The United States Trademark Registration Office is a scam and you should not give them any money.
"Woah!", you might be thinking. That is a bit of a harsh take on the beloved United States Patent and Trademark Office. What happened, they wouldn't let you register that mark for "Baconnomics" (Ed: Yes, that is true).
However, what I am talking about is NOT the USPTO, but a scam organization that uses phonetic similarity to try to trick you into giving them money. Unlike the actual United States Patent and Trademark Office, the United States Trademark Registration office is a non-government entity, that seams to exist in a P.O. Box in the low rent side of Los Angeles.
Here is a copy of the scam form letter (source: USPTO).
DO NOT GIVE THEM MONEY.
You will be angry. Your IP Attorney will be angry. Sometimes clients openly question why they need to use an IP professional.
Note that the document above (in section 39 USC 3001) explicitly states that it is not a bill from the USPTO, but a solicitation. Clever scammers don't want to get sued or imprisoned, but they do want you money.
Spotting, and protecting you from IP Scams is one of our jobs, one we take seriously. If you ever receive patent or trademark notices from an office not in Virginia, or D.C. proper, have someone check it out, or at least look on this website or on Baselex.com.
Jordan Garner
