On My Mind Blog

A non-English language mark may preclude U.S. registration of an English mark having the same meaning, as we previously wrote. But this “doctrine of foreign equivalents” is a guideline, not an absolute rule.  It may not apply to a combination mark having an English component in addition to its non-English component.

Brand owners who seek federal trademark protection in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have become targets for impersonators, imposters, scammers and others who use deceptive practices to seek to defraud them of funds.

This article is another Scam Alert to add to the ones we have circulated:

1. Unofficial Trademark Solicitations-February 3, 2015
2. What to Do When the Mail Smells Phishy: Spotting and Stopping a Domain Name Scam in its Tracks-August 10, 2021, and
3. Beware of Scam Trademark Notifications-November 2, 2021

If your mark is found to describe any of the goods or services identified in your application for registration, and they are in the same class as other goods or services identified in your application, the registration may be refused for that entire class.