Beware of misleading requests for payment

Currently, IPR applicants and owners repeatedly receive fraudulent invoices from companies that allegedly publish and/or register IPRs.

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Offices provide detailed information on their websites

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These can often (but not exclusively) be recognised:
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• foreign bank accounts
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• pre-filled transfer forms
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• missing official or administrative addresses

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The Offices have published lists of already known letters on the following pages:

• German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA): Fake invoices
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• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): Warning: Payment requests
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• European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO): Warning: Payment requests
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• European Patent Office (EPO): Warning for misleading claims and requests for payment from companies that allegedly publish and/or register European or international patent applications and European patents
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Always check such letters critically and if in doubt, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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