We spent close to $1000 with them and 6 months later, we are now on the verge of losing our trademark.
Andrea of IdeaLegal was hired to help us with a straightforward trademark application for “PB Lunch Box.” Chosen in part because they were listed on Amazon’s IP Accelerator program. Which gave us the impression they were well-versed in the nuances of Amazon brand protection and trademark risk assessment.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the experience at all.
Despite clearly submitting the name “PB Lunch Box” upfront, the firm did not flag the potential conflict with previously registered trademarks for “PB.” As a result, our application received a USPTO refusal for “likelihood of confusion” with several existing marks — including those using just the letters “PB.”
To be clear: We were not attempting to register “PB” alone. We applied for “PB Lunch Box,” a descriptive compound mark in a specific category. This distinction was not addressed proactively by the firm.
The firm later explained that we had declined their paid trademark search service in the beginning and therefore, they could not have known there was a risk.
In our view, any experienced trademark attorney familiar with Amazon filings should have immediately recognized “PB” as a high-risk element (Only two letters is always a risk), regardless of whether a formal search was requested.
The fact that their team was able to analyze and proactively advise us to disclaim “LUNCH BOX”, yet never once raised a red flag about the term “PB”, speaks volumes.
After receiving the USPTO refusal, the only available paths forward were all costly, including paying the firm again to now research the very issue that arguably should have been flagged prior to filing.
Their responses became increasingly dismissive and defensive when we expressed frustration, and even suggesting there had been a “breakdown” in the attorney-client relationship, rather than taking ownership or offering constructive support.
If you’re an Amazon seller relying on IP Accelerator to streamline your brand registration process, we highly recommend doing your due diligence before working with this firm. Wish we did the same (Very low # of Google reviews).
Their system may not provide the proactive risk mitigation you think you’re paying for, and that can cost you far more in the long run.
We also recommend to pay extra somewhere else vs lower here. Plus don’t believe anything Amazon says. If you’re an experienced Amazon seller, you already know.