2017 Leadership Meeting

Annual Meeting of Members

This event will be held at the USPTO in the Auditorium, 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA 22314

Board of Directors Meeting

Registration and Information Desk

Harvard Law School Executive Education: Development of Professionals Workshop (Open to All Outside Counsel)

Harvard Law School Executive Education: Protecting Intellectual Property Workshop (By Invitation Only to In-House Practitioners)

Committee Meetings

Committee Meetings

Welcome and Awards Ceremony

Join us as Etienne Sanz de Acedo, CEO of INTA, presents the State of the Association Address and as INTA President Joseph Ferretti sums up his presidential year so far and presents the President’s Award and Volunteer Service Awards. The President’s Award recognizes exceptional INTA participants who, over the course of a career in trademark law, have made an outstanding contribution to trademark law and to the advancement of the Association. The Volunteer Service Awards are given to individuals who have provided exemplary volunteer service to INTA during the past year in the advancement of trademark law, committee objectives, pro bono services, and the Association.

United States Representatives John Ratcliffe (R-TX-4th) and Ted Deutch (D-FL-22nd), Co-Chairs of the bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Trademark Caucus (CTC), will deliver remarks. The Congressmen will discuss congressional priorities focusing on the importance of intellectual property rights, protection and enforcement, and provide their insights on trademark matters of importance to brand owners.

Welcome Address
Etienne Sanz de Acedo, International Trademark Association (United States)

President’s Report and Awards Presentation
Joseph Ferretti, PepsiCo, Inc. (United States)

Welcome and Awards Reception

Join us in celebrating the INTA award winners and take the opportunity to network with colleagues over a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres before heading out to dinner for the evening.

Registration and Information Desk

Continental Breakfast

This breakfast is for registrants not participating in breakfast committee meetings.

Committee Meetings

Breakfast will be served at committee meetings.

Co-Chairs’ Introduction of Program

The 2017 Leadership Meeting co-chairs will welcome registrants to the Leadership Meeting and give a brief overview of the programming and what to expect during the meeting.

Co-Chairs:

Peter Chalk, Ashurst (Australia)
Elisabeth Escobar, Marriott International, Inc. (United States)

General Session 1

The Significant Impact of Plain Packaging and Brand Restrictions on IP Rights—Heading into the Abyss?

A panel of experienced IP practitioners, as well as industry experts, will consider the ramifications of the draconian Plain Packaging Regulations currently peppering various countries and whether this approach from the authorities will affect other industries and IP rights. The panel will consider:

• The relevant case law, with an emphasis on the plain packaging judgements decided to date, particularly in Australia and the EU and its ramifications.
• The balancing act between regulatory authorities, trade mark owners, and the interests of the public at large.
• The state of play on the global stage with respect to brand restrictions.
• The impact of these restrictions and whether they are working or not. Will the lack of IP negatively affect public health and will unbranded or brand restricted products lead to an increase in compromised products?

Moderator:
Simon Brown, Adams & Adams (South Africa)

Speakers:
Paul F. Kilmer, Holland & Knight LLP (United States)
Ronald van Tuijl, JT International S.A. (Switzerland)
Stephen Stern, Corrs Chambers Westgarth (Australia)
John Rudolph, Eli Lilly and Company (United States)

General Session 2

The Madrid Agreement Is Dead, Long Live the Madrid Protocol! What’s Next?

This session will elaborate on the recent developments in the Madrid System, in particular the “freezing” of the Madrid Agreement and the sharp increase in Madrid Protocol registrations in 2016. Speakers will also discuss possible future perspectives, including:

• Possible evolutions in the basic structure of the Madrid Protocol, with a focus on the dependency feature, the requirement for a basic application, and the correspondence between basic application and international registration (and in view of the recent INTA Board Resolution).
• Geographical coverage of the Madrid Protocol and expected new accessions.
• Improvement of IT tools offered by the WIPO International Bureau, and development of new tools intended to facilitate the filing and management of international registrations.
• Changes in the Common Regulations offering new opportunities to trademark holders (with a focus on new provisions on division and replacement).

Moderator:
Giulio Martellini, IP Skill (Italy)

Speakers: 
Thilo C. Agthe, Wuersch & Gering LLP (United States)
Kathryn Barrett Park, General Electric Company (United States)
Marcus Hopperger, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (Switzerland)

Adjunct Panel: Distance Learning—Challenges and Benefits for Law Schools

Speakers will share the parameters for earning credit for study offered through distance education. There are currently is no U.S. law school approved by the ABA that provides a JD degree completely via distance education, but many schools offer one or several classes online. Speakers will discuss some of the issues that arise with offering courses online and how distance education is handled in some international jurisdictions.

Moderator:
Pina Campagna, Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt, LLP (United States)

Speakers:
William Adams, the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (United States)
Debra R. Cohen, University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law (United States)
Antony K. Haynes, Albany Law School (United States)
Marcus Höpperger, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (Switzerland)

General Lunch

This lunch is for registrants not participating in lunch committee meetings.

Committee Meetings

Lunch will be served. See schedule for exact meeting times.

General Session 3

Rights Protection Mechanisms: Key Issues and Challenges

Speakers with extensive RPM experience will offer the following:

• An overview of the current RPM landscape for domain name enforcement, including established RPMs and RPMs developed for the new gTLD program.
• A discussion of the RPM review currently underway by ICANN, including an analysis of which RPMs are currently working well for brand owners and particular challenges and limitations with some RPMs.
• A review of the place of RPMs in a cohesive brand enforcement program, and the importance of developing and updating a domain name enforcement strategy to account for new gTLDs.
• An analysis of the nexus between brand protection and consumer protection issues, and advocacy opportunities available to brand owners.

Moderator:
Brian Winterfeldt, Winterfeldt IP Group (United States)

Speakers:
Kiran Malancharuvil, MarkMonitor, Winterfeldt IP Group (United States)
Carolina Paschoal, Kate Spade & Company (United States)
J. Scott Evans, Adobe Systems Incorporated (United States)

Committee Meetings

Networking Reception

Join us for cocktails and a great opportunity to network with other volunteers.

International Trademark Association Political Action Committee (INTA PAC) Reception

(By invitation only to non-corporate INTA members who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents)

Show your support for the International Trademark Association Political Action Committee (INTA PAC) by attending this reception. The requested minimum contribution of US $200 for this event will be used to support the campaigns of U.S. federal candidates identified by the INTA PAC Board as having shared interests with the trademark community. INTA accepts both personal checks and checks drafted from non-corporate INTA member firm accounts, as well as all major credit cards. Donations can also be made online.

Click here to view our INTA PAC page.

Only non-corporate, non-reimbursed contributions to INTA PAC will be accepted. Contributions to INTA PAC are not deductible for income tax purposes.

Registration and Information Desk

Continental Breakfast

This breakfast is for registrants not participating in breakfast committee meetings.

Committee Meetings

Breakfast will be served at committee meetings.

General Session 4

No Ordinary Museum: Global Leadership at the Smithsonian Institution

Museums teach us about our past, our present, and even our future. Washington, DC, is home to some of the world’s most popular and enduring museums, including the renowned Smithsonian Institution. With exhibits ranging from the deep sea to outer space, with objects ranging from prehistoric fossils to contemporary works of art, the Smithsonian draws more than 30 million people from around the world each year to explore, research and learn at its 19 museums, gardens, and galleries—and one excellent zoo.

Beyond the National Mall, the Smithsonian works in more than 140 countries, conserving biodiversity, protecting cultural heritage, and much more. The Smithsonian’s Office of International Relations and Global Programs (OIR) harnesses the vast collections and expertise of the Institution to drive meaningful change in the world. Under the direction of OIR and since 2012, the Smithsonian has successfully engaged with new and existing partners as a global leader in cultural heritage preservation, global change research, and biodiversity conservation.

Join us as INTA’s Leadership Development Committee, through its L.E.A.D. (Leadership Enhancement and Development) initiative, presents Molly Fannon, Director of the Smithsonian’s Office of International Relations and Global Programs. With an accomplished and dynamic background, Ms. Fannon has led the Smithsonian in building a unified approach to its global activities and in enhancing its institutional capacity to address global challenges—from climate change and cultural preservation to the ever-changing impact of technology on our lives. Hear from someone with one of the most interesting and extraordinary jobs in town, and come away with a renewed insight into building adaptive and dynamic teams and leading through challenges and adversity.

Speaker:
Molly Fannon, Director of International Relations and Global Programs, Smithsonian Institution (United States)

Presenting the 2018‒2021 Strategic Plan

This high-level look will allow committee members to begin planning for their new committee
term’s objectives and it will give you a better understanding of the direction of the Association
over the next four years. Please join INTA President Elect Tish Berard, Hearts On Fire Company
LLC (United States), Vice President David Lossignol, Sandoz International GmbH (Germany),
INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo (United States) and INTA Chief Governance Officer Randi
Mustello (United States) as they present the 2018–2021 INTA Strategic Plan.

General Lunch

This lunch is for registrants not participating in lunch committee meetings.

Committee Meetings

Lunch will be served. See schedule for exact meeting times.

General Session 5

Influencing Policymakers: Best Practices in Lobbying and Government Relations Engagement

Government and public affairs professionals will provide considerations and recommend best practices that companies should follow in engaging policymakers (legislative and executive lobbying and government relations activities). The following topics will be covered:

• Strategies for effective influence and communication: The panel will explore what companies should consider when crafting and delivering messages to policymakers; how/when to leverage like-minded stakeholders (e.g., trade associations, coalitions); and best practices in building and maintaining key relationships.
• Grasstops/grassroots outreach: The panel will examine what constitutes “grasstops” and “grassroots” outreach and when it is appropriate to employ these types of campaigns.
• Compliance with lobbying and government ethics laws: Engagement with government officials (federal/national, state/provincial, local/municipal) in the United States and elsewhere is subject to laws governing ethics and lobbying compliance. Panelists will discuss best practices companies could employ to ensure that their practitioners are familiar with and compliant with such requirements.
• Tools/resources: Panelists will offer their perspectives on the types of tools and resources available to companies looking to build out their government relations and lobbying activities.

Moderator:
Sarah Owen, UL LLC (United States)

Speakers:
Craig Engle, Arent Fox (United States)
Rikki D. Amos, Public Affairs Council (United States)
John Libonati, Owens Corning (United States)
Other speakers to be confirmed soon.

Committee Meetings

Registration and Information Desk

Continental Breakfast

This breakfast is for registrants not participating in breakfast committee meetings.

Committee Meetings

Breakfast will be served at committee meetings.

Co-Chairs’ Introduction of Program

General Session 6

Reassessing the Toolbox: Strategies for Addressing Trademark Piracy in China

Speakers will represent the viewpoints of foreign and domestic brand owners in addressing the shared problem of trademark piracy in China, and specifically comment on recent changes in the review of cases involving bad faith filings before the TMO, TRAB, and the People’s Courts. The panel will provide attendees with an overview of current law, current procedure, current examination trends, and will offer practical guidance as to the options available to brand owners in light of the strength of their trademarks and business presence (if any) in China. Topics to be addressed will include:

• Recent regulations that affect the review and examination of oppositions and invalidations filed against pirate marks.
• Trends involving the handling of such cases before the TMO, TRAB, and People’s Courts.
• Implications of a developing case law‒based jurisprudence in the handling of such cases.

Moderator:
Scott Palmer, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP (China)

Speakers:
Christopher Shen, NTD Patent & Trademark Agency Ltd. (China)
Louis Chan, Procter & Gamble Asia (Singapore)
Joseph Simone, SIPS – Simone Intellectual Property Services Asia Ltd. (Hong Kong SAR, China)

General Session 7

At the Intersection of Trademark and Copyright

For many trademark practitioners, copyright issues do not frequently end up on your desk. Speakers will look closer at the intersection of the two, as well as some of the practical issues you should be aware of when an issue crosses your desk, such as:

• Where to turn to license text-based materials, music, video, etc.
• The differences between music sync and music for the office: recording versus composition.
• The use and risks of “free” photo sites: what to look for when there is little or no money to purchase licensing.
• Double protection of logos: trademark and copyright.
• Copyright and trademark issues in social media and emojis, as well as 3D designs.

Moderator:
Stephen Garfield, Copyright Clearance Center (United States)

Speakers:
Patrick Flaherty, Verizon Communications (United States)
Carrie A. Hefte, Wells Fargo Law Department (United States)
Gretchen Klebasko, Legg Mason & Co., LLC (United States)

General Lunch

This lunch is for registrants not participating in lunch committee meetings.

Committee Meetings

Lunch will be served. See schedule for exact meeting times.

General Session 8
Pretext Investigations: Strategic Tips and Cautionary Tales

Experienced practitioner, Jason Vogel, and Marksmen Founder, Ken Taylor, will present the rules, the cases, guidelines and best practice tips for navigating the sometimes-choppy waters of pretext investigations. Learn how to ethically and effectively use these strategic tools in discovering first-use, infringement, channels of trade, gray-market goods and other issues affecting trademark owners without going overboard. INTA  has applied for ethics CLE credit for this session.

Speakers:
Ken Taylor, Com Laude (United States)
Jason Vogel, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP (United States)
Bryce Coughlin, Netflix, Inc. (United States)

Closing Cocktails

Celebrate a successful meeting and take advantage of one last chance to network and spend time with colleagues while having a cocktail and enjoying hors d’oeuvres before heading off to your last dinner in Washington, DC.