Trademark Attorneys Blast New Email Requirement as Scam-Bait

A new rule requiring trademark owners and seekers to list their own regularly-checked email addresses on publicly-available applications violates privacy, invites phishing scams, and provides no discernible benefits, attorneys say.

The Patent and Trademark Office has said the email mandate, which starts Saturday as part of a broader plan requiring online filing, gives the agency more contact information. Applicants’ email addresses won’t appear on the main status page of any trademark, nor in documents when an owner isn’t represented by counsel, the office says.

But trademark attorneys, who characterize the requirement as “puzzling” and “ridiculous,” say it unjustifiably amplifies clients’ ...