Asia Virtual Event—The Expanding Influence of Global Brands

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Join Patsy Lau, Partner, Deacons (Hong Kong) and Francine Tan, Francine Tan Law Corporation (Singapore) as they welcome attendees—and get an update from INTA’s 2021 President, Tiki Dare, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Oracle Corporation (USA) as we kick off this event.

Welcome from IPOS

• Rena Lee, Chief Executive, Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) (Singapore)

SESSION 1—From Local Sensation to Global Brand: ByteDance

Since its globalization effort started in 2016, ByteDance’s products are now enjoyed by over 1.9 billion monthly active users globally. ByteDance is a technology company operating a range of content platforms that inform, educate, entertain, and inspire people across languages, cultures, and geographies.

Hear about ByteDance’s evolution as they discuss their company’s development and their opportunities, challenges, and priorities. Learn how they were able to grow their brand and what they learned from starting local and going global. Discover firsthand the importance of intellectual property in their growth and tips to help brand legal practitioners to become important partners as their businesses grow and evolve.

Interviewer: Landy Jiang, Partner, Lusheng Law Firm, Member of the Rouse Network (China)

Interviewee: Lin Wu, Chief IP Counsel, ByteDance Ltd. (China)

SESSION 2—Enforcement: Fighting Counterfeits and Imitations in the Online and Brick and Mortar Worlds

Effectively fighting counterfeits and imitations is an ongoing problem for brand owners and the difficulties have only been compounded as online shopping has become the norm and technology can be leveraged to the counterfeiter’s (and imitator’s) advantage.

Given the ease of moving online operations to a new domain, and the frequently evident lack of respect for the law, how do you locate counterfeiters and effectively close down their online and offline operations? Imitations of well-known brands is also an ongoing challenge for brand owners that must be addressed to avoid damage to a brand’s reputation and value.

Listen in as experts share dos and don’ts for successfully combatting counterfeits and imitations, including:

• Determining the right avenue for your enforcement efforts in China with respect to pursuing civil and/or administrative actions;
• Fighting dilution and weakening of well-known brands to maintain the integrity of the brand image and reputation;
• Impact of the global pandemic on anticounterfeiting efforts, most notably, in the pharmaceutical sector; and
• The importance of collaboration among the key stakeholders—brand owners, governments, and online marketplaces.

Moderator: Patsy Lau, Partner, Deacons (Hong Kong)

Speakers:

• Peter Chong, Director of Civil Enforcement, Louis Vuitton (China) Co. Ltd. (China)
• Gretchen Stroud, Senior Associate General Counsel, Gilead Sciences Inc. (USA)

Let’s Take a Break

Feel free to step away for a few minutes stay and have a chat to meet new colleagues or re-connect with old friends before we begin our next session.

SESSION 3—The Brand Lawyer Transformation: Expectations of External and Internal Legal Teams

Today, we live in a world of unlimited reach and choices, made possible with access to technology, ease of travel (well, at least before the COVID-19 pandemic), and real-time and instant communications (videoconferencing, messaging apps). This has significantly changed the way we interact with colleagues and clients. It has changed working norms and expectations. The gaps in geographical distance and reach have been closed, with increased speed in communication and in the dissemination of information.

All of this has made life a lot easier for us…or has it?

What challenges remain or have been created by all the advancements we enjoy? How has the move into the digital space and globalization influenced the interactions between external and in-house counsel?

Join us as we discuss these compelling questions from the point of view of both external and in-house counsel, from the east and the west:

• What are these changes? Explore the evolution from the old to the new.
• What do external counsel look for? How to stand out in the crowd.
• What strategies are there are for forging strong and successful relationships? How to stay in the game.
• What challenges or obstacles do we face and what are some constructive ways of dealing with and overcoming them? What’s your mantra for success?
• Is “cultural intelligence” the next level beyond emotional intelligence? What is its place in the work environment?

Moderator: Francine Tan, Director, Francine Tan Law Corporation (Singapore)

Speakers:

• Janet Yoong San Toh, Partner, Shearn Delamore & Co. (Malaysia)
• John A. Zevitas, Senior Legal Counsel, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (USA)

DISCUSSION FORUM and Closing Remarks

Join Etienne Sanz de Acedo, CEO of the International Trademark Association and Tiki Dare, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Oracle Corporation and our 2021 INTA President with some of our speakers for a live discussion forum where we will continue the conversation and providing an opportunity for registrants to share their experiences.

Facilitator:  Seth Hays, Chief Representative Officer, Asia-Pacific and China, International Trademark Association (INTA) (Singapore)

Confirmed Speaker Participants:

• Peter Chong, Director of Civil Enforcement, Louis Vuitton (China) Co. Ltd. (China)
• Gretchen Stroud, Senior Associate General Counsel, Gilead Sciences Inc. (USA)
• Janet Yoong San Toh, Partner, Shearn Delamore & Co. (Malaysia)
• John A. Zevitas, Senior Legal Counsel, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (USA)