A client has recently brought another trademark related website to our attention.

This one is slightly different from some of the other examples we have seen.

Why?

Because there appears to be a genuine business called Alethea Law Limited.

There is an Alethea Law Limited registered at Companies House. There is also an Alethea Law Limited listed on the SRA register as a regulated law firm.

So far, so good.

But then we looked at the website being used for trademark services, and that is where things became confusing.

Update: since we first reviewed it, the website in question no longer appears to be accessible.

The Important Distinction

We want to be very clear from the outset. There appears to be a genuine Alethea Law Limited.

This article is not saying that the genuine SRA regulated firm is involved in anything improper.

The issue is whether the trademark website we reviewed is connected to that genuine, regulated firm.

At the time of writing, we have not been able to verify that connection.

That matters.

When a website uses the name of a genuine legal business, consumers may assume they are dealing with that regulated business, and if that assumption is wrong, the risk to the consumer is obvious.

The Client Already Had a Trademark

One of the biggest warning signs in this case was that the client they attempted to scare already has a registered trademark.

That is why the client knew to come to us.

If you already have a trademark in place, and someone contacts you claiming that urgent action is needed because someone else is about to register your brand, something does not add up.

It does not mean there is no issue.

But it does mean the person contacting you should have done some basic checks before sending a threatening or urgent message.

This is one of the common problems with these types of communications. They can look targeted but often appear to be based on scraped or incomplete data.

The Website Looks Impressive

The website itself is not one of those obviously poor looking websites that immediately makes you think something is wrong.

• It looks professional.
• It offers trademark registration services.
• It talks about UKIPO trademark applications.
• It uses legal sounding language.
• It presents itself in a way that could easily reassure a business owner who is not familiar with trademark regulation.

And that is exactly why this one concerned us.

Sometimes the more professional something looks, the more dangerous it can be if the underlying details do not add up.

The Genuine Alethea Law

Our initial checks show that Alethea Law Limited appears on Companies House and is listed with the nature of business as solicitors.

Alethea Law Limited also appears on the SRA register as a regulated law firm.

That means there is a real business using this name.

As part of those checks, we also identified the named officer of the genuine Alethea Law Limited on LinkedIn.

Our Managing Director reached out directly to ask for comment and to give them the opportunity to confirm whether the website is connected to the regulated firm.

At the time of writing, we are awaiting a response.

The Named Officer

Another point worth mentioning is the background of the person listed behind the genuine Alethea Law Limited.

From our initial checks, the named officer appears to be a commercial property lawyer.

They do not appear to be a Trademark Attorney, nor do they appear to present themselves publicly as someone specialising in trademark registration services.

That makes it seem highly unlikely that their genuine firm would be involved in trademark related pressure tactics of the kind we have seen in the correspondence provided to us.

Again, we are not making an allegation against the genuine Alethea Law Limited.

Quite the opposite.

This is part of the reason we are concerned that the website may be using the name of a genuine legal business in a confusing way.

The Website Terms

The problem is that the website we reviewed does not clearly explain whether it is operated by that regulated law firm.

In fact, the terms appear to point in the opposite direction.

The terms and conditions on the website refer to Alethea Law, LLC.

That immediately raised questions.

They also say:

“We are not a legal entity.”

They then say:

“We do not provide, and are not qualified to provide, you with legal advice.”

That is a very strange thing to see on a website using the name of what appears to be an SRA regulated law firm.

If you are dealing with a regulated solicitor firm, you would normally expect the website to make that very clear.

You would expect to see proper regulatory information.

You would expect to see the SRA number.

You would expect to see clear confirmation that the firm is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

What we found instead was a website using the Alethea Law name, but terms which say the provider is not a legal entity and is not qualified to provide legal advice.

That is not a small issue.

That is a major red flag.

Why This Could Be an Impersonation Scam

This has the hallmarks of a possible impersonation scam.

That does not mean we can say with certainty that the website is fake.

It means that, based on what we have seen, there are serious questions about whether the website is genuinely connected to the SRA regulated Alethea Law Limited.

The concern is simple.

A business owner could search for Alethea Law, find a genuine regulated law firm, and assume that the trademark website must be connected to that firm.

If it is not, then the website may be benefiting from the reputation of a genuine regulated business.

That is exactly how impersonation scams can work.

They borrow trust from a real person, real firm, real address or real regulator listing, then use that trust to encourage people to engage.

The Domain and Mobile Number

At the moment, the website appears to leave very little for consumers to rely on.

There is a domain name.

There is a mobile telephone number.

There are website terms referring to Alethea Law, LLC.

But we have not seen clear information confirming who is actually behind the website, whether it is the genuine SRA regulated Alethea Law Limited, or whether it is an unrelated third party using the name.

For a website offering trademark services, that is not good enough.

The Wording Also Raises Questions

Some of the wording in the terms and conditions is unusual.

The website refers to being a technology platform rather than a legal service provider.

It says it cannot provide legal advice.

It says customer service representatives cannot answer legal questions.

It refers to arbitration language which does not read like standard UK solicitor client terms.

It also refers to Alethea Law, LLC, rather than Alethea Law Limited.

When you put all of that together, it becomes difficult to understand who the consumer is actually contracting with.

That is the point.

Before paying money or providing instructions, a consumer should know exactly who they are dealing with.

Trademark Scams Do Not Just Arrive by Email

Trademark scams can come in different forms. Some arrive by email. Some arrive by WhatsApp. Some arrive by post. Some look like invoices. Some look like urgent legal warnings. Some pretend to be connected to official organisations, legal firms, or trademark professionals.

This is one of the reasons more of our clients are choosing to use our Care of Address service.

When official and unofficial correspondence is sent to an address we manage, clients can rely on us to help separate the genuine notifications that need attention from the misleading correspondence that should be treated with caution.

That peace of mind matters.

Most business owners do not have the time to investigate every trademark letter, email or demand they receive.

We do.

What Should You Do if You Are Contacted?

If you receive correspondence from a website or business using the name Alethea Law in relation to trademark registration, do not panic.

But do not assume it is genuine simply because a genuine Alethea Law Limited exists.

Check the SRA register.

Contact the regulated firm using the contact details shown on the SRA register, not just the details on the website or email you have received.

Ask the firm to confirm whether the website, email address and telephone number are genuinely theirs.

If they cannot confirm that, do not make payment.

If you are unsure, get a second opinion.

Why This Matters

Trademark scams are becoming more sophisticated. Some use fake invoices. Some use urgent legal threats. Some pretend another party is about to register your brand. Others appear to use or mirror details of genuine professionals or firms.

That is why business owners need to slow down before responding.

A genuine regulated firm should have no issue confirming who they are, how they are regulated and how they can be contacted.

A pressure based scam relies on you not checking.

Have You Received Correspondence From This Website?

If you have received an email, letter, WhatsApp message or payment request from a website using the Alethea Law name in relation to trademark registration, we would be interested in seeing it.

We are particularly interested in understanding whether the correspondence clearly identifies the legal entity behind the service and whether it confirms any connection to the genuine SRA regulated Alethea Law Limited.

As always, if in doubt, ask questions first and reach for your wallet second, and if you have any concerns about correspondence you have received, make an enquiry with our team.