THE INTELLECTUAL Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has issued a warning to businesses and trademark owners regarding a United Kingdom-based firm falsely claiming affiliations with IPOPHL and other intellectual property (IP) offices to scam individuals into registering their brands.
According to IPOPHL, representatives from a supposed UK IP consultancy firm operating under the name “Crown Mark” have been contacting businesses with urgent claims that a competing party intends to file a trademark using their specific brand name.
The firm’s communication advises recipients that they must immediately register their brand name as a trademark with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) ahead of the alleged competitor. Crown Mark then offers its own services to facilitate and carry out the registration process.
To gain credibility, the firm’s website lists IPOPHL, alongside the IP offices of the UK, Australia, and the European Union, as its official “partner offices.”
IPOPHL explicitly clarified that it maintains no official relationship or affiliation with any entity operating under the name “Crown Mark” in the UK or any other territory.
Furthermore, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the regulatory body for solicitors in England and Wales, confirmed that it does not authorize or recognize any firm operating under that name.
IPOPHL is urging partners, stakeholders, and the general public to remain highly vigilant against fraud, scams, and the misrepresentation of official agency identities.
The agency advised anyone who receives this suspicious correspondence to take the following precautions:
* Refrain from clicking any embedded links or downloading attachments.
* Do not reply to the messages or make any forms of payment.
* Verify the sender’s identity directly with the relevant official government agency or institution before taking any action.
Concerned citizens and business owners can report suspicious activities related to IP administration through IPOPHL’s official social media channels, via email at customerservice@ipophl.gov.ph, or by calling their hotline at (02) 7238-6300./PN
