Portugal can be commended for the strenuous steps it has taken this year to alert users of its IP system to the perils of these requests for payment. The United Kingdom's Intellectual Property Office has also now taken to warning new applicants routinely. We also understand that national offices within Europe, together with OHIM, are beginning to pool their information.  However, no steps have been taken yet to address the cause of the problem, which is that in most jurisdictions it seems that it is legal for businesses to solicit such payments.