INTA Brings Member Voices to Ottawa, Canada - International Trademark Association

In February, INTA senior leaders braved the Canadian winter to bring member interests to the capital Ottawa. A delegation, led by INTA President Deborah Hampton and CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo, held a series of productive meetings with Canadian officials, including those from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Global Affairs Canada, and the U.S. Embassy. The meetings were used to highlight a range of important issues from trade to artificial intelligence and the contribution of intellectual property (IP) and innovation to economic growth.

INTA also emphasized the importance of strong IP protection at the border and sought improvements to Canada’s Request for Assistance program for enforcement of IP rights at the border. INTA reiterated comments that were previously submitted to the Canadian and U.S. governments in their respective public consultations on the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)/United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

A highlight of the visit was a meeting with CIPO to discuss implementing the CIPO-INTA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU was a major outcome of INTA’s previous visit to Ottawa in 2025 and sets up a framework for joint activities including information exchange, seminars, and studies. Following the meeting with CIPO, INTA members across Canada can look forward to a range of upcoming joint activities, including a series of workshops in 2026.

The visit succeeded in strengthening relationships with long-standing partners, as well as building new connections across the Canadian policy community.

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Topics Canada Advocacy