That trademark renewal invoice is probably not from the USPTO
Trademark owners receive official-looking notices demanding renewal fees. Many come from private companies with no connection to the trademark office.
If a renewal notice arrived by post and it is asking for money, verify it against the official record before you pay anything.
Trademark applications and registrations are public. Names, addresses, filing dates and upcoming deadlines can be read by anyone — which means they can also be mined and mailed to. A registration is a standing invitation to be solicited.
Why the notices are convincing
The details are usually correct. The mark is yours, the registration number is right, the deadline is real. That is the whole difficulty: the information is accurate because it was taken from a public database, and its accuracy makes the demand around it look official.
- Names that resemble a government agency without being one.
- Layouts that echo official correspondence, sometimes with fee tables.
- A genuine deadline, presented with more urgency than it warrants.
- A fee well above what the filing itself costs.
- Disclaimers stating it is a solicitation — set small, and placed where nobody reads.
How to check
- Look up your own registration in the trademark office’s public database. Real deadlines are recorded there, and it costs nothing to check.
- If you are represented, correspondence about your filings will ordinarily go to your attorney of record rather than arriving unannounced at your business address.
- Read the fine print, which frequently admits the notice is an offer of services.
- Ask someone before paying. A short call is cheaper than the invoice.
The deadlines that are real
A U.S. registration is not permanent by default. Maintaining it means filing at set points in its life — first within a window a few years after registration, then at each subsequent decade — and missing one can cost the registration itself.
Because those deadlines are genuine, the reasonable response to a suspicious notice is not to ignore it, but to confirm the real position and file properly.
If you already paid
The immediate question is whether the actual filing was made, and whether it was made correctly. Payment to a third party does not necessarily mean anything reached the trademark office. Check the record first, then work out what still needs filing.
Not having to think about it
The firm docketing your renewals is the straightforward fix: deadlines are tracked, filings are made on time, and an unexpected invoice becomes something you can ignore rather than something you have to investigate.
Filing fees and deadline windows are set by the trademark office and change from time to time. Confirm current figures against the official source rather than any notice you receive, including this page.
Ask us to watch your renewals — first consultation free
This page is legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney–client relationship.