Virtual Program

Launchpad: Starting Point for Your Virtual+ Annual Meeting Experience
(Presented by the Young Practitioners Committee)

Join us for this session as members of the Young Practitioners Committee collaborate with INTA’s Business Development Team to help you navigate this year’s Virtual+ Annual Meeting.

During this year’s Annual Meeting, all education sessions, Business Development opportunities, and committee meetings will occur on the Association’s virtual platform, plus there will be hosted in-person one-day events in selected cities.

Tune in to learn about the various platforms and how they will be used for the virtual portion of the meeting. Speakers will also provide useful tips about the effective ways to connect and meet with colleagues during the meeting!

The panel discussion will be followed by breakout sessions where you can network and share ideas with other attendees about helpful ways to maximize your Annual Meeting experience in the new Virtual+ format.

Moderator: David Diamond, Partner, Richard Law Group (USA)

Speakers:

• Olaf Gillert, Partner, Taylor Wessing (Germany)
• Daniela Rojas, Foreign Legal Consultant, Pirkey Barber PLLC (USA)
• Catherine Shen, Strategist, Business Development, International Trademark Association (USA)

Committee Meetings

LGBTQ2+ Perspectives on Life in a Law Firm
(Presented by the Law Firm Committee) 

Join us for a discussion with members of the LGBTQ2+ community who will share their personal experiences working in law firms and how law firms can take a more inclusive approach to support LGBTQ2+ professionals and staff.

Topics of discussion will include how others can show support through workplace policies and initiatives, how to build an inclusive culture, and creating a professional network.

Speakers:

• Sharon Armstrong, Senior Global Trademark Counsel, Align Technology, Inc. (USA)
• Carrie Johnson, Senior Intellectual Property Lawyer, Cargill, Incorporated (USA)
• Brian Winterfeldt, Principal, Winterfeldt IP Group (USA)
• Sandra Yamate, Chief Executive Officer, Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (USA)

Annual Meeting of Members

Opening Ceremonies

Hear from INTA’s CEO and 2021 President as they discuss the Association’s impact on the IP community. Meet the 2021 Annual Meeting Project Team Co–Chairs and get their top tips on how to navigate the Meeting.

INTA CEO’s Address: Etienne Sanz de Acedo, International Trademark Association (USA)

2021 INTA President’s Address: Tiki Dare, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Oracle Corporation (USA)

2021 Annual Meeting Project Team Co-Chairs:

• Diane Lau, Lead Trademark Paralegal, Facebook Inc. (USA)
• Lorenzo Litta, Chief Business Officer, BrandIT GmbH. (Switzerland)

Keynote Speaker

We’re excited to announce Keynote speaker Denise Lee Yohn (USA), the go-to expert on brand leadership.

Ms. Yohn initially cultivated her brand-building approaches through several high-level positions in advertising and client-side marketing. She served as lead strategist at advertising agencies for Burger King and Land Rover and as the marketing leader and analyst for Jack in the Box restaurants and Spiegel catalogs. Ms. Yohn went on to head Sony Electronic Inc.’s first ever brand office, where she was the vice president/general manager of brand and strategy and garnered major corporate awards. She has run her own firm as an independent consulting partner since 2004. Ms. Yohn wrote the bestselling book “What Great Brands Do: The Seven Brand-Building Principles that Separate the Best from the Rest” (Jossey-Bass) and the new book “Extraordinary Experiences: What Great Retail and Restaurant Brands Do.”

We invite you to listen as we interview Ms. Yohn about brand-building, becoming a rock-star brand leader, and other topics that will advance your brand and your own professional growth.

2021 Annual Meeting Virtual+ Co-chair Introductions, followed by: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Brands Doing Good

Whether a quote from the French Revolution or the Spiderman comic books by Stan Lee, the phrase “with great power comes great responsibility” resonates with us when thinking about the power of brands and the positive impact they can have on consumers, their communities, and the world. It is especially meaningful when looking at brands that have faced challenges and done the right thing anyway, or situations where brands may have had some missteps on their journey to doing good. Taking a stand for diversity, equity, and inclusion; social justice; climate change; or any political or social stance may not be universally embraced, and this presents risks and opportunities to any brand or brand owner.

Learn from examples of companies that tried and ultimately succeeded in getting it right—even if they needed to overcome adversity along the way. Lean-in to the discussion as we explore the vital role that brand legal practitioners play in helping a company on its path to support a social, political, or environmental agenda by leveraging its brand voice and reputation; the opportunities and challenges a brand may face, the potential financial impact, and more. See how the legal, business, and communications teams must work together to ensure the authenticity of the messages and be prepared for both positive and negative social media reactions to the brand’s efforts to do the right thing.

Moderator: Nick Wood, Executive Chairman, Com Laude (United Kingdom)

Speakers:

• Marjorie Goux, Chief Legal Officer, Rodan & Fields, LLC (USA)
• Matthias Stausberg, Group Advocacy Director, Virgin Group (United Kingdom)
• Richard Smith, Head of Distribution, Digital Partnerships, BBC Distribution & Business Development, BBC Future Media (United Kingdom)

Board of Directors Meeting

Speed Networking Session 1

Speed Networking is a fast-paced one-hour session, where you’ll be able to interact with others in a series of brief exchanges in small groups. Come armed with your elevator pitch and expand your global business connections.

After the session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Committee Leadership Transition Session (presented by the Leadership Development Committee: Bootcamp Project Team)

The work of our committees is at the core of our advocacy, resources, and communications priorities. So, as we embark on a new Committee Term in 2022–2023, the 2021–2022 Leadership Development Committee: Bootcamp Project Team has designed a training session to help outgoing and incoming leaders through this transition process. Join us to learn more.

This session is meant for Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs and Subcommittee Chairs.

Partnering for Change: How Brands Help Grow Minority and Women-Owned Businesses

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs play a crucial role in the global economy. However, obtaining funding, protecting valuable intellectual property, and business start-up costs are often insurmountable barriers to many minority and women-owned businesses.

Learn how some of these minority and women-owned brands are leveraging the power of their brands and their communities to break through these barriers as well as how more established brands have stepped up to help SMEs grow their brands and positively contribute to their communities.

A panel of business and legal experts will discuss:

• Leveraging networks of minority/women-owned SMEs
• How accelerator programs can help minority/women-owned SMEs
• How a strong brand can help to stand out online
• How to support SMEs who are just starting out or who have entered an accelerator program
• IP considerations for SMEs in accelerator programs

Moderator: Fiona Scott, Trademark Paralegal, Amazon.com, Inc. (USA)

Speakers:

• Paula Clancy, Managing Attorney, Clancy PC (Canada)
• Dean-Paul Hart, President, Compac Industries (USA)
• Brandi Neloms, PR Manager – Small Business, Amazon.com, Inc. (USA)

In-House Practice Idea Exchange: Digital Transformation of In-House Teams: Learning as We Go

Exclusive to in-house practitioners. Limited Attendance. Pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The crisis of the global pandemic presented an unexpected opportunity for companies, law firms, and IPOs to review and revise work processes and priorities. The almost-overnight implementation of fully remote working accelerated the adoption of several technologies.

Join INTA’s In-House Practitioners Committee for this moderated and lively interactive virtual session where in-house practitioners will share their experiences, valuable tips, and watchouts on identifying, implementing, and budgeting for technology transformations at their own companies. Learn what other in-house teams have learned along their own journeys, participate in insightful discussions, share best practices, and exchange knowledge that will help you to remain resilient in this always-evolving world.

Facilitators:

• Rafa Gutierrez, Senior Director, Head of Global Brand Protection, Uber Technologies, Inc. (USA)
• Ryan Mellon, Vice President, Intellectual Property Counsel, Warner Media, LLC (USA)

INTAcollaborate Session

Our digital transformation hits another key milestone during the Annual Meeting as we unveil INTAcollaborate, our committee management and collaboration tool. Join us for a live demonstration of this powerful tool. All are welcome!

Capsule Keynote: Speak Disability With Confidence

Hear from Andraéa LaVant, President & Chief Inclusion Officer, LaVant Consulting, Inc. (USA), as she shares her personal journey and how she is helping to build a better world either in her work as the impact producer for the feature-length documentary “Crip Camp” or by providing cutting-edge corporate development and content marketing for brands and nonprofits. LaVant Consulting is a social impact communications firm that specializes in helping brands “speak disability with confidence.” Ms. LaVant is a strong advocate for exploring disability from an intersectional lens and offers a unique perspective on the initiatives that she supports.

Interviewer: Peter Dernbach, Partner, Winkler Partners (Taiwan) and a member of INTA’s Brands for a Better Society Committee

Capsule Keynote Speaker: Andraéa LaVant, President & Chief Inclusion Officer, LaVant Consulting, Inc. (USA)

Protecting our Practitioners: Best Practices for Well-Being in the Profession
(Presented by the Law Firm Committee and the Trademark Administrators Committee)

Join us for a panel discussion focusing on mental health issues and other factors affecting well-being in the workplace. Panelists will focus on identifying mental health issues and recognizing signs and symptoms. They will also discuss best practices, effective risk management approaches, preventative measures, and policy initiatives that solo practitioners, law firms, and legal departments may implement to protect colleagues and clients, as well as save careers. A Q&A session will follow.

Moderator: Derek LaCroix QC, Executive Director, Lawyers Assistance Program of British Columbia (Canada)

Speakers:

• George Artley, BIC Project Lawyer, International Bar Association (United Kingdom)
• Terry L. Harrell, JD, LCSW, LCAC, MAC, Executive Director, Indiana Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (USA)
• Tracy L. Kepler, Director of Risk Control Consulting, Global Specialty, Lawyers Professional Responsibility, CNA (USA)

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30 participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Speed Networking Session 2

Speed Networking is a fast-paced one-hour session, where you’ll be able to interact with others in a series of brief exchanges in small groups. Come armed with your elevator pitch and expand your global business connections.

After the session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Committee Meetings

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: No One-Size-Fits-All Solution

In recent years, many consumers and organizations have heightened their focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. The value that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture can bring to consumers and organizations is universal. However, what a diverse and inclusive workplace looks like differs around the world, and the challenges faced, and the solutions implemented are also different.

Join us as we gather with law firm, government, and business experts to discuss DE&I through the lens of four different countries. We will learn about their challenges, opportunities, and the solutions that have been implemented. We will also hear about what is working and what is not. We’ll learn tips on how to develop your own solution to build a more diverse and inclusive organization and the critical role that legal teams play not only in establishing their own diverse workforce but the influence they can have on their organizations and their clients.

Moderator: Joana Siqueira, Partner, Montaury Pimenta, Machado & Vieira de Mello (Brazil)

Speakers:

• Loreto Bresky, National Director, Chilean National Institute of Intellectual Property (INAPI) (Chile)
• Yasemin Kenaroğlu, Partner, Kenaroğlu Avukatlık Bürosu (Turkey)
• Daniel Reis Nobre, Managing Partner, Inventa International (Angola)
• Rachel Li-Mei Tan, Principal, Rouse (Hong Kong)

Corporate Circle Session 1
Exclusive for corporate registrants only.

Meet and interact with your global in-house counterparts in informal, small group discussions. Take advantage of these exclusive sessions to expand your network circle and get to know your brand owner peers.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or by meeting at the INTA Café.

Welcome Reception

Grab a drink and enjoy the social elements of our virtual Welcome Reception! Take the opportunity to network, relax, and unwind with new and old friends.

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30  participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

INTA President Hours

Meet Tiki Dare, INTA 2021 President!

Speed Networking Session 3

Speed Networking is a fast-paced one-hour session, where you’ll be able to interact with others in a series of brief exchanges in small groups. Come armed with your elevator pitch and expand your global business connections.

After the session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

TM5 Users’ Group Meeting

This session is for users of any of the TM5 offices or for those interested in learning more about these offices. TM5 is a multilateral cooperation forum of the five largest trademark offices in the world: the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Committee Leadership Transition Session (presented by the Leadership Development Committee: Bootcamp Project Team)

The work of our committees is at the core of our advocacy, resources, and communications priorities. So, as we embark on a new Committee Term in 2022–2023, the 2021–2022 Leadership Development Committee: Bootcamp Project Team has designed a training session to help outgoing and incoming leaders through this transition process. Join us to learn more.

This session is meant for Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs and Subcommittee Chairs.

Committee Meetings

Board of Directors Meeting

INTAcollaborate Session

Our digital transformation hits another key milestone during the Annual Meeting as we unveil INTAcollaborate, our committee management and collaboration tool. Join us for a live demonstration of this powerful tool. All are welcome!

Co-Chairs’ Introductions of Program, followed by: From Cost Center to Front-and-Center: How to Understand (and Explain!) the Value of Your Brand

When speaking of the value of a business’s IP, patents are often what come to mind. But a brand’s trade name and trademarks, and the associated reputation and goodwill, play an important, yet often overlooked, role in a company’s valuation. Moreover, the actual value of a brand as an asset capable of monetization is often neglected. Even when it is considered, the method of valuation is a subject of debate among both internal and external stakeholders given the complexities around brand valuation models and the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for brand valuation.

This session will demystify brand valuation and help legal teams not only understand the value to the business but communicate it in a business-savvy way. This session will provide tips and watchouts on evaluating and communicating the value in various industry sectors across different business models (e.g., B2C or B2B).

Topics to be addressed include:

• Understanding the impact of industry sector, size, and other key factors in a brand value analysis
• Understanding IP and taxation under different tax regimes
• Fostering collaboration across public relations, marketing, finance, and legal teams to more effectively increase organizational-wide understanding of brand value
• How to collaboratively build and communicate value, inside and outside your organization
• The importance of brand reputation in any brand value analysis

Moderator: Todd Williams, IP Counsel, Stripe, Inc. (USA)

Speakers:

• Bryn Anderson, Valuation Director, Valuation Consulting (United Kingdom)
• Katelyn Andrews, Trademark Counsel, The Coca-Cola Company (USA)
• Lisa G. Widup, Senior Counsel, Trademark & Copyright, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (USA)

Capsule Keynote: Brands and Corporate Social Responsibility

The last 18 months have been tumultuous—with a global pandemic, social unrest and a global reset button that challenges how we work and live. Many consumers expect their brands to reflect their values and take action to support their employees, communities, and consumers.

As Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Uber, Tony West leads a global team of more than 700 in the company’s Legal, Compliance and Ethics, and Security functions. He has a long career in both the public and private sectors and understands the importance of social responsibility for all of us. Listen in as Track Leader Tali Alban sits down with Mr. West to discuss the importance of corporate social responsibility and the intersection between companies and their engagement in social issues.

Interviewer: Tali Alban, Director, Marketing & Advertising, Legal, Uber Technologies, Inc. (USA)

Capsule Keynote Speaker: Tony West, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary, Uber Technologies, INC. (USA)

Rediscovering INTA’s Practice Guides

Do you love the INTA Practice Guides? Or are you curious to learn more about them? Join the INTA Legal Resources Staff to discover the features and functionality of the new and improved Guides—launching in October!—and how they can help you quickly find the information you need. Drop in to see what the new Guides are all about. And don’t hesitate to bring your questions and comments. We look forward to seeing you!

The Holistic Brand Lawyer: Stretching Your Practice Beyond Trademarks 

These days, brand lawyers must have at a minimum, a passing understanding and ability to spot issues relating to advertising, privacy, regulatory issues, etc., and should be able to spot risks that are not purely legal in nature, but may have negative consequences for a company, such as PR risks.

To help practitioners stretch beyond trademarks, this session will touch upon significant advertising cases and recent developments in advertising law in the U.S. and South America over the past year, and tips and watchouts for brand legal practitioners as they counsel their clients on IP protection issues in product launches, advertising, and social media campaigns— from trademark and copyright clearances to model releases and working with agencies. In addition, the panel will highlight important issues and updates regarding data privacy and protection regulations in select countries. Finally, panelists will share tips on delivery skills, to make sure brand practitioners can effectively and persuasively communicate with their business colleagues and clients.

Moderator: Michael Justus, Partner, Katten (USA)

Speakers: 

• Clara Cottrell, Senior Counsel, Compliance & Privacy, BASF Corporation (USA)
• Gustavo Giay, Partner, Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal (Argentina)
• Michelle Renne, Senior Specialist – Marketing Properties, Mars Incorporated (USA)

Committee Meetings

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30 participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Trademark Administrators Best Practice Idea Exchange: Paradise Lost or Paradise Found

Limited Attendance. Pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

What does a dream job mean to you? How do you ask for it?  What do you do to be empowered to make the best decisions for your career?

The Trademark Administrators Committee is excited to share its “Idea Exchange” role-playing event at the Annual Meeting. Join us as we work through Trademark Administrators’ tough choices as they navigate their career.

This stimulating virtual event will provide tips and tools for navigating your career progression and the opportunity to discuss career goals and challenges with your “peers and supervisors,” followed by a debriefing session where participants will share the revelations, strategies, and conclusions that came to light during the breakout sessions.

So, if you already have your dream job, join us and share how you got it, why you love it, and what makes it so great!  And, if you would like to become unstuck and unstoppable, come get some peer insight on advancing your trademark career.

A brief will be distributed to each registered attendee prior to the event outlining their specific role.

Speakers:

• Grace Alcasid, Legal Manager, Alpha & Omega Law Corporation (Singapore)
• Art DeBaugh, Partner, Bell, Davis & Pitt (USA)
• Laura Echols, Senior Trademark Paralegal, Pirkey Barber LLC (USA)
• Jenna Loadman, Associate, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (USA)
• Karen Monteith, Trademark Agent, Coastal Trademark Services (Canada)
• Emily Quackenbush, Senior Trademark Paralegal, Perkins Coie, LLP (USA)
• Sara Wallace, Senior Paralegal, Mars, Inc. (USA)
• Dori Walton, Trademark Agent, CPST Intellectual Property Inc. (Canada)
• Gary Wengrofsky, Senior Director, Intellectual Property, Charter Communications (USA)

Leadership Lab (presented by the Leadership Development Committee)

This lab is only open to committee chairs and vice-chairs.

Join this interactive session to have candid conversation with fellow committee leaders. Share what is working well in your committee, discuss how you identify and support rising stars, and learn more about other leadership opportunities within INTA.

This session is being offered twice for committee chairs and vice-chairs. Please review the available times and plan to join us for one of the sessions.

Cannabis, Gambling, and Alcohol—Navigating a Minefield of Perception, Protection, and Politics in Regulated Industries 

Navigating regulatory issues has become commonplace for many industries, but none more than those dealing with cannabis, gambling, and alcohol. Despite the legality of the product, there are often governmental restrictions and, as well, negative public opinion.

And these industries add another layer of complexity when establishing relationships with spokespersons, sponsors, licenses, or other third parties.

This session will explore such issues as:

• Challenges in finding and working with the right brand spokesperson, from the perspective of the brand owner and the perspective of the spokesperson
• How do government regulation and cultural issues impact strategy and limit trademark protection?
• How do brand strategies differ for these industries when dealing with protection issues, infringement, and passing-off or dilution claims?

Moderator: Alison Hayman, Partner, Cassels, Brock and Blackwell LLP (Canada)

Speakers:

• Silvia Lazzarotto, European Trademark and Design Attorney, Caramelli Lazzarotto Associati S.r.l. (Italy)
• Jeanette Lee, Deputy General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, Arterra Wines Canada (Canada)
• Stephanie Melnychuk, Senior Legal Counsel, Aurora Cannabis Inc. (Canada)
• Judith Schvimmer, General Counsel, The Parent Company (USA)
• John C. Wilson, Senior Vice President & Chief Counsel, Intellectual Property & Commercial, Caesars Entertainment Corporation (USA)

Speed Networking Session 4

Speed Networking is a fast-paced one-hour session, where you’ll be able to interact with others in a series of brief exchanges in small groups. Come armed with your elevator pitch and expand your global business connections.

After the session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Mentorship: A Secret Ingredient to Career Development

Having a mentor can be the difference between a thriving career and stagnation, but being a mentor can reward your soul.

Hear from our panel of mentors and mentees how establishing these relationships have rewarded them personally and professionally.

Moderator: Emily Burns, Senior Trademark Counsel, Google (USA)

Speakers:

• Lidia Lopez, Associate, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP (USA)
• Gary Wengrofsky, Senior Director, Intellectual Property, Charter Communications (USA)
• Kara Zioba, Global Intellectual Property Manager, The Hershey Company (USA)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Inclusion in Action Workshop

Limited attendance

They used to be called water cooler or hallway conversations—ways to informally interact with colleagues for short, but many times significant, discussions during which we learned about each other and from each other.

And then there was a technological explosion and screens replaced many in-person exchanges, and a global pandemic that shifted a significant sector of the work force to work from home, and social and political unrest across the globe. In this changed world, do people feel that they can bring their authentic selves to the table? What are the unconscious biases that can get in the way of really embracing diversity and establishing an inclusive workplace?

Join Debra Hughes, Assistant General Counsel, Brand and Policy, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, as she moderates a panel of experts in this introspective, retrospective, and forward-looking workshop focused on:

• Revealing, challenging, and removing biases within individuals and organizations
• Having difficult conversations that lead to greater understanding and more productive and effective interactions
• Creating a safe place to ask questions without fear of repercussions
• The personal connection between a brand and its consumers, employees, and vendors and how to walk the talk in every part of your organization

This workshop will bring attendees together to hear from leading experts in the fields of diversity, equity, and inclusion training, supplier diversity programs, and intellectual property law, to show the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in action. It will challenge participants to discuss current realities and to learn ways to support each other as they communicate and collaborate more effectively.

Walk away with some fundamental building blocks to create and maintain a more inclusive workplace. Participants will leave this workshop, armed with feedback and inspiration, to develop the skill sets they need to improve their own communication and support a more inclusive and authentic workplace.

Moderator: Debra Hughes, Assistant General Counsel, Brand and Policy, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (USA)

Panelists:

• LaTisha Brandon, Sr. Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, The Container Store (USA)
• Dr. Odette Christie, Chief Executive Officer, OEC² Solutions, LLC (USA)
• Tina Pompey, Vice President, The Walt Disney Company (USA)
• Domonique Worship, Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, NBA Properties, Inc. (USA)

Pet Corner

Life is incomplete without our furry, feathered, scaly, and everything in between friends. So, join us for our ever-popular one-hour pet corner sessions and enjoy networking with your special friend!

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30 participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Global Licensing Annual Review: Lessons from Trademark Licensing Decisions
(Presented by the Commercialization of Brands Committee)

INTA members and their legal advisers will be engaged in drafting and negotiating a variety of trademark licensing arrangements, many of which are “cross-border.” While these agreements will share common characteristics and will often use similar terminology, their interpretation may be the subject to subtle—and perhaps not so subtle—differences, depending on the governing law of the license contract. A working appreciation of some of these differences in interpretation and approach will benefit international practitioners reviewing and negotiating license agreements internationally.

This session will comprise a panel of expert speakers who will compare and contrast a range of common contract interpretation issues from the perspective of three jurisdictions (United Kingdom, United States, and Singapore) regarding relevant case and statutory law applicable in their respective jurisdictions.

Speakers:

• Simon Chalkley, Partner, Keystone Law (United Kingdom)
• Catherine Lee, Principal, Rodyk IP (Singapore)
• Lori J. Shyavitz, Partner, McCarter & English (USA)

Corporate Circle Session 2
Exclusive for corporate registrants only.

Meet and interact with your global in-house counterparts in informal, small group discussions. Take advantage of these exclusive sessions to expand your network circle and get to know your brand owner peers.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or by meeting at the INTA Café.

Committee Meetings

Committee Meetings

Speed Networking Session 5

Speed Networking is a fast-paced one-hour session, where you’ll be able to interact with others in a series of brief exchanges in small groups. Come armed with your elevator pitch and expand your global business connections.

After the session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

TM5 Joint Workshop: Tips for Avoiding Refusals by Each TM5 Office

Hosted by the Japan Patent Office (JPO)

In order to obtain trademark rights smoothly, it is important to file an application in a way that it does not fall under the reasons for refusal. In this TM5* workshop, TM5, the five largest IP offices in the world, will present tips on how to avoid refusals in trademark applications.

*TM5 is a forum through which the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) exchange information and undertake cooperative activities with the aim to support global business activities through trademark protection.

Moderator: Hélène Liwinski, IP Attaché for the U.S. Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, (Switzerland)

Speakers:

• Takano Kazuyuki, Director of the Trademark Division, JPO (Japan)
• Etienne Sanz de Acedo, CEO, International Trademark Association (USA)
• Michael W. Baird, Managing Attorney, Trademark Operations, USPTO (USA)
• Zheng Haiyan, Director of Examination Division I, Trademark Office, CNIPA (China)
• Seo Nari, Deputy Director, International cooperation, Trademark Examination Policy Division, KIPO (Korea)
• Muriel Siro, International Cooperation and Legal Affairs Department, Legal Practice Service, EUIPO (Spain)
• Naito Takahito, Specialist for Trademark Planning, Trademark Division, JPO (Japan)

IP Enforcement Portal (IPEP):  The New eAFA

Join a representative from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for an in-depth presentation on the Intellectual Property Enforcement Portal (IPEP)—a free multilingual tool to deal with enforcement matters.

The IPEP allows brand owners to protect their IP rights through a single platform by securely sharing their product, brand, and contact information with EU enforcement authorities so that the exchange of information can be streamlined with police, customs, and market surveillance authorities.

This presentation will focus on the main features of IPEP, in particular the new customs e-Application for Action (eAFA) and the notification of detentions of goods suspected of infringing IPR.

Speaker: Nicole Semjevski, Member of the IPEP Team of the EU Observatory, EUIPO (Spain)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion—Challenging the Call-Out Culture Workshop

With the rise in social media “cancel culture,” individuals and businesses can be boycotted in the time it takes to type 160 characters. Join us as we hear from Loretta Ross, activist and associate professor at Smith College, as she helps us understand the dangers of the cancel culture and how we can flip the switch and start inviting people into important conversations, so we grow together.

Prof. Ross will share her own journey as well as tips on how to have uncomfortable conversations that help us to come out stronger on the other side. Have a chance to ask questions of Prof. Ross and each other in both large and small group discussions.

Walk away with more confidence to navigate your own way past a cancel culture mentality and into a more inviting one, with tips and watch-outs to evolve a more authentic and inclusive workplace.

Facilitator: Loretta J. Ross, Associate Professor, Smith College (USA)

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30 participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Co-Chairs’ Introductions of Program, followed by: Navigating Enforcement Where Purse Strings Are Tight 

Given the ever-increasing costs of litigation, the unpredictable outcomes, and the enhanced social media scrutiny of enforcement efforts, many companies are looking at alternate ways to resolve disputes quickly and cost-effectively. In addition, recent world events have changed the lens of IP enforcement for many companies. Consequently, companies are looking to their legal teams to find creative and more cost-effective solutions to help them stem the tide of infringements without breaking the bank or negatively impacting their reputation with consumers.

Join an esteemed panel of practitioners as they share real-world, cost-effective solutions to age-old problems, including:

• Alternate Dispute Resolution options
• Leveraging Customs and other governmental agencies in enforcement efforts
• Working collaboratively with other companies to achieve solutions while sharing the costs of the enforcement efforts.

Moderator: Shelagh Carnegie, Partner, Gowling WLG (Canada)

Speakers:

• Anessa Kramer, Partner, Honigman (USA)
• Signe Naeve, Director, Corporate Counsel, Intellectual Property, Starbucks (USA)
• Emily Roberts, Partner, Burges Salmon (United Kingdom)

Leadership Lab (presented by the Leadership Development Committee)

This Lab is only open to subcommittee chairs.

Join this interactive session to have candid conversations with subcommittee leaders, share what is working well in your subcommittee, how to support subcommittee members, and how to prepare for transition.

This session is being offered twice and is open to subcommittee chairs. Please review the available times and plan to join us for one of these sessions.

Corporate Circle Session 3
Exclusive for corporate registrants only.

Meet and interact with your global in-house counterparts in informal, small group discussions. Take advantage of these exclusive sessions to expand your network circle and get to know your brand owner peers.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or by meeting at the INTA Café.

INTA Café Themed Hour: Recipe Exchange

Running out of ideas for what to cook or bake? Join us at the INTA Café to share your favorite recipes with other registrants and get ideas on new ones to try out. Whether it is your favorite pasta dish, your most well-known pie, or quickest family dinner, come prepared to exchange!

All Rise—Predictions from the Bench: The Judiciary of the Future

The law and innovation are not always aligned, with the law often lagging behind technological advancements. However, the gap has widened in recent years with a proliferation of new technologies and new business models. In addition, our online world makes it easy for a company to grow across the globe and has also increased the geographic reach of violations and infringements, causing companies to seek judicial relief and enforcement of such judgments in multiple jurisdictions to protect their IP rights adequately. And if that weren’t enough change to contend with, the global pandemic not only changed how and where we work, it shone a light on outdated practices and the need for a virtual courtroom, electronic submissions, and a system that can exist and thrive in a virtual environment.

Listen in as leading jurists from INTA’s IP Judiciary of the Future Think Tank share their experiences and expectations in integrating new technologies into their processes, discuss the need for harmonization, and offer their insights on what the future holds for substantive IP law, judicial processes, and more!

Moderator: Iris Gunther, Director, Brand Enforcement and Sustainability, INTA (USA)

Speakers:

• Judge Paolo Catallozzi, Supreme Court of Italy (Italy)
• Judge Luis Diez Canseco, Court of Justice of the Andean Community
• Judge Kwangnam Kim, Patent Court of Korea (Korean)
• Justice Manmohan, DeHli High Court (India)
• Judge Elisabeth Ohm, Norwegian Board of Appeal for IP Rights (Norway)

INTA Foundation Hour

Join us for the INTA Foundation Hour. Come meet members of the INTA Foundation Board and share your ideas on how the INTA Foundation could support local initiatives in your country or region.

Speakers:

• Toe Su Aung, Co-Founder and Director, Elipe Limited (UK), Chair, INTA Foundation
• Ayala Deutsch, Executive Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, NBA Properties, Inc. (USA) Secretary, INTA Foundation
• Debra Hughes, Assistant General Counsel, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (USA), Treasurer, INTA Foundation

Leadership Plus Relationships = New Models for Business Development

The recent and sustaining shift toward more remote working and virtual meetings has amplified the need to find new ways to maintain business connections and develop new ones. Networking remains an essential component of legal practice, whether at a law firm, service firm, or in-house. Moreover, developing your leadership skills helps to grow your sphere of influence and improve your relationships.

Join us for this session to learn how leadership adds value to your relationships and how clients and colleagues come to know, like, and trust you. Hear from recognized business development experts on how they have found success with nurturing and expanding their business and relationships in the remote and virtual world by honing their leadership and relationship-building skills.

Moderators:

• Kim Boyle, Senior Counsel, Richard Law Group (USA)
• Liad Whatstein, Founding Partner, Liad Whatstein & Co. (Israel)

Speakers:

• Gil Peretz, Co-founder, Positive Chutzpah International (USA)
• Kathryn Szymczyk, Global Business Development, Gowling WLG (Canada)
• Daniel Zohny, Head of Intellectual Property, Federacion Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) (Switzerland)

Capsule Keynote: It Takes a Village to Protect the Famous “Red Sole” Trademark—An Interview with Xavier Ragot 

Hear from Xavier Ragot, Group General Counsel, Christian Louboutin Group, as he shares the best practices of setting up a legal department that is a global business partner, and how his legal team has successfully built an environment whereby the legal awareness has grown significantly amongst operational staff members and the legal aspects of business projects are well integrated. This strong partnership with other internal business units as well as third-party providers, online platforms and concerned consumers is one of the cornerstones of the company’s success in protecting and defending the famous “red sole” trademark that is a core part of the brand’s unique fashion portfolio.

Listen in as Conny Schmitt, Attorney-at-law at Grünecker Patent and Trademark Attorneys, sits down with Mr. Ragot to talk about his role at Louboutin and how he changed the structure of the legal department by teaming up with other internal business units.

Interviewer: Conny Schmitt, Attorney-at-law, Grünecker Patent Attorneys & Attorneys at Law (Germany)

Capsule Keynote Speaker: Xavier Ragot, Group General Counsel, Christian Louboutin Group (France)

2021 Anticounterfeiting Workshop—Best Practices to Combat Online Counterfeiting: Leveraging Your Online Investigations 

Exclusive to in-house practitioners and government officials. Limited Attendance. Pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. This workshop is being offered twice. and each offering covers the same discussion topics. In view of space limitations, we ask that no more than two representatives of an entity or organization attend either instance of the workshop.

This workshop presents an opportunity for key stakeholders in the fight against counterfeiting to work together in a closed-door environment, sharing their perspectives, discussing lessons learned and best practices, and exploring ways to collaborate to combat common obstacles. This year’s workshop will explore how stakeholders can work together and leverage online investigations to achieve offline convictions of counterfeiters.

This year’s workshop will build on the successful events at past meetings by exploring some of the key themes to come out of those discussions. Attendees will share examples of particularly helpful practices and processes that they are utilizing in the fight against online counterfeiting.

This workshop will be presented in two parts:

10:00 am–11:00 am: Stakeholder meetings (1 hour)

During this time, key stakeholders will meet within their individual groups. In the next part of the workshop, they will converge for an in-depth plenary session.

• Corporate in-house representatives—brand owners impacted by counterfeiting
• Intermediary representatives, including digital commerce service providers—in-house representatives from the digital commerce environment, which includes marketplaces, payment service providers, search engines, and social media platforms, as well as Internet registries, registrars, and logistics companies
• Government officials—government and law enforcement officials involved in the fight against online counterfeiting.

11:00 am–1:00 pm: Plenary session (2 hours)

Best Practices and Challenges in Customs Enforcement: What Every Brand Protection Professional Needs to Know
(Presented by the  Anticounterfeiting Committee)

With the ever-growing challenges of global counterfeiting, border enforcement continues to be a critical piece in the brand protection professional’s enforcement program. Understanding customs regulations, recordation requirements, and evidentiary requirements for each jurisdiction can be the most important piece in the anticounterfeiting puzzle.

Join local experts for a practical session on best practices in customs enforcement in key jurisdictions like East Asia and Pacific, the United States, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Speakers will share successes and obstacles, case studies, and key tips in customs enforcement. Panelists will also discuss how Free Trade Zones play into counterfeit trends globally and how other key stakeholders can be engaged to help create a robust brand protection program.

Moderator: Fanta Punch, Attorney, M. Hamel-Smith & Co. (Trinidad and Tobago)

Speakers:

• Bienvenido Marquez, Partner, Quisumbing Torres (Philippines)
• Kevin McPherson, Sr. Director Brand Protection, Corporate Counsel, Otter Products LLC (USA)

Educating the Marketplace About the Dangers of Counterfeits: Ideal World versus the Real World

Educating consumers and stakeholders in the supply chain is instrumental in effectively combating counterfeits in both an online and a brick-and-mortar world. Hear from businesses about how they educate their vendor partners and consumers as to the dangers of counterfeits to their businesses and their communities. What roles do consumers play in this fight? And how can marketplaces and Internet platforms help stem the tide of counterfeits?

Panelists will share tips and watchouts to build and implement an effective campaign to inform consumers and stakeholders about the dangers and involve them across the supply chain in this important fight. And finally, speakers will share their visions of an ideal world and of how to achieve it when dealing with the real-life challenges businesses face.

Moderator: Sara Ashby, Partner, Wiggin LLP (United Kingdom)

Speakers:

• Colette Durst, Vice President and Chief Trademark Counsel, 3M Company (USA)
• Monica Mena, Director, Education & Outreach, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (USA)
• Kamal Sharma, Senior Counsel, Global Brand Protection, Procter & Gamble (India)

EU Omnibus Directive—News for Brand Owners in Online Marketing in Europe
(Presented by the Unfair Competition Committee)

EU member states must implement the Omnibus Directive by November 28, 2021, and ensure that national legal provisions are effective as of May 28, 2022. It is part of the “New Deal for Consumers” initiative, which was adopted by the EU Commission on April 11, 2018. This initiative serves to strengthen the enforcement of EU consumer protection laws and modernizes e-commerce and digital content regulations, in particular, by prescribing more transparency and high penalties.

Key provisions include a legal ban on the marketing of products of different quality in different countries without justification, and new notice and information obligations toward consumers. Online traders operating their own websites must ensure that customer reviews or recommendations are real, and they must explain how this is ensured.

In order to familiarize companies doing business in the European Union with the new legal provisions, this session will provide both background information and watchouts for brand owners. The panel will highlight the status of implementation of the Omnibus Directive in the EU member states while sharing practical tips for practitioners on how to be well prepared for this new legal regime, including how to avoid the imposition of substantial fines.

Moderators:

• Eric De Gryse, Partner, Simont Braun (Belgium)
• Paula Sailas, Partner, Berggren Group (Finland)

Speakers:

• Ana Perdigao, Director of EU Affairs, Expedia Group (Belgium)
• Martins Prieditis, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission (Belgium)

Leveraging Technology to Fight Fakes: Promises and Perils

Counterfeiting continues to escalate in our online marketplaces, due, in part, to the ease with which counterfeiters can set up their own e-commerce sites at a low cost and can amass a global reach while maintaining anonymity. And though technology makes it easier for counterfeiters, technology is still brand owners’ best weapon in stemming the tide of this growing problem.

Join a panel of experts as they identify a variety of technology tools that can be leveraged in enforcement efforts. The panelists will provide a glossary of terms—such as QR, NFC, and RFID—so you are up to date with the current technologies available. In addition, the panelists will share tips and watchouts to help you:

• Bridge the distance between on-the-ground anticounterfeiting routines and enforcement in a digital world (learn how to use electronic certificates, “digital twin” technology, and more)
• Integrate blockchain technology in your enforcement efforts
• Understand the costs associated with these technologies and acquire tips on building a cost-conscious and effective online anticounterfeiting program

Moderator: Bennett Collen, Adjunct Professor, Blockchain, Boston College Carroll School of Management (USA)

Speakers:

• Addam Kaufman, Senior Corporate Counsel, Oracle Corporation (USA)
• Matt Owen, Associate General Counsel, Global Trademark & Copyright Strategy, Caterpillar Inc. (USA)
• Mercedes Tunstell, Partner, Loeb & Loeb LLP (USA)

Committee Meetings

Reading the Room Without Even Being in the Room—Online Dispute Resolution from the Mediator’s Perspective

Traditionally, online mediation was the exception to the rule and used only as a potentially cost-saving alternative not supported by many seasoned mediators. The primary reason was the difficulty in “reading the room” if you were not in the room. But as the world changed due to the global pandemic, online became not a potential option among others, but the only road forward to mediate conflict resolutions. Today, rather than online mediation only being a stopgap while the world gets back to normal, many practitioners see that virtual mediation has now become an important tool that parties can and should consider even once they can meet in person.

This session will provide relevant tips and watchouts for conducting effective virtual mediations, including:

• How mediators can read the room without being in the room
• Identifying psychological markers that can help identify paths forward in a negotiation
• Technology tools available to mediators and how to leverage these tools (including a virtual mediation demonstration)
• Reasons to trust the technology and the security of online mediation tools how you can navigate between rooms and feel secure that the conversations are just as private as face-to-face interactions
• A comparison of virtual mediation with the traditional face-to-face setting, and the opportunities provided by a virtual setting

Speakers:

• David K. Friedland, Partner, Friedland Vining, P.A. (USA)
• Kevin Hartley, CEO, Trust Tree Legal, P.C. (USA)
• L. Donald Prutzman, Partner, Tannenbaum Helpern Syracuse & Hirschtritt LLP (USA)

In-House Practitioners Workshop—Collaboration is Key: Men and Women Working Together to Improve the Representation of Women in Leadership Roles

Exclusive to in-house practitioners. Limited Attendance. Pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Don’t miss your chance to attend this exclusive event.

INTA’s Women’s LeadershIP Initiative was launched in 2020 to champion strong leadership skills for all women in the intellectual property (IP) field and empower them to advance their careers to the next level. In March 2021, we released The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative Report and Best Practices Toolkit.

Bridging leadership gaps for women in the legal profession generally, and the IP field specifically, can only be accomplished if men and women work together to change perceptions, provide opportunities, and support parity in senior leadership roles.

How do we get there? And how do we implement tangible solutions that move the needle to include more women in key leadership roles at your organization?

This workshop will enable us, as an in-house community, to discuss opportunities, barriers, and next steps as we work together to champion women leaders. We will showcase the careers of several women in IP and the role male sponsors have played in their development and the vital role women leaders play in the careers of both women and men. And men who sponsored women colleagues (or were sponsored by women leaders) will participate in the discussion, too!

This workshop presents an important opportunity for in-house practitioners to share their experiences and walk away with valuable guidance on championing and sponsoring women at their own companies in advancing leadership roles.   Let’s work together to demystify the conversation, unmask misperceptions, and champion our collective success going forward.

The workshop will include leading women and men in IP sharing their own stories and providing tips and watchouts from their own experiences. Significant time will be allotted to Q&A with the speakers and for small group discussions among attendees.

Moderators:

• Rafa Gutierrez, Senior Director, Head of Global Brand Protection, Uber Technologies, Inc. (USA)
• Ryan Mellon, Vice President, Intellectual Property Counsel, WarnerMedia, LLC (USA)

Speakers:

• Ayala Deutsch, Executive Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, NBA Properties, Inc. (USA)
• Sacha Tarrant, Vice President, Digital Rights Strategy & Enforcement, NBA Properties, Inc. (USA)
• Stacy P. Chronopoulos, Global Head of Brand, Managing Director, Aon IP Solutions (USA)
• Sharon Ceresnie Sorkin, Chief Trademark Counsel, Ford Motor Company (USA)

INTA Foundation Hour

Join us for the INTA Foundation Hour. Come meet members of the INTA Foundation Board and share your ideas on how the INTA Foundation could support local initiatives in your country or region.

Speakers:

• Toe Su Aung, Co-Founder and Director, Elipe Limited (UK), Chair, INTA Foundation
• Ayala Deutsch, Executive Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, NBA Properties, Inc. (USA) Secretary, INTA Foundation
• Debra Hughes, Assistant General Counsel, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (USA), Treasurer, INTA Foundation

Professor vs. Practitioner Debate: Resumption of the Presumption of Irreparable Harm in the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TMA)
(Presented by the Academic Committee)

The Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TMA) comes into effect on December 27, 2021. Under the TMA, trademark owners no longer must independently prove irreparable harm to get an injunction against ongoing use of an infringing trademark. If a trademark owner can establish that a trademark has been infringed or that it is likely to succeed on the merits of their infringement claim, a court can presume irreparable harm and issue an injunction.

The resumption of the presumption of irreparable harm is a hotly debated topic among practitioners and academics alike. We will tee up the debate with some background on the circuit split that led to this addition to the TMA. Our panelists will then provide an insightful and lively debate and discussion about whether harm should be presumed for a Lanham Act violation or if equitable factors, including proof of irreparable harm, should be considered on a case-by-case basis, as in eBay, Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C.

Moderator: Peter Karol, Professor of Law, New England Law (USA)

Speakers:

• Mike Keyes, Partner, Dorsey & Whitney LLP (USA)
• Rebecca Tushnet, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School (USA)

Speed Networking Session 6

Speed Networking is a fast-paced one-hour session, where you’ll be able to interact with others in a series of brief exchanges in small groups. Come armed with your elevator pitch and expand your global business connections.

After the session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30 participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Committee Meetings

Trademark Administrators Best Practice Idea Exchange: Paradise Lost or Paradise Found 

Limited Attendance. Pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

What does a dream job mean to you? How do you ask for it? What do you do to be empowered to make the best decisions for your career?

The Trademark Administrators Committee is excited to share its “Idea Exchange” role-playing event at the Annual Meeting. Join us as we work through Trademark Administrator’s tough choices as they navigate their career.

This exciting virtual event will provide tips and tools for navigating your career progression and the opportunity to discuss career goals and challenges with your “peers and supervisors,” followed by a debriefing session where participants will share the revelations, strategies, and conclusions that came to light during the breakout sessions.

So, if you already have your dream job, join us and share how you got it, why you love it, and what makes it so great!  And, if you would like to become unstuck and unstoppable, get some peer insight on advancing your career!

A brief will be distributed to each registered attendee before the event outlining their specific role.

Speakers:

• Grace Alcasid, Legal Manager, Alpha & Omega Law Corporation (Singapore)
• Art DeBaugh, Partner, Bell, Davis & Pitt (USA)
• Laura Echols, Senior Trademark Paralegal, Pirkey Barber LLC (USA)
• Jenna Loadman, Associate, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (USA)
• Karen Monteith, Trademark Agent, Coastal Trademark Services (Canada)
• Emily Quackenbush, Senior Trademark Paralegal, Perkins Coie, LLP (USA)
• Sara Wallace, Senior Paralegal, Mars, Inc. (USA)
• Dori Walton, Trademark Agent, CPST Intellectual Property Inc. (Canada)

Pet Corner

Life is incomplete without our furry, feathered, scaly, and everything in between friends. So, join us for our ever-popular one-hour pet corner sessions and enjoy networking with your special friend!

2021 Anticounterfeiting Workshop—Best Practices to Combat Online Counterfeiting: Leveraging Your Online Investigations  

Exclusive to in-house practitioners and government officials. Limited Attendance. Pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. This workshop is being offered twice. and each offering covers the same discussion topics. In view of space limitations, we ask that no more than two representatives of an entity or organization attend either instance of the workshop.

This workshop presents an opportunity for key stakeholders in the fight against counterfeiting to work together in a closed-door environment, sharing their perspectives, discussing lessons learned and best practices, and exploring ways to collaborate to combat common obstacles. This year’s workshop will explore how stakeholders can work together and leverage online investigations to achieve offline convictions of counterfeiters.

This year’s workshop will build on the successful events at past meetings by exploring some of the key themes to come out of those discussions. Attendees will share examples of particularly helpful practices and processes that they are utilizing in the fight against online counterfeiting.

This workshop will be presented in two parts:

2:30 am–3:30 am:  Stakeholder meetings (1 hour)

During this time, key stakeholders will meet within their individual groups. In the next part of the workshop, they will converge for an in-depth plenary session.

• Corporate in-house representatives—brand owners impacted by counterfeiting
• Intermediary representatives, including digital commerce service providers—in-house representatives from the digital commerce environment, which includes marketplaces, payment service providers, search engines, and social media platforms, as well as Internet registries, registrars, and logistics companies
• Government officials—government and law enforcement officials involved in the fight against online counterfeiting.

3:45 am–5:45 am: Plenary session (2 hours)

Committee Meetings

Rediscovering INTA’s Practice Guides

Do you love the INTA Practice Guides? Or are you curious to learn more about them? Join the INTA Legal Resources Staff to discover the features and functionality of the new and improved Guides—launching in October!—and how they can help you quickly find the information you need. Drop in to see what the new Guides are all about. And don’t hesitate to bring your questions and comments. We look forward to seeing you!

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30 participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Committee Meetings

Leadership Lab
(Presented by the Leadership Development Committee)

This lab is only open to committee chairs, and vice-chairs.

Join this interactive session to have candid conversations with committee leaders, share what is working well in your committee, how you identify and support rising stars, and learn more about the leadership opportunities within INTA.

This session is being offered twice for committee chairs and vice-chairs. Please review the available times and plan to join us for one of the sessions.

Co-Chairs’ Introductions of Program, followed by: What Is Expected from a Leader?

Since the beginning of 2020, the world has faced a challenge different from anything ever encountered in our lifetime. The pandemic brought on by COVID-19 made companies appreciate even more the leaders in their organizations. These leaders were forced to be forward thinking in how to deal with unforeseen changes without warning. Facing challenges is all part of a leader’s role in guiding others to make the most of themselves.

This session will explore what it takes to make a good leader. You will meet a panel of seasoned INTA corporate leaders and hear how they developed their leadership skills and learned how to apply those skills in times of crisis. From starting your career to advancing to be an experienced leader in an in-house counsel position, there are many different roads that you can travel. Listen to those who have journeyed this career path and learn how they faced and conquered adversities. Their shared experiences can be key to your successful future development.

Moderator:  Kay Rickelman, Foreign Counsel, Spoor & Fisher (South Africa)

Speakers: 

• Toe Su Aung, Co-Founder and Director, Elipe Limited (United Kingdom)
• Batur Oktay, Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Rad Power Bikes (USA)
• Mei-lan Stark, Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel, Intellectual Property, NBCUniversal Media, LLC (USA)
• Zeeger Vink,  Intellectual Property Director, MF Brands Group (Switzerland)

INTA President Hours

Meet Tiki Dare, INTA 2021 President!

Capsule Keynote: Making the Show She Always Wanted to Make

Kourtney Kang is a writer, producer, showrunner, and director. She has worked on How I Met Your Mother and Fresh Off the Boat, and most recently she created the Doogie Howser, M.D. reboot, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. for Disney+. Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.’s main character is Lahela “Doogie” Kamealoha, a mixed-race 16-year-old girl in modern-day Hawaii, who juggles a budding medical career with life as a teenager.

Ms. Kang is passionate about telling authentic stories that reflect diversity and inclusion. She has an appreciation of the history of the brand and content that came before. Listen in as Monique Cheng Joe, Senior Vice President, Head of Brands and Content IP at NBCUniversal Media, LLC, sits down with Ms. Kang to talk about her own journey and the challenge of reimagining a thirty-year-old piece of intellectual property and making it relevant to today’s audience.

Interviewer: Monique Cheng Joe, Senior Vice President, Head of Brands and Content IP, NBCUniversal Media, LLC (USA)

Capsule Keynote Speaker: Kourtney Kang, Writer, Producer, Showrunner, and Director (USA)

Visioning for the Future: INTA’s 2022–2025 Strategic Plan

Our future is based on visionary thinking, strategic planning, and robust implementation. Mark your calendars to hear from our INTA’s leadership about our vision for the future.

Speakers:

• Tiki Dare, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Oracle Corporation (USA)
• Etienne Sanz de Acedo, Chief Executive Officer, International Trademark Association (USA)
• Zeeger Vink, Intellectual Property Director MF Brands Group (Switzerland)

Speed Networking Session 7

Speed Networking is a fast-paced one-hour session, where you’ll be able to interact with others in a series of brief exchanges in small groups. Come armed with your elevator pitch and expand your global business connections.

After the session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Committee Meetings

Emerging Technology is Changing the Nature of Goods and Services—How Do We Provide the Right IP Counseling? 

Intellectual property rights play a key role in today’s economy. Protecting the trademarks of companies with traditional business models may not have changed that much over the years, but what about emerging industries that use technology to improve their activities, such as financial technology (“FinTech”), gaming, or animation development?

Innovation is a key factor of success for businesses that are offering new products and services, but what exactly do these products and services entail? Can they be clearly defined in an industry? How can IP counsel ensure these innovating brands and businesses have adequate protection and clearance?

Staying ahead of the curve is essential for new business models to thrive. New approaches also bring fresh challenges involving IP protection. In most cases, there is no “one size fits all” strategy and practitioners working with emerging products and services should look beyond traditional trademark protection into areas such as designs (the “look and feel” of physical articles such as electronic cards, transaction machines, and computer interfaces and icons), copyright (automatic copyright for the visual interface features, computer code, audio, visual guides, application programming interfaces (APIs), etc.) and patents (core technology innovation that is eligible for patent protection).

Moderator:  Robert Daniel Shores, Partner, Daniel Law (Brazil)

Speakers:

• Caleb L. Green, Associate Attorney, Dickinson Wright PLLC (USA)
• Christina Monteiro, Vice President, Brands & Content Intellectual Property, NBCUniversal Media, LLC (USA)
• Derek Tang, Senior Counsel, Litigation and IP, Spotify (USA)

INTA Café Themed Hour: These Are Must-see

From oldies to newbies, let’s talk binge-worthy TV shows and movies. Let’s admit it – we have all had some downtime to binge a show or two, so join us at the INTA Café to share some of your favorite ones! Bonus points if you can convince other registrants to watch your recommendation and let them be the judge of whether or not it is bingeworthy.

Data as an Asset and Worldwide Current Trends
(Presented by the Data Protection Committee)

Information is a crucial part of solving humanity’s challenges throughout history.

Because recent challenges have necessitated the efficient and widespread sharing of accurate information, organizations and governments have developed unprecedented capabilities to gather, treat, transmit, and store their consumers’ or citizens’ data.

Facing the ongoing pandemic, companies, health regulators, and governments used data assets to make vital decisions for the country and the world. Lockdowns throughout the globe greatly expanded online transactions, where data gathering processes occur at an increased speed.

However, indiscriminate use of data—in particular personal data—poses threats to key individual rights such as the right to privacy and the right to be free from discrimination. The use of certain data assets also presents serious ethical concerns and can damage brands that misuse the power of data.

The Data Assets Subcommittee of the Data Protection Committee conducted research in more than 20 jurisdictions and detected a few general worldwide trends. The presenters will share the Subcommittee’s latest research as well as information on safe harbors for brand owners to bear in mind.

Moderator: Otavio Saraiva Padilha Velasco, IP Attorney, Soerensen Garcia Advogados Associados (Brazil)

Speakers:

• Flavia Mitri, Privacy Director – Latin America, Uber (Brazil)
• Mark Peters, IT and IP Attorney, Grünecker (Germany)
• Tara Aaron-Stelluto, Partner, Aaron | Sanders PLLC (USA)

Remote Working: It’s More Than Just Track Pants (presented by the Trademark Administrators Committee) 

Limited attendance. Pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Remote working is likely here to stay in one form or another. Join us for a lively panel discussion on managing remote and part-time remote work for yourself and your team.

This panel will explore the realities and challenges of full-time remote work, the transition back to in-person working, and other considerations related to what the new “normal” will look like.

Time will be allotted for Q&A with the speakers and for small group discussion among attendees.

Speakers:

• Breanne Staley Ashe, Senior Intellectual Property Paralegal, Campbell Soup Company (USA)
• Kelley Goldberg, Principal Corporate Counsel, Microsoft Corp. (USA)
• Vanja Kovacevic, Coach and Life Enthusiast, Focus Goal Success (Belgium)

Virtual is the New Reality: The Future of Intellectual Property in a Virtual Marketplace 

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) create an immersive experience for users by simulating the look, sound, and feel of the real world and allowing users to connect with brands, products, and entertainment offerings in innovative ways. While the world was shutting down in 2020, VR and AR seemed tailor-made for the moment. The seismic changes reshaping every aspect of society—from the workplace to the health care system—created new opportunities for VR and AR to have a transformative impact.

In addition, the latest cryptographic craze, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), has exploded into the world of media and entertainment, creating new markets and opportunities for artists, musicians, brands, innovators, investors, and consumers. As the once-obscure technology gains mass appeal and rapidly evolves into a mainstay of popular culture, companies and individuals across the globe are racing to jump aboard the NFT train, exploring whether and how they can leverage NFTs to connect with consumers, extract new value from existing and newly created digital assets, and generate new streams of income.

Virtual reality technology is evolving so quickly that the law has been unable to keep up. The increased development of these technologies has created a new “realm” of trademark issues for brand owners. The legal dangers with virtual gaming worlds are rooted mainly in the lack of clarity around intellectual property rights when content and technology come together to produce something new and valuable. Join a panel of legal and technology experts as they help legal practitioners navigate this brand-new world—the questions to ask, the information to acquire, and some best practices to ensure you are leveraging current IP protections to their maximum benefit.

Moderator: Jaime Vining, Partner, Friedland Vining, P.A. (USA)

Speakers:

• Frank Gregory Casella, Legal Counsel, Marketing & IP, Electronic Arts Inc. (USA)
• Zac R. Rich, Lead Counsel, Facebook Reality Labs (USA)
• Allison Rothman, Founding Partner, Morrison Rothman (USA)

Corporate Circle Session 4

Exclusive for corporate registrants only. Meet and interact with your global in-house counterparts in informal, small group discussions. Take advantage of these exclusive sessions to expand your network circle and get to know your brand owner peers.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or by meeting at the INTA Café.

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30 participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Committee Meetings

Committee Meetings

China Case Law Update—A New Dawn for International Companies Fighting Bad-Faith Filings

In November 2019, a revised Trademark Law of China came into force. Since then, the China National Intellectual Property Administration and the China courts have focused their efforts on stemming the flood of bad-faith filings in China, and on imposing sanctions against trademark pirates including administrative penalties, injunctions, and monetary damages. The China Case Law Update – A New Dawn for International Companies Fighting Bad-Faith Filings, will take a closer look at the strategies for fighting bad-faith filings from both a prosecution and litigation perspective.

Speakers will address trendsetting cases and discuss their relevant fact patterns. Additionally, speakers will discuss how international companies can navigate the China trademark law system to minimize their intellectual property (IP) risks to a manageable level. Special attention will be given to the role of bad-faith intent and how it factors into tipping the balance and pushing the boundaries of the current legal regime in China.

This session, intended for a global audience of brand legal practitioners, will provide insider analysis on key decisions rendered by the China courts and administrative authorities over the last 18 months on the hot topic of bad-faith filings. Get insider views from leading IP experts as they share the latest developments. Come away with valuable tips and watchouts in the fight against bad-faith filings in China.

Moderator: Monica Su, China Representative Officer, INTA (China)

Speakers:

• Hui Huang, Partner, Wanhuida IP (China)
• Christopher Shen, Vice President & Senior Partner, NTD Patent & Trademark Agency Ltd. (China)
• Carol Wang, Principal, Rouse (China)
• Helen Xia, Partner, Hogan & Lovells (China)

Madrid System Users Meeting (MSUM)
Organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Welcome
David Muls, Senior Director, Madrid Registry, Brands and Designs Sector, World Intellectual Property Organization (Switzerland)

Report on Madrid Union Assembly and Madrid Working Group: New and Future Accessions
Debbie Roenning, Director, Madrid Legal Division, Madrid Registry, Brands and Designs Sector, World Intellectual Property Organization (Switzerland)

New Madrid Online Services
Benoît Apercé, Madrid Information and Promotion Division, Brands and Designs Sector, World Intellectual Property Organization (Switzerland)

The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs: Latest Developments
Grégoire Bisson, Director, The Hague Registry, Brands and Designs Sector, World Intellectual Property Organization (Switzerland)

WIPO’s Cooperation with IP Offices
Chen Hongbing, Director, Madrid Operations Division, Madrid Registry, Brands and Designs Sector, World Intellectual Property Organization (Switzerland)

Panel Discussion
Moderated by: Christine Repond, Head, Trademark Paralegals, Novartis Pharma AG (Switzerland), INTA Trademark Office Practice Committee, Madrid Subcommittee Chair

Q&A session with participants

Co-Chairs’ Introductions of Program, followed by: Telling our Truth: The Journey of Women Leaders in Private Practice

This session traces women leaders’ personal and professional journeys in private practice from regions where women leaders are the exception rather than the norm.

Hear from these leaders as they discuss their business development activities and what channels they used, differentiating between the business of law and the practice of law, what it meant for them to become a managing partner and/or head of trademarks, and the country- or region-specific factors that affected their journeys. Join us as these exceptional women leaders share and tell their truth.

Moderator: Brenda Kahari, Partner, B.W. KAHARI (Zimbabwe)

Speakers:

• Ozlem Futman, Founding Partner, OFO Ventura (Turkey)
• Lara Kayode, Managing Partner, O.Kayode & Co. (Nigeria)
• Lorna Mbatia, Partner, CFL Advocates (Kenya)
• Olusola Ogundimu, Owner, Integrated Legal Consultants (Ghana)
• Vianey Romo de Vivar, Founding Partner, Romo de Vivar V.IP Services, S.C. (Mexico)

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30 participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Reform of the Industrial Property Regulations in Chile: A Discussion with Chilean National Institute of Intellectual Property (INAPI)

Join Loreto Bresky, National Director, Chilean National Institute of Intellectual Property (INAPI), to learn more about this major reform and how it will impact brand owners. Changes to this new law include the obligation to use registered marks and the risk of cancellation of registered marks based on lack of use, as well as the creation of cancellation of genericized marks. Additionally, this new law opens the door for the registration of more non-traditional marks.

The purpose of this initiative proposed by the Chilean National Institute of Intellectual Property (INAPI) is to disseminate the amendments to the law, which updates the processes and contributes to the harmonization of international standards on Industrial Property.

Speakers:

• Loreto Bresky, National Director, Chilean National Institute of Intellectual Property (INAPI) (Chile)
• Maria Jose Garcia, Chilean National Institute of Intellectual Property (INAPI) (Chile)
• Maria Jose Sepulveda Vergara, Chilean National Institute of Intellectual Property (INAPI) (Chile)

Committee Meetings

Annual Review of Leading Case Law in the European Union and the UK

In this session, intended for a global audience, speakers from Europe will provide a concise analysis of 2020 (and thereafter) key decisions at both the European Union and national levels. And be sure to check out the Annual Review of EU Trademark Law: 2020 in Review, published in The Trademark Reporter, Vol. 111, No. 2.

Speakers: 

• Tom Daniel Scourfield, Partner, CMS (United Kingdom)
• Jordi Güell, Partner, Güell IP (Spain)
• Martin Viefhues, Co-Founder, Shareholder, and Managing Director, JONAS Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (Germany)

Capsule Keynote: Regional Updates

Join Dr. Tarek Hajjiri, Senior Vice President – Legal Affairs & Commissioner of Intellectual Property, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) as he sits down with Mariam Sabet, Senior Associate, Al Tamimi & Company, and shares his insights on the issuance of the new DIFC Intellectual Property Law No. 4 of 2019.

Interviewer: Mariam Sabet, Senior Associate, Al Tamimi & Company (Dubai, UAE)

Capsule Keynote Speaker: Dr. Tarek Hajjiri, Senior Vice President – Legal Affairs & Commissioner of Intellectual Property, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) (Dubai, UAE)

Carpe Diem: New Laws that Impact the IP Ecosystem 

Speakers from Dubai, Egypt, India, and Mexico will share notable recent IP developments in their countries, focusing on a variety of laws that intersect with IP, such as data protection laws and customs laws. Tune in as speakers address what has worked and what has not, and how the impact these developments have on the IP ecosystem within their countries and throughout the world.

Moderator: Mariam Sabet, Senior Associate, Al Tamimi & Company (UAE)

Speakers:

• Laura Collada, Managing Partner, Dumont Bergman Bider & Co. (Mexico)
• Mohamed Khodeir, Founder and Managing Partner–Head of Corporate Practices, Khodeir & Partners (Egypt)
• Shwetasree Majumder, Managing Partner, Fidus Law Chambers (India)

Speed Networking Session 8

Speed Networking is a fast-paced one-hour session, where you’ll be able to interact with others in a series of brief exchanges in small groups. Come armed with your elevator pitch and expand your global business connections.

After the session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

The Lanham Act: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The Lanham Act is the primary federal trademark law of the United States and has experienced relatively few statutory revisions over the 75 years since its enactment. Nonetheless, it has proved flexible in its application to accommodate the changing needs of owners, competitors, and consumers.

One historical constant has been the Lanham Act’s requirement that trademark owners establish use in commerce as a condition for registration and/or maintenance. The value of the U.S. trademark register and its registrations hinges on the accuracy of these use claims. In a fireside chat, David Gooder, Commissioner for Trademarks at the USPTO, will explore the USPTO’s challenges in verifying the accuracy of submissions and its role in protecting the continued value of U.S. registrations.

Following on from that, a moderated panel of brand owners, practitioners, and academics will explain how the Lanham Act continues to be a critical legal framework for protecting businesses and consumers and how modern-day enforcement strategies must keep pace with an ever-changing business environment to protect the value of trademark registration.

Moderator: Craig Stone, Senior Counsel, Trademarks and IP, Phillips 66 Company (USA)

Speaker:

• David J. Cho, Assistant Vice President, Senior Legal Counsel, AT&T (USA)
• David Gooder, Commissioner of Trademarks, USPTO (USA)
• Anne Gilson LaLonde, Author, Gilson on Trademarks (USA)
• Kathleen E. McCarthy, Partner, King & Spalding (USA)

Rediscovering INTA’s Practice Guides

Do you love the INTA Practice Guides? Or are you curious to learn more about them? Join the INTA Legal Resources Staff to discover the features and functionality of the new and improved Guides—launching in October!—and how they can help you quickly find the information you need. Drop in to see what the new Guides are all about. And don’t hesitate to bring your questions and comments. We look forward to seeing you!

Committee Meetings

Corporate Circle Session 5

Exclusive for corporate registrants only. Meet and interact with your global in-house counterparts in informal, small group discussions. Take advantage of these exclusive sessions to expand your network circle and get to know your brand owner peers.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or by meeting at the INTA Café.

INTA President Hours

Meet Tiki Dare, INTA 2021 President!

Table Topics

Back by popular demand! Table Topics provide an excellent opportunity to meet your global colleagues in a small group setting to discuss a pre-selected topic related to brands and IP law and practice. Table Topics are moderated one-hour virtual sessions with up to 30  participants and relate to our educational tracks.

After the one-hour session, keep the conversation going by exchanging your contact details via INTAconnect or meeting at the INTA Café.

Annual Review of U.S. Federal Case Law and TTAB Developments

Plan to attend this INTA annual favorite and hear Trademark Reporter authors Ted Davis and John Welch deliver a concise analysis of key decisions rendered by the U.S. courts and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board over the past twelve months (and thereafter). And be sure to check out the United States Annual Review: The Seventy-Third Year of Administration of the Lanham Act of 1946, published in The Trademark Reporter, Vol. 111, No. 1.

Speakers: 

• Theodore H. Davis, Partner, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP (USA)
• John L. Welch, Counsel, Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C. (USA)

Leadership Lab (presented by the Leadership Development Committee)

This Lab is only open to subcommittee chairs.

Join this interactive session to have candid conversations with subcommittee leaders, share what is working well in your subcommittee, how to support subcommittee members, and how to prepare for transition.

This session is offered twice and is open to subcommittee chairs. Please review the available times and plan to join us for one of the sessions.

Genericide (aka Vulgarization of a Trademark) Around the Globe
(Presented by the Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee)

“Trademark genericide” or “vulgarization of a trademark” occurs when the general public identifies a trademark with a specific class of products or services, and not with the source of origin of a particular product or service.

Over the course of two committee terms, INTA’s Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee surveyed 84 different jurisdictions, from each part of the world, i.e., Europe and Central Asia; the United States and Canada; Latin America and the Caribbean; East Asia and the Pacific; and the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, to find out what legal precedents and laws exist concerning genericide (vulgarization of a trademarks), the common actions taken to prevent trademarks from becoming generic, and whether a generic mark can be “recaptured” as a trademark.

This session will briefly present the main results of the survey, covering Europe and Central Asia, the United States and Canada, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean, East Asia and the Pacific; and the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, and on the steps that trademark owners are taking worldwide to prevent their trademarks from becoming generic.

Moderator & Speaker: Carlos Eduardo Neves de Carvalho, Independent Legal Consultant, IP and Business Law (Brazil)

Speakers:

• Bin Li, Partner, Wanhuida Intellectual Property (China)
• Kelly Thompson, Partner, Adams & Adams (South Africa)

Grand Finale: DJ Party