In fact, the Register appears to be nothing more than a scam. The Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) has issued a warning to businesses: “This register has nothing to do with the OHIM’s Community Trade Marks Register or any of its official publications.”
The sender of the bogus invoice is a German company called ZDR-Datenregister GmbH. It has previously been denounced for sending such letters seeking payment for entries in a private register containing information relating to industrial property titles already recorded in the German Patent and Trade Mark Office or elsewhere.
The company and those responsible for its operations are currently under investigation by German law enforcement authorities for alleged fraud and other offences. The OHIM adds, “The register that ZDR-Datenregister refers to, if it exists at all, is likely to be of no value for Community trade mark owners.”
Many businesses trading on the internet will be keen to protect their brands on a European basis. A Community Trade Mark provides a cost effective way of providing protection in a number of European countries - although it can take between 18 months and two years to obtain.