On June 23, 2016, the District Court in Uppsala, Sweden, found five individuals guilty of attempted aggravated fraud, aiding and abetting attempted aggravated fraud and attempted fraud in connection with the issuing of fraudulent invoices.
The invoices, issued under the name of “OMIH Trademarks and Designs Registration Office,” had been sent to users of the European Union trade mark system.
EUIPO worked with the Swedish public prosecutor’s office as it pursued the case.
The court handed down four custodial sentences of between one year and two months for four of the defendants, with one defendant receiving a suspended sentence.
The Swedish public prosecutor has requested that the case be referred to the Court of Appeal in Stockholm.
EUIPO remains committed to protecting its users against fraudulent activities, in collaboration with enforcement authorities, partner IP offices and user associations, and by raising awareness about misleading invoices and other potential scams through its website and communication channels.