The Policy Development and Advocacy (PDA) Group provides guidance and input on INTA policies and advocacy efforts, and consists of the following:
Anticounterfeiting Committee (ACC)
Evaluate treaties, laws, regulations, procedures and other enforcement mechanisms with respect to anticounterfeiting and enforcement; and advocate policies to advance protection against counterfeiting and infringement; provide anticounterfeiting and enforcement education.
Emerging Issues Committee (EIC)
Identifies and evaluates important trends and emerging issues related to trademarks and not covered by other “issue” committees; develops and recommends policies and positions in response to such trends and emerging issues.
Enforcement Committee (EC)
Analyze judicial and administrative rules and procedures (except for customs) affecting the timely and effective enforcement of trademarks and business identifiers, and develop and advocate policies to further harmonize and to strengthen trademark rights.
Famous & Well-Known Marks Committee (FWKMC)
Evaluates treaties, laws, regulations and procedures relating to protection for famous and well-known marks; develops and advocates policies and positions to advance balanced protection of famous and well-known marks.
Harmonization of Trademark Law & Practice Committee
Evaluates efforts on national, regional and international levels through treaties, trade agreements, special conventions and other non-binding instruments that relate to trademark law and practice. Advances and advocates INTA’s existing policy positions; drafts proposed treaty language and advocates the same to relevant government officials.
International Amicus Committee (IAC)
Identifies court cases and trademark office adjudications in which significant trademark or related issues are being considered, and participates in such cases in an advisory capacity (through amicus curia, advisory, or other similar processes) to achieve the overall objectives of INTA.
Internet Committee
Evaluates treaties, laws, regulations and procedures relating to domain name assignment, use of trademarks on the Internet, and unfair competition on the Internet; develops and advocates policies to advance the balanced protection of trademarks on the Internet.
Legislation & Regulation Committee (LRC)
Analyzes legislative and regulatory developments and identifies deficiencies in existing laws and regulations relating to trademarks and unfair competition, advancing and advocating INTA’s existing policy positions; drafts proposed legislation and/or regulations and advocates the same to relevant government officials.
Non-Traditional Marks Committee (NTM)
Evaluates treaties, laws, regulations and procedures relating to the protection of non-traditional trademarks (e.g., sound, color, trade dress); develops and advocates policies to advance balanced protection for non-traditional marks.
Parallel Imports Committee (PIC)
Evaluates treaties, laws, regulations and procedures relating to trademark protection against parallel imports; develops and advocates policies to advance balanced trademark protection against parallel imports.
Related Rights Committee (RRC)
Develops and advocates INTA positions on the impact of other forms of intellectual property rights such as geographical indications and design rights, as well as evolving interest areas like indigenous rights and traditional knowledge.
Trademark Office Practices Committee (TOPC)
Evaluates trademark office practices, procedures, operations and regulations at the national, regional and international levels; develops and advocates policies to improve such practices, procedures, operations and regulations.