Intellectual Property Scams on the Rise: What Business Owners Need to Know
Michaela Cusack, Solicitor and Director of National Business Register Group (NBR) provides a summary on Intellectual Property (IP) advises on the latest IP scams.
Nowadays, safeguarding your IP is crucial for businesses, no matter their size. When IP is protected and managed effectively, it becomes a valuable commercial asset, providing security and potential revenue streams. Surprisingly, many brands are unaware of the full range of IP rights they can protect and how each aspect can contribute to the success and growth of their business.
At its core, IP refers to the intangible property that is the result of creativity. So think of a businesses name, their brands, taglines and product and package designs.
There are several forms of IP. Some are automatically covered upon their creation such as copyright, others require a formal process to be legally protected.
IP Scams are targeting UK Business Owners
Scams targeting UK businesses are becoming more sophisticated, and IP related fraud is one area where there is a clear increase. These scams often look legitimate by using convincing & often legal language, and therefore can easily catch busy business owners off‑guard.
Unfortunately, IP scams have become increasingly polished. Common tactics include:
- Fake invoices for trade mark renewals
- Warnings that your brand has been “breached” or “stolen”
- Unsolicited offers to protect your trade mark in the UK & overseas
- Emails that imitate regulated law firms or people
- Claims that another company is about to apply to trade mark your business name, prompting you to act within 24–48 hours
By imitating legitimate firms they create a false sense of urgency and prompt you to act without rational thought, authorising payment without proper considerations. These individuals or ‘firms’ have no intention of filing any application with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
What To Do if You’re Contacted
These scams often succeed because they appear legitimate at a first glance. If you receive unexpected communication about your IP, take the following steps:
1. Pause before responding
- Don’t act under pressure. Take a moment to cross‑check the information.
- Verify your source, are they who they say they are.
- If they are stating they are a solicitor, you can check them out at the Solicitor Regulation Authority cross checking their name & SRA number. This usually also lists the firm that they work for, is the firm the same as the firm from your email footer?
- Remember solicitors cannot act if there is a conflict of interest, so for this reason, they will not tip of you, who isn’t a client of theirs, at the cost of their own client.
2. Check for inconsistencies
- Look for details that don’t add up: email domains, phone numbers, registered addresses and company names
- Do they match the details provided on the email footer and website.
- A quick Google search of the business name + “scam” can be revealing for common issues.
3. Review their online footprint
- Legitimate firms usually have a consistent, long-standing online presence. If a website has only a handful of recent posts or feels newly assembled, proceed carefully.
- Are there Blogs, Insights & Additions that have only been posted in the few months leading up to the scam?
- Are there photos of the team and do they look legitimate? Are they AI Created?
- Do they have any social media links to a Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram and are these consistent with their website?
4. Speak to a trusted IP provider first
- Before making payments, signing documents or sharing information, run the message or email past an IP professional.
- They will have a good idea about whether it is a scam as often they are worded in a similar way that they will have had sight of time and time again.
6. Report suspicious behaviour
- Fraudulent activity should be reported to: the SRA, Action Fraud and any other relevant authorities such as the Misleading Invoices team at the IPO.
- Reporting helps protect other businesses and supports ongoing enforcement efforts.
How NBR Can Help
NBR can support you by handling any IP related matters directly with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) with clear & direct communication with you.
If you’re ever unsure whether contact you’ve received is genuine, or if you’d like NBR to validate the request, you can reach them on 0800 069 9090 or info@nbrg.co.uk.