The German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) warns that fake requests for payment, invoices and offers are currently circulating that look official – for example, with the DPMA logo, a supposed signature and foreign bank details. These letters do not come from the DPMA. The office never sends invoices or requests for payment by e-mail or letter. If you receive such a request for payment: do not react, do not transfer money under any circumstances, but check the letter and report it to the DPMA.

What is it about?

Time and again, entrepreneurs, creative people, trade mark applicants or proprietors receive fake requests for payment and invoices purporting to come from the DPMA. Official logos and supposed signatures are used to feign seriousness. The claims allegedly concern fees for the application, publication or renewal of trade marks or IP rights – sometimes with bank account details abroad, pre-filled remittance slips or tight payment deadlines.

Classification

The DPMA clarifies: It never sends invoices or requests for payment – neither for applications nor for the renewal or publication of IP rights. Official fees must be paid by the applicant without any request. Additional fees for an “entry in private registers” are not required; entries in commercial or private registers do not affect your rights at the DPMA.

Typical features of fraudulent letters: Bank details abroad (e.g. Poland, Cyprus, Bulgaria), pre-filled remittance slip, logos or signatures imitating genuine documents, company names sounding similar to the DPMA and requests with tight deadlines or threats.

Practical consequences

Transfers to foreign accounts are usually irrevocable – the money is lost. A payment to such providers does not replace the official application or renewal. Existing IP rights may expire if genuine fees are not paid correctly and on time via the official channels.

What you should do

Check each request for payment carefully before you pay. Pay official fees only via the payment channels indicated by the DPMA – the IBAN of the Federal Cashier’s Office and the official fee details on the DPMA website. Report suspicious letters to the DPMA at info@dpma.de. Define clear procedures within your company: who examines letters on IP rights, who is authorized to pay and how payment is made.

If you have already made a bank transfer, report the incident to the DPMA immediately and file a criminal complaint. Check whether a chargeback or reclaim is possible with the bank.

You can find out more about trademark law and common pitfalls in our blog.

Find out how to strategically protect your brand right from the start in our podcast episode Brand strategy for companies: Protection that fits the business.