2018 Middle East & Africa Conference: Innovation, Investment, and IP

Badge Pick-Up and Information Desk Open

Networking Coffee

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Tish Berard, Velcro Group Corporation (United States)
2018 INTA President

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

Conference Co-Chairs:  
Bassel El Turk, Rouse (United Arab Emirates)
Vanessa Ferguson, KISCH IP (South Africa)

Keynote—Investing in the Future

Michael Haddad, professional athlete, holder of three world records, environment advocate and social entrepreneur.
At the age of six, Michael Haddad was subject to a spinal cord injury from a Jet Ski watercraft accident, which left him paralyzed from the chest down. Against all odds, and despite the medical impossibility of him walking again, Michael managed to turn his experience into a message of strength through his belief in “turning disability into a distinctive ability” and in “changing inefficiency to high performance.” Hear Michael’s inspiring story of courage, hope, and commitment to medical research, the environment, and our world!

Session 1—The Significant Role of IP in an Innovation-Based Economy

Innovation and new technologies are having a transformative effect on both emerging and developed countries and play a significant role in developing business strategies and public policy. Hear from leading experts on the ways that innovation is reshaping the economies in the Middle East and Africa. The discussion will include the positive effects of innovation, the important role that governments play in ensuring that an innovation-based economy is effectively adopted, and the important role that IP plays in supporting an innovation-based economy.

The panel will discuss such questions as:

• How innovation promotes employment opportunities
• What role IP offices have on the continued economic growth of a country/region
• What governments can do to promote an innovation-led economy and to provide for protection of IP for new technologies
• What is the impact of outdated legislation that cannot keep up with significant technological innovations?

Moderator:
Dima Naber, Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP) (Jordan)

Speakers:
Simay Akbas, DESTEK PATENT INC. (Turkey)
Fatma Al Suwaidi, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (United Arab Emirates)
Subhatosh Majumdar, S. Majumdar & Co. (India)

Networking Break

Session 2—The Role of Free Trade Zones to Promote Economic Growth

There is a constant struggle to balance the essential quality of free trade and investment in a region with the obvious necessity to protect intellectual property rights. Balancing the benefits of free trade zones (FTZs) to promote economic growth with their vulnerability to exploitation by counterfeiting remains an ongoing struggle for brand owners and governments. Brand owners may feel helpless in successfully enforcing their IP rights in free trade zones, which are intended to promote economic growth in an underserved area of a country. This session will help brand owners and intermediaries become savvy in navigating the complexities of successfully protecting their intellectual property to enable them to effectively enforce their IP rights against counterfeiters within an FTZ.

Moderator:
Lara Kayode, O. Kayode & Co (Nigeria)

Speakers:
Malek Hannouf, Louis Vuitton Middle East FZCO (United Arab Emirates)
Amara Okenwa, Nigeria Office of Trade Negotiations (Nigeria)
Yousuf Ozair Mubarak, Director of IPR Department, Dubai Customs (United Arab Emirates)

Networking Lunch

Session 3—State of Play: The Growing Need for Harmonization

Harmonization of rules and practices, which allow easier and better access to trademark and other IP rights protection benefits brand owners and consumers alike. But how do we successfully achieve harmonization? Hear from representatives from national trademark offices, including offices in the United Kingdom and South Africa as well as a representative from WIPO.  The panelists will discuss the ways in which harmonization  is working, now and the hope for the future.

Moderator:
Jon Parker, Gowling WLG (United Arab Emirates)

Speakers:
Raed Al Hout, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Intellectual Property Specialist for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) based at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait (Kuwait)
Debbie Roenning, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (WIPO) (Switzerland)
Stephen Rowan, UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) (United Kingdom)
Rory Voller, CIPC – Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (South Africa)

Session 4—How Innovation Is Changing the IP Industry

Hear from leading legal experts and government officials on the ways that innovation is changing the way they work. This session will include such topics as collaborating with clients, streamlining search and registration processes, reviewing trademark applications and using artificial intelligence and e-discovery. You will hear some real-world examples of how innovation can help IP teams and also some of the pitfalls that e-enabled  practitioners should be aware of.  Finally, hear how innovation is being used by infringers and ways in which to combat their nefarious actions.

Moderator:
Cameron Walker, Beiersdorf Middle East (United Arab Emirates)

Speakers:
Steve Baker, HM Revenue & Customs, British Embassy  Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Hoda Barakat, Hoda Barakat Legal Consultancy (United Arab Emirates)
Fleurette Coetzee, CIPC – Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (South Africa)
Nora Ho Tu Nam, IPvocate Africa Law Firm Cabinet d’Avocats (Mauritius)

Networking Break

Session 5—Innovation and IP Strategies: Bringing Your Innovation to Market

With the fast pace that innovation and technology bring, it is important to understand the various IP protection mechanisms such as trademarks, patents, designs, copyright, and others. Moreover, it is important to understand critical business strategies and ensure that IP strategies align and support business strategies. This panel will explore:

• General information that every brand lawyer needs to understand about other IP rights such as designs, copyright, and patents
• Dos and don’ts to consider when protecting an innovation and how to effectively create a business-relevant strategy
• Where to find efficiencies and cost savings
• Guidance and tips on developing business-relevant and cost-effective protection and enforcement strategies

Moderator:
Nancy Samuriwo, Samuriwo Attorneys (Zimbabwe)

Speakers:
Carole Bremeersch, French Embassy in the U.A.E. (United Arab Emirates)
Andrew Clarkson, CJCH Solicitors & CJCH Consulting (United Kingdom)
Vanessa Halle, Nico Halle & Co. Law Firm (Cameroon)

Wrap-Up from Conference Co-Chairs

Networking Reception

Badge Pick-Up and Information Desk Open

Networking Coffee

Welcome Back by Conference Co-Chairs
Bassel El Turk, Rouse (United Arab Emirates)
Vanessa Ferguson, KISCH IP (South Africa)

Session 6—Balancing IP Rights and Regulatory Restrictions

The regulatory landscape is becoming more complex, and the interplay between IP and regulation is a balancing act for brand teams. Learn from experts about the current dos and don’ts and what they see as the future of marketing for a variety of products. Find out how regulation and IP overlap and intersect and, at times, may appear to be at odds. Hear them debate the issue of whether current regulatory regimes are too restrictive or are just about right. Regulatory and IP experts will discuss packaging design, claims, use of characters, and who ultimately should decide what a brand looks like and stands for.

Moderator:
Jon Parker, Gowling WLG (United Arab Emirates)

Speakers:
Franklyn Acho Nlerum, PaulEdmond (Nigeria)
Tima Hachem, Alyafi IP Group (Lebanon)
Chinasa Uwanna, Banwo & Ighodalo (Nigeria)

Session 7—Taking Your Business Online

For most businesses, taking their business online is not a nice-to-have but a must-have strategy for continued relevance and growth. This session focuses on the opportunities and challenges when considering an online presence and some practical tips to consider as you navigate in an online world.

This panel will provide a helpful primer as to important questions/issues to consider, such as:

• the impact of an online presence on your trademark filing strategy and protection efforts
• how to effectively manage brand rights when working with online platforms and third-party sellers
• copyright and right-of-publicity considerations for online content
• online monitoring

Moderator:
Nancy Samuriwo, Samuriwo Attorneys (Zimbabwe)

Speakers:
Carl E. Myers, Stanley Black & Decker MEA FZE (United Arab Emirates)
Raka Roy, United Trademark & Patent Services (United Arab Emirates)

Networking Break

Session 8—Data Protection, Data Privacy, and Duty of Care

Data protection, data privacy, and the duty of care are increasingly important factors in the digital world. Businesses want to utilize data in the conduct and promotion of their activities, but consumers are increasingly anxious about the extent of the information collected about them. This session will cover the following issues:

• How data may be collected and used and the rules that cover its collection, use, and destruction, including a discussion of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Privacy and the duty of care owed by data collectors and processors.
• How businesses can try to make consumers more comfortable with disclosing data.
• How businesses deal with data breaches, identity theft, and loss of consumer trust while minimizing brand impact.
• The extent to which data protection rights may be overridden; e.g., by state organizations for security reasons.

Moderator:
Ariana Issaias, Bowmans Kenya (Coulson Harney LLP) (Kenya)

Speakers:
Linda Wambani Anene, Safaricom Limited (Kenya)
Ricardo Christie, Microsoft Corporation (United Arab Emirates)

Networking Lunch

Session 9—Anticounterfeiting: Online and Offline Enforcement

Online counterfeiting is growing exponentially, and as innovation enhances the consumer’s one-click online buying experience, it is also being leveraged by counterfeiters to enhance their counterfeiting networks and their nefarious efforts to block genuine goods.

Hear about the new tools and strategies that are helping in the fight against counterfeits from top government officials and a brand owner.

Moderator:
Mohammad Jomoa, Kadasa Intellectual Property (Saudi Arabia)

Speakers:
Khaled Al Shaia, Director of the Control Department of Online Stores at the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
Omar Al Suhaibani, Deputy Minister for Consumer Protection at the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
Meriem Bourahla-Loudiyi, Servier (France)
Roba Hamam, BMW (United Arab Emirates)

Session 10—Leveraging Innovation in Cross-Border Enforcement

As innovation and new technologies have enhanced our consumer experience, they are changing cross-border efforts. Hear from a panel of experts as they discuss:

• Non-traditional enforcement avenues that leverage artificial intelligence and supply tracking tools.
• The importance of investing in customs and enforcement office trainings.
• Practical tips and advice that will help multi-national companies understand what they should be doing in the region to effectively protect and enforce their rights.
• Enforcement as an economic development tool.

Moderator:
Hady Khawand, Saba & Co. IP (United Arab Emirates)

Speakers:
Andrew Clarkson, CJCH Solicitors & CJCH Consulting (United Kingdom)
Vanessa Ferguson, KISCH IP (South Africa)
Marius Schneider, Promasidor IP Holdings Limited (Mauritius)
Abraham Schoeman, S.C Johnson & Son (South Africa)

Networking Break

Session 11—Where Are We Going?

Ten years ago, would anyone have predicted the changes in how we live and work—from online shopping to ride shares to cloud computing and the Internet of Things? But keen investors were able to see their way forward and have changed many lives in the process. And the legal teams that have remained flexible and proactive in this time of change have helped these innovators protect their rights and grow their businesses.

What if we could predict our future and have a bird’s-eye view of the road ahead? Listen in as a panel of experts discuss what they are seeing today, what issues we need to be addressing now, and what they see as the future focus of consumers, IP professionals, and the state of the law.

Moderator:
Lara Kayode, O. Kayode & Co (Nigeria)

Speakers:
Tish Berard, Velcro Group Corporation (United States)
Fabrice Mattei, Rouse & Co. International LLP (Thailand)
Amara Okenwa, Nigeria Office of Trade Negotiations (Nigeria)

Closing Remarks and Thank You

Conference Co-Chairs:                       
Bassel El Turk, Rouse (United Arab Emirates)
Vanessa Ferguson, KISCH IP (South Africa)

This conference qualifies for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points. For more information, please email [email protected].

Tuition Assistance

Tuition assistance may be available to eligible professionals on the basis of financial hardship. For more information and to apply, please request an application by sending an email to [email protected]. Proper documentation will be required.