EUIPO: Warning Regarding Misleading Invoices

Applicants for intellectual property rights are receiving an increasing amount of unsolicited mail from companies requesting payment for questionable trade mark and design services such as publication, registration or entry in business directories. These invoices often look very similar to the presence of the EUIPO and are addressed by senders who give themselves an official appearance by usind names such as “IPIO – Organization Intellectual Property“, “EIPR – European IP Register“, “BIP – Bureau Intellectual Property” or “WPTA – World patent & Trademark Agency“. These services are not connected with any official trade mark or design registration service provided by public bodies within the European Union such as the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The payment of such invoices is not necessary for the granting of the applied for intellectual property right.

For information purposes the Office has published a searchable list of the firms or registers that have sent misleading invoices in the past. We recommend ignoring such invoices. EUIPO never sends invoices or letters requesting direct payment for services to applicant.