Henry Law Firm is Your Trademark Authority™
Utilizing U.S. Customs to enforce your rights
IPR
As an owner of a federally registered trademark or copyright, you can utilize U.S. Customs to block the importation of infringing goods. This program is known as the Intellectual Property Rights (“IPR”) enforcement program of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Register your IP
To take advantage of the IPR program, you must first register your intellectual property (your copyright or trademark) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will not take action without proof of a valid federal registration.
Record your registration
After securing a federal trademark registration, the next step is to record your registration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection using the e-Recordation system. The fee for each copyright is currently $190, and the fee for a trademark is $190 per International Class of Goods/Services.
After your federal registrations have been recorded, U.S. Customs and Border Protection professionals will search for products that appear to infringe any recorded copyright or trademark it has on file. If they finds a counterfeit or infringing product, Customs will detain the shipment. Customs will then send the registered IP owner a detailed letter informing the owner of the attempted importation of the infringing goods. This allows the IP owner to pursue legal action against all parties involved in the attempted importation of infringing goods.
A federal registration allows you to leverage the enforcement power of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to protect your rights.