NEW NAME: HOFFMAN PATENT GROUP
The Law Offices of David L. Hoffman is
now the Hoffman Patent Group. We changed the name to emphasize
that it is not just David anymore. Albert is here too and we plan to
hire another attorney sometime within the next year. And to those who
ask: Yes, we searched the name and we filed a trademark application
on it.
BEWARE OF MISLEADING SOLICITATIONS ON
DOMAIN NAMES AND TRADEMARKS
Virtually every business has or will register a domain name or domain
names for its web site. In addition, most businesses, with the
possible exception of true "mom & pop" local businesses,
should register their trade name and/or key trademark(s). When a
federal trademark application is filed or a domain name is
registered, the records or at least portions of the records are
publicly available. Unscrupulous people may try to take advantage of
those records. For example, shortly after you register one domain
name, let's say www.WidgetMakers.com, you may get an email from a company (say, "Domains
& Things") telling you that someone (say: Domain Pirating
Company), is trying to register www.WidgetMakers.net, www.WidgetMakers.org, and www.WidgetMakers.biz. You are told that Domains & Things wanted to check with
you first to see if that is okay. You email back to Domains &
Things and say: "No, don't register those names to Domain
Pirating Company". Domains & Things then tells you:
"The only way to stop them from registering is for you to
register these domain names for $X." To those clients, I
say that I think there is no Domain Pirating Company trying to
register these domain names.
There
are also a number of official sounding companies, with names like
U.S. Trademark Registration Office (or similar sounding names), that
ask for money for trademark watches, or trademark renewals, or the
like. Feel free to send those to me to review. These companies often
send the notices months in advance of the renewal payment window to
try to get you to renew through them. At least one of these companies
was not even run by an attorney. We will gladly review any such
solicitation that you receive so you or your clients don't fall prey
to scams.
Sincerely,
28494 Westinghouse Place, Suite 204
Valencia, California 91355
