India deposited its instrument of accession with WIPO on April 8, 2013.

In recognition of its role supporting the Mexican government’s efforts to join the Madrid Protocol, INTA was invited to participate in an official ceremony on February 19, 2013, to commemorate Mexico’s entrance to the Madrid Protocol.

The plans include provisions to rename OHIM and the CTM the “European Union Trade Marks and Designs Agency” and “European Trade Mark.”

Representatives of four brand owners joined INTA staff for the annual series of meetings, roundtables and member receptions in Beijing and Shanghai.

Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand were among the jurisdictions visited by the delegation of INTA officers, member representatives and staff.

One of the group's project teams will present a session at the 2013 Annual Meeting on “How a Leadership Role Can Define Your INTA Career Path.

In March 2013, INTA’s In-House Practitioners Committee hosted two Idea Exchange sessions on the topic of department structure and managing workflow. With the plethora of business models used by companies today, the in-house trademark department can take many forms and have traditional (and often nontraditional) roles in advising the business client. Understanding how to best structure and utilize the team, as well as other available resources, can increase the team’s productivity and help avoid pitfalls.

Virginia (“Ginger”) Smith is a paralegal specialist at Exxon Mobil Corporation in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Wendy Riel is a partner and head of the intellectual property law department at Low Murchison Radnoff LLP in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.