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The annual INTA Leadership Meeting is a major milestone in the life of the Association. It provides us the opportunity to recognize our President’s and Volunteer Service Award winners as well as all of our volunteer leaders. It also is the occasion when much of the essential business of the Association is carried out.
That business began early on the morning of Wednesday November 12 at the Annual Meeting of Members. It is at this meeting that the Regular Members of the Association elect Board of Directors members for the following year. We have a very accomplished class of new Directors elected, and I invite you to join me in congratulating them:
Catherine Boudot, Biofarma (France) Peter Dernbach, Winkler Partners (Taiwan) Elisabeth Escobar, Marriott International, Inc. (USA) Elena Grimme, Microsoft Corporation (USA) Brenda M. Wood Kahari, B.W. KAHARI (Zimbabwe) Stacey Keller, Citigroup Inc. (USA) Christy Susman, Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. (USA) Zeeger Vink, Lacoste S.A. (France) Neil Wilkof, Dr. Eyal Bressler Ltd. (Israel) Brian J. Winterfeldt, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP (USA)
Then, at the Board Meeting itself the Board elected officers for 2015:
President: J. Scott Evans, Adobe Systems Incorporated (USA) President Elect: Ronald van Tuijl, JT International S.A. (Switzerland) Vice President & Secretary: Joseph Ferretti, PepsiCo, Inc./Frito-Lay, Inc. (USA) Vice President: Tish Berard, Hearts On Fire Company LLC (USA) Treasurer: David Lossignol, Novartis Pharma AG (Switzerland) Counsel: David Fleming, Brinks Gilson & Lione (USA) Immediate Past President and Ex Officio: Mei-lan Stark, Fox Entertainment Group (USA)
The Board conducted other important business for 2015. It elected Board Committees for the year and approved the 2015 Budget. For more information on next year’s budget, please look for the 2014 Treasurer’s Report in an upcoming issue of the INTA Bulletin.
We heard the interim reports from the co-chairs and staff liaisons heading the Building Bridges, Brands and Innovation and Committee Structure and Participation task forces I appointed at the beginning of my term. The final reports of these task forces will be presented early in 2015.
The Board next heard reports from the three committee groups—Education & Services, Law & Practice Resources, and Policy Development & Advocacy. Some highlights of the group reports were:
A presentation on updates being made to the procedures followed by the International Amicus Committee by International Amicus Committee Chair David Bernstein (Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, United States). A summary of comments submitted on Canada's updated trademark law, plain packaging developments, and a study into parallel imports Updates on the Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition, which has had 85 teams register; the Trademark Mediators Network, which has had 25 new applicants whose applications will be considered this week; and INTA's recent trip to the Mexican IP office to provide examiner training. The expansion of INTA's online resources, including the addition of 30 new jurisdictions to online databases in 2014; the preparation of a new online resource on Trademark Administration; and the Trademark Report's upcoming issue on "use."
There were also reports from INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo and members of his staff on the progress of the INTA staff job mapping project and on internal information technology systems.
With such a full agenda, we had a very busy day. But we did have time to break for lunch, when we joined all of the Committee Chairs, Vice Chairs, Subcommittee Chairs and other Association leaders at the Leadership Luncheon. It is a true pleasure to have this opportunity to recognize and thank all of the trademark professionals from across the globe who lead our committees and project teams. With more than 3,000 individuals currently serving on INTA committees and project teams, our leaders do an outstanding job of helping our volunteers implement our Strategic Plan.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the volunteers who will conclude their service on the Board at the end of 2014:
Anna Carboni, Redd Solicitors LLP (UK) Susan Crane, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (USA) Amanda Duhaime, Chrysler Group LLC (USA) Reiner Hansert, Beiersdorf AG (Germany) Lara Kayode, O. Kayode & Company (Nigeria) Andy Leck, Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow (Singapore) Catherine Mennenga, General Electric Company (USA) Lucy Nichols, The Center for Responsible Enterprise and Trade (USA) Gabrielle Olsson Skalin, Inter IKEA Holding Services S.A. (Belgium) Virginia Smith, Exxon Mobil Corporation (USA) Mladen Vukmir, Vukmir & Associates (Croatia)
We appreciate their dedicated service to the Association and look forward to working with them on other INTA initiatives in coming years. |
|  @MarksmenTweets - What a great time we've had in #Phoenix for #INTALM 2014! Until next time...
Thank you to all the 2014 Leadership Meeting attendees who joined us on Twitter, brought the meeting online and, of course, brought the meeting to all those that could not make it to Phoenix. Including retweets and replies, a total of 433 tweets with the official meeting hashtag #INTALM were sent during the course of last week.
As @mhintzesq, tweeted to the prolific @jsmackenzie: Thanks for the live tweeting at #INTALM for those (me) who couldn't make it.
Here’s a sampling of the #INTALM tweets from last week:
@CeeJayMcLeod - I took a hike #INTALM
@RandyMichels - First session about to start at #INTALM!
@MarksmenTweets - Another day @ #INTALM is coming to a close! More to come tomorrow for General Sessions III, IV & V! #conferenceseason
@edygportal - #Balloon #Braveattorneys #Arizona #INTALM
Follow this link to see all the tweets send during the 2014 Leadership Meeting. Next stop: #INTAMunich for INTA's When Trademarks Overlap with Other IP Rights conference. |
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When you think of INTA, what comes to mind? Is it networking and business? Perhaps it’s the Annual Meeting? Or maybe your committee work. But what about the little things? Here are some other benefits of INTA membership that you may not think about every day:
Job Bank: With over 20,000 pageviews every month, INTA’s Job Bank is one of the most popular sections on the INTA website, featuring trademark-related attorney and non-attorney job opportunities and internships from around the globe. Though non-members can view the Job Bank, only INTA members can post, free of charge, an unlimited number of vacancies to the Job Bank’s list of positions. These openings can range from receptionist to CEO and everything in between—they need not even be related to trademark law.
E-Learning Programs: We are all trying to juggle our busy schedules. Often it’s hard to find a moment to devote to enhancing your trademark knowledge. E-Learning programs, usually presented as webcasts, are a great resource for those who need to learn on their own time and at their own pace. E-Learning features fundamental topics such as trademark basics and trademark ethics as well as timely webcasts that cover hot topics such as enforcing trademarks on social media. These programs are easily accessible 24 hours a day. CLE/CPD credits are available for many of the programs.
Country Guides: INTA’s Global Trademark Resources are designed to save members time and money and to make their daily work easier and their research more authoritative. The Country Guides database is among INTA members’ most popular and well-used resources. In fact, it was named one of the ten best online trademark tools by World Trademark Review. Do you have a question about trademark protection in a particular jurisdiction? Need to know the specific jurisdiction requirements for filing a trademark in a few key strokes? Country Guides provides answers to these and many more questions for over 100 jurisdictions, with more jurisdiction profiles being added all the time. This resource is accessible 24/7 to all INTA members.
Indeed, the little things matter—and aren’t so little after all!
So don’t forget to renew your INTA membership. Membership is by organization and location, so once you renew, all your employees are renewed members with continued access to all INTA’s resources. Designees can renew online at www.inta.org/renew. All member organizations must renew by December 31, 2014.
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Last week, INTA staff members Maysa Razavi and Sacha Colquhoun traveled to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Alexandria, Virginia to represent the Unreal Campaign at the 2014 National Trademark Expo.
The National Trademark Expo is an annual event held by the USPTO to educate the public about the important role that trademarks and other marks play in our society and the global marketplace. Speakers at the Opening Ceremony included the newly appointed USPTO Director Michelle Lee (pictured left); Debbie Cohn, Commissioner for Trademarks; Alexandria Mayor, William D. Euille; Mark Elliot, Executive Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center; and keynote speaker, actor and speaker Anson Williams.
The event attracts thousands of visitors every year. INTA engaged the public through its Unreal Campaign Exhibit of counterfeit and genuine items ranging from apparel to toys to electronics. INTA’s United States Chief Representative David E. Warr also stopped by to help out for a couple of hours. Visitors were able to see the differences between the genuine and counterfeit articles as well as learn of the harms of counterfeiting.
The Unreal Campaign joined over forty exhibitors including INTA members Canon U.S.A., Inc.; Caterpillar; The Hershey Company; Idaho Potato Commission; the LEGO Group; Microsoft; Volcom, Inc.; and United Parcel Service of America Inc. INTA has participated is this event since its inception in 2008. |
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The China Trademark Association will host its 2014 China Trademark Festival (CTF) from November 8-10 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The CTF was created in 2005, and since 2013 has been held annually. This year's CTF will focus chiefly on China's new trademark law.
The theme for the Festival is "Promote Chinese Brand Construction and Enhance International Trademark Cooperation." INTA President Mei-lan Stark will attend, along with leaders from China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and other relevant ministries, leaders from Jiangsu Province and Suzhou Municipality, and officials from local and across the country Administrations for Industry and Commerce (AIC).
Session topics will include "International Trademark Law," "Agricultural Product Trademarks and Geographical Indications," and "WIPO Roundtable on the Madrid System for the International Registration," among others. INTA is happy to be attending and participating in this important event. If you are interested, please access CTA's website.
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Phoenix is the United States’ sixth largest city. It has cowboys, rugged mountains and magnificent deserts. No matter what you’re looking to do in your leisure time during the Leadership Meeting, Greater Phoenix offers fantastic outdoor and cultural activities, lots of shopping and great food. There’s something for everyone.
For many of us, our Leadership Meeting schedules are already filled with back-to-back committee meetings and educational programming. (And, as usual, the educational program covers a broad and compelling range of topics, including false advertising law, ethics, privacy and data security, and the impact of cultures and customs on brand identity.) The challenge is how to carve some time out of your busy schedule to see and enjoy Phoenix.
 Outdoor activities:
While the fall weather is great for enjoying the majestic landscape that surrounds Phoenix, it’s still important to plan ahead. Wear comfortable shoes, drink lots of water and bring protection from the sun. INTA has organized two hikes for Leadership Meeting attendees (see the program for more details):
Camelback Mountain—Wednesday, 8:30 am–11:30 am Piestewa Peak Nature Trail—Saturday, 1:30 pm–4:30 pm
There are many more activities that let you experience the desert and mountains, including hot air balloon rides, biking, horseback riding and—for the more adventurous—white-water rafting! Here are some ideas.
 Arts and Culture:
 Shopping:
Greater Phoenix offers a range of shopping experiences, from malls containing all the top designer shops to outdoor shopping and downtown vintage and hipster boutiques. For the serious shopper, here’s a list of some of the most popular shopping centers in Greater Phoenix.
 Food:
A number of world-renowned chefs creating authentic Southwestern, Mexican and Native American cuisine call Phoenix their home. Superb restaurants coupled with some incredible mountain views make dining in Phoenix a truly unique experience. There’s also a lot of fusion going on, incorporating many Asian and European influences. These two lists provide a great starting point for foodies looking to wine and dine during the Leadership Meeting:
This list shows restaurants specializing in stunning views and authentic Mexican and Southwestern dishes. This list, compiled in December 2013, contains the restaurants in downtown Phoenix.
 Social events at the Leadership Meeting:
Finally, don't forget to add the Leadership Meeting networking events to your schedules:
Welcome Reception—Tuesday, 5:00 pm–7:00 pm Networking Reception—Wednesday, 6:00 pm–7:30 pm President’s Welcome and Awards Ceremony—Thursday, 10:10 am–11:10 am Grand Finale—Saturday, 7:00 pm–10:00 pm
Happy planning! |
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Recently I had the opportunity to meet with the keynote speakers scheduled to present an exciting leadership development session at INTA’s 2014 Leadership Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The session, titled “Unique Leadership Styles: A “Key-Note” Conversation to the Tune of I-N-T-A” will take place on Wednesday, November 12, 2:30 pm–5:30 pm.
Planned and implemented by the Leadership Development Committee, this session will emphasize  the connection between music and leadership and will feature Mark Van Vleet (Senior Vice President of Business Development, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation) and James Ward (CEO of The Phoenix Symphony).
It is apparent from our short chat that these speakers have varying leadership styles, but both styles have resulted in huge successes for each. Speaking on such topics as “Outside-the-Box Leadership,” “Leadership through Adversity” and “Collaboration—Unique Business Alliances,” a musical theme will be interwoven throughout the session for our education and entertainment.
Mark Van Vleet has been working with the iconic FENDER brand for years and believes that much of the success of the company goes back to a passion that all employees have for music and for the FENDER brand. Says Van Vleet, “Even if it is a really bad day, we can simply plug into an amp and get back to what it is all about.” He credits Leo Fender with leading the  company and establishing a team environment based on listening, empathy and always being open to new ideas from anyone.
James Ward has had vast experience in marketing and advertising, having worked in Los Angeles at BBDO, the world’s most awarded advertising agency. He led the launch of the TIGER WOODS brand at Nike and led other launches at Apple and Lucasfilm. Currently the CEO of The Phoenix Symphony, he is, himself, a classical musician. When asked how he leads and motivates his teams, Ward responded, “Each member of the team must be rock solid about what you are doing; it must be clearly stated, repeated, evangelized and tattooed with the focus on the single goal. The goal is a noble cause, and the team aspires to execute the job.” He also believes in core team concepts, with all members of the team being able to blend together every facet of what gets done and to be creative.
This is a program unlike others presented in the past, and I look forward to the experience. Don’t miss this opportunity! All attendees are welcome—both experienced leaders and new/first-time attendees of INTA and the Leadership Meeting. |
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We are pleased to announce the Sixth Annual Trademark Scholarship Symposium. This will take place during the 137th INTA Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, on Monday, May 4, 2015.
The Symposium forms part of our Academic Day and is an opportunity for trademark scholars from around the world (including part-time and full-time professors, graduate and post-graduate students) to participate in small group discussions of scholarly works-in-progress. Each selected scholar will present his or her project in a workshop setting, receive comments and engage in a dialogue with other academic scholars and accomplished trademark practitioners.
Applicants should prepare an abstract (approximately 300 words) describing a current trademark or unfair competition scholarship project. The project team will select a maximum of eight projects to be presented at the Symposium, grouped into related topics or themes. Selections will be announced by February 1, 2015. For each selected project, a working draft of the paper (10-20 pages) must be submitted by March 15, 2015. There is no publication obligation.
Participants will receive complimentary registration to the Academic Day program, including an all-professor panel exploring boundaries of trademark law, a trademark professor luncheon, a reception and other networking opportunities. Additional expenses are the speaker’s responsibility.
Interested? Then get working! The submission deadline is November 15, 2014. For submission guidelines, and for INTA membership and Annual Meeting registration information, please contact Nilsa Laboy at nlaboy@inta.org.
Thank you to the INTA Professor Project Team for organizing the Symposium. They are:
Irene Calboli, Marquette University Law School (United States) and National University of Singapore (Singapore) Megan M. Carpenter, Texas A & M University School of Law James Faier, Faier & Faier P.C. Dan Hunter, Queensland University of Technology (Australia) and New York Law School (United States) Signe H. Naeve, University of Washington School of Law Lisa Ramsey, University of San Diego School of Law Julie Cromer Young, Thomas Jefferson School of Law
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On Sunday, September 21, 2014, INTA held a joint roundtable with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in the Middle East, a first for both INTA and the USPTO. Along with INTA members, officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority, the Judiciary and the Ministry of Economy participated in the roundtable discussion, which was held at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai. Entitled “The Future of Trademarks in the Emirates,” the event focused on two topics: (1) the current trademark regime and (2) online counterfeiting.
The event began with opening remarks from INTA’s Middle East Global Advisory Council Chair, Hoda Bakarat (Hoda Bakarat Legal Consultancy, UAE), and the USPTO’s IP Attaché for the Middle East and North Africa, Aisha Salem (both pictured above). During the first panel, attendees discussed recent procedural changes at the UAE Trade Marks Office (TMO), changes that have caused some challenges for private members. The participants also discussed the need for an electronic trademark filing system similar to that currently used by Saudi Arabia’s IP office. The second panel, on the topics of enforcement practices for online counterfeiting, was led by INTA Anticounterfeiting Member Rasha Al Ardah (Al Tamimi & Company, UAE). Though the conversation focused heavily on the challenges faced in combating trademark infringement on the Internet, some positive updates to improve enforcement practices in the UAE were revealed—for example, judges are being trained in IP to allow for the creation of special IP circuits in the court system.
INTA appreciates all the support of its members in making this event a success and hopes to continue this important discussion at future government roundtables in the UAE. For more information about INTA’s work in the Middle East, please contact INTA External Relations Coordinator for Anticounterfeiting Maysa Razavi at mrazavi@inta.org. |
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The need to monitor and protect trademarks and other intellectual property in the online environment is as important as ever. Although this responsibility falls on the shoulders of the trademark owner, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has adopted policies to assist in this endeavor. With these policies and their associated protection mechanisms in place, there is, however, still much room for improvement. It is up to the trademark community to ensure that ICANN continues to protect trademarks in the ever-expanding Internet environment, and that can only be done if we make our voices heard.
ICANN hosts three public meetings per year at which stakeholders can take part in policy discussion and help shape Internet governance by representing their interests and expressing their concerns. ICANN 51, the next public meeting, will take place in Los Angeles, California, from October 12 through October 16, 2014, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.
While there are myriad issues that will be discussed at this ICANN meeting, the following important topics should be of particular interest to corporate members of the trademark community:
- Transition of the U.S. stewardship of IANA and ensuring ICANN accountability in absence of the U.S. Government’s involvement.
- ICANN’s plans for a second round of new gTLD applications.
- ICANN’s upcoming review of issues relating to the first round of new gTLDs required by the Affirmation of Commitments.
- Name collision and the potential release of blocked names that are subject to Trademark Clearinghouse registrations without a sunrise process.
The schedule for the meeting and other important information concerning attendance can be accessed here. Brand owners are encouraged to attend to make their voices heard and to gather important information and updates on the new gTLD program and possible changes to the governance of the domain name system. This will be the last ICANN meeting to be held in the United States until 2016.
If you are planning to attend ICANN’s meeting in Los Angeles, please contact Kate Badura at kbadura@inta.org. |
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