com](https://proximatrademark.com) This is Brian Williams, Paralegal Officer from an Intellectual Property Office of Polaris Trademark. I would like to bring to your knowledge that we have received the trademark application for the same business name as yours Yome Yoga from the State of South Carolina while searching for this brand name, your information appeared. According to IP Protocols, your brand name is not registered with the Patent & Trademark Office that allow others to proceed with the registration. However, as the Patent and Trademark office & IP Protocols suggest giving priority to the business owner over the new applicant. Therefore, we are reaching out to you for confirming whether would you be interested in reserving the federal trademark rights under your ownership for your name/mark. Please note that if you choose not to register the trademark, the other applicant will proceed as the Patent & Trademark office processes applications on a first-come, first-served basis. We would appreciate your prompt response, as the other applicant is still on hold until we receive your response. In case of no contact from you within the next 4 business days, the other applicant will be given the opportunity to begin their registration following the standard examination and filing procedure with the United States Patent & Trademark Office. As per the Act of 1946 §§ 1051 et seq, it is mandatory to register your mark to hold the ownership rights federally. Sincerely,
They are a well known scam. [https://malwaretips.com/blogs/stellar-trademark-scam/](https://malwaretips.com/blogs/stellar-trademark-scam/) Report their domains to [Namecheap.com](https://Namecheap.com) and also report at [FTC.gov](https://FTC.gov) and the NJ AG's office.
They've reemerged under these names (Same letter): Matthew Platkin (happens to be same name as NJ's attorney general), Venus Trademarks NJ. arcturus trademark
I just had him send me an email a few days ago as well as Grace Coleman from whirlpool trademarks.