You may receive unsolicited communications from companies requesting fees for trademark-related services, such as monitoring and document filing. Although solicitations from these companies frequently display customer-specific information, including USPTO serial number or registration number and owner name, companies who offer these services are not affiliated or associated with the USPTO or any other federal agency. The USPTO does not provide trademark monitoring or any similar services. For a similar warning from the International Bureau, including links to PDF images of sample solicitations, click here.
Such companies typically charge a service fee in addition to applicable USPTO fees. In many instances, applicants and registrants have mistakenly believed that the USPTO has issued these communications or that these companies are affiliated with the USPTO. Complaints about such companies or communications may be made to the Federal Trade Commission, at http://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/.
You can file documents electronically directly with the USPTO using forms available through the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS). Only applicable fees required by law, and no service fees, are charged. You can monitor status directly at no cost through Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR). For general information on filing and maintenance requirements for trademark applications and registrations, including required fees, please consult the USPTO website.