Andy Rosen, Boston Globe; A Boston firm labeled a ‘patent troll’ by some says it is actually performing a service
"Whether known by the pejorative “patent troll” or the more plaintiff-friendly “patent assertion entity,” such repeat claimants generally keep a low profile.
Not Blackbird. Verlander and her staff display their pictures, bios, and links to social media on a company website that says Blackbird helps inventors who are outmatched by big companies with little incentive to respond to claims not backed by expensive lawyers.
Verlander sees herself as doing a service to combat rhetoric by what she calls the “infringer lobby,” which seeks to conflate all patent assertion work with the more dubious pursuits of unscrupulous trolls. There are bad actors, she said, on all sides.
“If in the end you can’t reward someone for their invention regardless of whether they make a product, then you’re discouraging people from inventing, and that’s bad,” Verlander said."
Don't be fooled by potentially misleading offers and notices from private companies
Some trademark applicants and registrants have paid fees to private companies, mistakenly thinking they were paying fees required by the USPTO. We do not endorse any of these private companies and you are not required to use them.
Keep reading for information on potentially misleading offers and notices—also called solicitations—and how to identify them. You can also watch our "Solicitation Alert" video below.
On this page:
- Trademark Information Network News Video: Solicitation Alert
- What is a trademark-related solicitation?
- What kinds of trademark-related services do private companies offer?
- How can I tell the difference between potentially misleading trademark offers and notices and legitimate USPTO emails and notices?
- Are the deadlines in these offers and notices accurate?
- I received a misleading trademark offer or notice. What should I do?
- Do you have any examples of potentially misleading offers or notices?"