Beware IP scams

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Crown Law is aware that Queensland Government agencies have received unsolicited correspondence from various companies offering trade mark registration, renewal and monitoring services. The correspondence can take the form of a letter or, in many instances, an invoice.

Unless the correspondence is received from the Australian Government agency responsible for administering trade marks, IP Australia, Crown Law or another law firm engaged by an agency, then it is likely the correspondence is a scam and should be ignored.

If your agency receives unsolicited correspondence, whether a letter or an invoice and irrespective of how ‘official’ the correspondence appears, caution should be exercised before making any payments.

Even if the services being offered are required by your agency, it should be considered whether the agency can perform those services itself or engage a trusted legal practitioner to perform those services on behalf of the agency.

Principal Lawyer from the Commercial and Property Team, Adam Hall has developed a Legal Update that explains these scams and gives more information on what to do if your agency receives such correspondence.