The Vermont Attorney General's office has reached a settlement with a New York City business that it says misrepresented itself as a trademark renewal service.
The attorney general says Patent & Trade Agency, LLC mailed solicitations to businesses in Vermont, charging up to $1,750 for renewals, substantially more than amounts charged by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Last August, the Patent office took issue with the mailings, saying they had a tendency to confuse recipients into thinking the business was a government entity.
Under the settlement, the business has to pay refunds to the businesses that sent it money and pay $10,000 to the state in civil penalties and costs.
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