Page 13 - 2017 INTA Annual Report

HIGHLIGHTS:
Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (2016-2017 Committee Term)
The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee promotes the worldwide use of ADR, including use of the Panel of Trademark Mediators, as a cost-effective method of resolving trademark disputes.
• Partnered with three organizations—the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, IPR Mediation-Paraguay, and the Brazilian Association of Intellectual Property
• Held roundtables to increase awareness of ADR in new jurisdictions—Beijing and Nigeria
government’s One Belt and One Road Initiative, which promotes connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries.
INTA homed in on this hot topic during our participation in the ChinaTrademark Association’s 2017 China Trademark Festival, held in Guilin, China, in September. Convening specialists from across the Belt and Road countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, the Association organized an education panel that focused on the complexity of cross-border trademark enforcement. Mr. Ferretti, who led INTA’s delegation at the festival, opened the session by emphasizing the important role that trademarks play in the economy—and should play in economic development.
As a result of this initiative, as investment increases across the region, the Association will continue to advocate for cross-border enforcement to protect brands in the future.
Hosting Activities Worldwide
Within INTA’s 2014–2017 Strategic Plan, the objective of international expansion is coupled with the strategic direction of enhanced member satisfaction. In 2017, INTA members played a critical role in the Association’s global policy
and advocacy activities. Joining Mr. Ferretti, INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo, or staff from the Representative Offices, members represented the Association on more than 25 official delegations and in policy dialogues around the world—effectively shaping trademark policy on a global scale.
To support our global membership through world-class educational programming and optimal networking opportunities, INTA has been continuing efforts to host educational events in new locations. As an example, in 2014, following the successful Hong Kong Annual Meeting, the Association’s Board of Directors approved a rotation strategy for our Annual Meeting that will take the event to a location outside the United States every third year. As 2017 was a “third
year,” INTA scouted sites throughout Europe for the 139th Annual Meeting in May.
Following a site selection process like those undertaken for all of the Association’s Annual Meetings, INTA ultimately selected Barcelona, Spain, as the host city. Our extensive analysis considered a broad range of factors, including member experience and satisfaction; sufficient facilities to host a meeting of this size; budgetary issues; and the IP and political environment. As it turned out, the 2017 Annual Meeting—INTA’s fourth outside North America and third in Europe—drew the largest and most diverse crowd in INTA history. More than 10,600 IP professionals from 155 countries were in attendance.
While the 2014–2017 Strategic Plan has concluded, INTA’s international expansion will continue well into the future, as we work to provide more opportunities for members to engage, learn, and do business; to deepen relations with government agencies, trademark offices, and other associations; and to advance trademark law worldwide.
* The Asia-Pacific Representative Office, INTA’s fifth permanent office, was opened in Singapore in 2016.
Expanding Our Legal Resources
INTA has seven searchable practice guides available online. In 2017, members from 158 countries accessed these resources.
Our most popular searchable guide, Country Guides: Essential Information on Trademark Protection Worldwide, now includes information on customs recordation and plain packaging. As of year-end, the guide covers 109 jurisdictions.
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