Andrew Price was quoted in a November 10, 2017, article in World Trademark Review on U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) warnings about a dramatic increase in illegitimate Chinese trademark filings.
According to the article, new data has revealed a startling increase in trademark applications at the USPTO that originate in China. Despite this influx of new filings, investigations have been showing how new Chinese applicants are bypassing traditional law firms, while smaller organizations are responsible for thousands of applications. The USPTO's trademark commissioner has further warned of a "dramatic increase" in illegitimate Chinese filings this year – with urgent calls for the office to take action against this "pervasive" problem.
"While some Chinese applicants take an honest approach, we have seen others go so far as to file U.S. trademark applications for the identical luxury brands of our clients – supported by examples of our client's use as their specimen of use," said Price.