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Guides · Updated 2026-09-25

Patent Scams After Grant: How to Spot Misleading Bills

Soon after grant, many patent owners receive letters and emails that look like official bills. Real USPTO mail comes from Alexandria, Virginia 22313, and real USPTO email comes from an @uspto.gov address. Before paying anything, look up what you actually owe on the USPTO's maintenance-fee portal, and pay the USPTO directly or through your registered patent attorney or agent.

This guide is general information, not legal advice; talk to your patent attorney about your situation.

Why these arrive

Everything about a granted patent is public: your name, address of record, patent number, title and dates. The USPTO notes that misleading notices often contain information taken from its public databases, which is exactly what makes them look official.

The common types

1. Invoice-style fee notices. Private companies send notices about maintenance requirements that look like invoices. According to the USPTO, they typically ask for fees higher than the official ones and may use alarming language such as "patent cancellation notice." Some use "U.S." or "United States" in their company names.

2. Private "registrations" and "publications." Offers to list your patent in a register, directory or database for a fee. These have no legal effect on a US patent. International applicants see a version of this too: WIPO warns about requests that mimic its logo and address, and states that it alone publishes PCT applications, with no separate fee for international publication.

3. Imposter calls, emails and websites. The USPTO's scam guidance describes spoofed phone numbers, fake emails posing as USPTO staff, and lookalike websites. It says USPTO employees "will NEVER ask you for your personal or payment information" by phone, email or text. The official domains are uspto.gov and my.uspto.gov.

4. Invention-promotion pitches. Firms offering to market or license your invention for a large upfront fee. The FTC's red flags include guarantees of profit, "positive" evaluations given to everyone, and refusal to disclose success rates. Federal law gives you the right to see a firm's figures for the past five years before you sign.

5. Legitimate but unofficial offers. Plaques, frames and marketing services are real products, and many are fine. None is required, and none comes from the USPTO. The USPTO's own paper options are the ceremonial copy (for patents granted on or after March 9, 2026, only if the applicant opted in) and presentation and certified copies from its Certified Copy Center.

Red-flag checklist

Treat a notice as suspect if any of these are true:

  • The return address is not the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia 22313, or the email does not end in @uspto.gov.
  • It asks you to send payment anywhere other than the USPTO.
  • The amount does not match the current USPTO fee schedule.
  • It claims a maintenance fee is due within the first three years after grant. The first payment window opens at three years.
  • It is for a design or plant patent. Those have no maintenance fees.
  • It threatens cancellation or loss of rights unless you pay immediately.
  • The company name imitates a government agency. Read the fine print, as the USPTO advises.

How to check what you really owe

  1. Go to the USPTO maintenance-fee portal (fees.uspto.gov/MaintenanceFees) and enter your patent or application number. It shows whether a fee is due.
  2. Check your patent's record in Patent Center.
  3. Ask the attorney or agent who prosecuted your patent. They usually track these deadlines.
  4. If you want to confirm by phone, look up the USPTO's number on uspto.gov yourself. Do not call a number printed on the notice.

For timing, the real schedule for utility patents is: pay without surcharge from 3 to 3.5 years, 7 to 7.5 years and 11 to 11.5 years after grant, or with a surcharge in the six months after each. See our post-grant checklist.

If you already paid

  • Call your bank or card issuer quickly to ask about disputing the charge.
  • Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The USPTO also takes reports at innovationdevelopment@uspto.gov or 866-767-3848. Your state attorney general's consumer protection office is another option.
  • Confirm your patent's real status on the maintenance-fee portal. Money paid to a private company may not reach the USPTO, so make sure any fee that is actually due gets paid on time.

International applications

If you filed a PCT application, you may also get requests for payment in euros or dollars, sent to addresses abroad, that cite your application's publication details. WIPO keeps a warning page with examples and asks for suspicious requests about PCT applications to go to pct.legal@wipo.int. Pay PCT and national-phase fees only to the office that actually requests them, or through your attorney.

The short version

Your patent does not need any private service to stay valid. The only routine fees are USPTO maintenance fees on utility patents, paid to the USPTO, starting three years after grant. When in doubt, check the portal and ask your attorney before you pay.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if a patent fee notice is really from the USPTO?

Official USPTO correspondence comes from the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia 22313, and official email comes from @uspto.gov addresses. If a notice asks you to pay someone other than the USPTO, the USPTO says you are dealing with a private company.

Do I have to pay anything right after my patent is granted?

No routine fee. The first maintenance fee on a utility patent can be paid starting three years after grant and is due at 3.5 years. Design and plant patents have no maintenance fees at all.

Do I need to register my patent in a patent register or database?

No. A US patent needs no private registration to be valid or enforceable. Private registries have no legal effect, and WIPO warns that it alone publishes PCT applications, with no separate fee.

Where do I report a misleading patent solicitation?

File a complaint with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The USPTO also invites reports at innovationdevelopment@uspto.gov or 866-767-3848. For suspicious requests tied to a PCT application, WIPO asks for reports at pct.legal@wipo.int.

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