When you file a trademark, your application details will become publicly available on official trademark registers. Depending on who is applying, this will include your first name and last name or business name, correspondence address, trademark number, filing date, classes and other key details connected to your application.

For some trademark applicants and owners, this comes as a surprise. They assume that once the trademark has been filed, the process will simply run in the background. In reality, this is usually the point where the noise starts.

If you have a trademark registered in a personal name with a personal address, scammers can now find out a lot about you very quickly, especially with the level of deep research available through AI. If you register as an individual, they may use your address to trace your company or trading activity. If you register through a company, they may use the company name to find your trading address through Companies House or other public sources.

There is no perfect solution, but having a trademark representative and using a care of address acts as a deterrent. It creates another layer between you and the people using public register data to target trademark owners.

You will receive official notices, genuine third party correspondence, renewal reminders, misleading invoices, scam letters and legal sounding documents that appear to relate to your trademark.

Some of it matters. A lot of it does not.

The problem is knowing which is which.

Why trademark correspondence can become a problem

Trademark registers, just like business registers, have to be public by definition. They allow businesses, legal representatives, competitors and the public to see who owns a trademark and what it protects.

Unfortunately, they also give scammers and misleading operators the information they need to target trademark applicants and owners, especially those who do not have professional representation in place.

That is why businesses often receive letters that:

• reference real trademark numbers
• include correct filing dates and classes
• look similar to official correspondence
• mention publication, renewal or legal rights
• request payment for services that are not required
• create confusion around whether action is needed

These letters are often designed to look important. Some are crude. Others are becoming more polished, especially now that AI makes it easier to produce professional looking documents quickly.

That is why care of address is not just about where post is sent.

It is about what happens when that post arrives.

Care of Address is not just a forwarding service

A basic forwarding service receives post and passes it on. That is not what we mean when we talk about care of address for trademark correspondence.

When we provide a care of address for trademarks, we are not simply acting as a post box. We are filtering and managing correspondence specifically relating to your registered intellectual property.

That means looking at what has been received, checking whether it is relevant, identifying whether it is official or misleading and only bringing matters to your attention when they genuinely need it.

In simple terms, we help shield you from the noise and we help prevent you from being tricked into parting with money when you don’t need to.

What sort of correspondence do we filter?

Trademark applicants and owners receive a wide range of correspondence after filing or registering a trademark.

This may include:

• official communications from trademark offices
• examination issues
• publication notices
• opposition related correspondence
• renewal reminders
• third party enquiries
• legal style letters
• misleading invoices
• publication scam letters
• unsolicited renewal offers
• correspondence from overseas operators

Some of this can be important, some of it can be safely ignored and all of it should be checked before any action is taken.

The value is in knowing the difference.

Why this matters for business owners

Most SME owners are already busy enough. You should not have to spend time trying to work out whether every trademark related letter is genuine, urgent or even relevant.

If you respond to something misleading, you may end up losing money. If you ignore something genuine, you may create a bigger problem.

Even without using our care of address, if you receive mail relating to a trademark, just forward it to us and we can immediately remove that uncertainty by making sure trademark correspondence is reviewed by people who have been dealing with these letters since 2008.

Examples of the type of noise we see

We regularly see correspondence from businesses offering private trademark publication services, renewal services or monitoring services that can look official at first glance. Some letters quote hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

Almost all of them use real trademark data and they are cleverly designed to make the recipient think payment is required for their application or renewal to proceed. You can view some examples here.

What happens when we receive correspondence

When trademark correspondence comes to us, we review it.

If it is misleading or irrelevant, we filter it out or bin it.

If it is official and important, we make sure you are aware of it and explain what it means.

If action is required, we explain your options clearly so you can make an informed decision.

If there is a deadline, we make that clear.

If it is a scam or nuisance letter, it does not need to become your problem and we will usually shred it without bothering you. That is the real value of care of address, not just receiving post, but managing it, filtering noise and helping make sure important matters are not missed.

Why it supports trademark protection

Many people think trademarks end when the trademark is registered but you only need to look at the volume of celebrity articles in the press and on our website to see that this is not true. A trademark needs to be registered, defended and enforced.

Your trademark may need renewing.

• A third party may file something similar.
• You may receive an opposition or objection.
• Your business may change.
• Your goods or services may expand.
• You may receive correspondence that appears threatening but is not genuine.

Having a representative and care of address in place means there is a clear route for correspondence to be reviewed and managed properly.

That gives you a better chance of spotting genuine issues and ignoring unnecessary distractions.

How much is it to use a care of address?

We do not charge for our care of address service. It is included for all clients whom we represent.

When can you use a care of address?

Ideally you use a care of address from day one so your address information is protected from IPO registers. However, we can update your official address with the UKIPO at any time for a nominal fee.

Summary

When we represent our clients, we naturally filter a lot of the noise and our presence alone deters a lot of trademark predators. The care of address is simply an extension of that service. It actually saves us both time as you don’t have to forward scam letters to us and we don’t need to tell you that you can ignore it. We just put it straight in the shredder.

However, it also makes sure that if something genuinely important arrives, you do not miss it and it is dealt with properly within the time deadlines.

If you are unsure whether your current trademark correspondence setup is right, or if you have received a letter and do not know whether it is genuine, feel free to get in touch.

We are always happy to help.