Page 28 - 2017 INTA Annual Report

WASHINGTON, D.C.
INTERVIEW WITH: Deborah Cohn Senior Director of Government Relations
QOf the many events the Washington, D.C., office held in 2017, which ones best
demonstrate the office’s efforts to inform or collaborate with Congress on intellectual property (IP)–related issues?
AIn 2017, INTA hosted several briefings focused on IP protection in collaboration with the Congressional Trademark Caucus (CTC). The CTC plays a crucial role in outreach about trademark issues and provides opportunities for INTA to build strong relationships with members of Congress and promote robust IP laws in the United States. For example, one briefing, in October, explored how brands enhance consumer health and safety while simultaneously protecting U.S. national security.
World IP Day in April was particularly significant for INTA, as the Association joined with other U.S. IP organizations and several members of Congress to stress the importance of IP. Following the event’s theme of “Innovation—Improving Lives,” INTA 2017 President Joseph Ferretti spoke about the value of IP to global brands and how brands transform in response to their customer base.
New for INTA in 2017, we collaborated with two members of Congress to hold roundtables for small businesses in their respective districts in Delaware and Florida. These educational events provided a better understanding of trademark basics such as mark selection and registration, and highlighted the urgency of protecting their brands.
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The D.C. office serves as the primary
In addition, INTA was honored to have the CTC co-chairs from the U.S. House of Representatives— Representatives Ted Deutch of Florida and John Ratcliffe of Texas—address our Leadership Meeting in Washington, D.C., in November.
AWhile anticounterfeiting has always been an important issue for the D.C. office, we have amplified our attention to this, as data show an increase in counterfeit goods globally in the digital economy. Counterfeiting is eviscerating the power of trademarks, and it presents direct health and safety risks for consumers who purchase these goods.
In light of this, it has become even more essential for us to inform both policymakers and consumers about the dangers posed by counterfeit goods. We tackled this in various formats in 2017.
For example, in December, INTA, in collaboration with the Global Innovation Policy Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, hosted a congressional briefing at which government employees and representatives from the toy and apparel sectors discussed the rise in counterfeit goods online and provided advice to help holiday shoppers avoid such purchases.
In a more creative approach, INTA, in collaboration with the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF), opened an interactive exhibit on trademark education and counterfeiting at the NIHF Museum at the USPTO. This exhibit presents the first opportunity for INTA to engage with the public in a museum environment, and it aligns with one of the Association’s 2018– 2021 strategic directions: reinforcing consumer trust. If you have plans to be in the Washington metropolitan area, we hope you will consider a visit to the NIHF Museum!
INTA liaison to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and other federal agencies and works closely with the USPTO, including coordinating the Association’s responses to all trademark requests for comment as well as providing informal guidance.
In addition, INTA members have served and continue to serve as a resource to the USPTO by providing industry-focused training and other forms of programming to educate and assist examiners.
As an example, in October, INTA members who were former USPTO trademark examiners participated in a “View from the Outside” event to help newly-hired and other examiners understand some of the pressures involved in prosecuting a trademark application from the perspective of a trademark owner or attorney.
QHave you taken any new approaches to address counterfeiting?
QWhat are some of the ways that the D.C. office works with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office?
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