INTA Celebrates World Intellectual Property Day on Capitol Hill

INTA continues to engage with the new Congressional leadership and Members of Congress with a special concentration on key committees, including the Judiciary Committees and the Homeland Security Committees. The focus on this outreach is to educate Members of Congress about INTA’s legislative and regulatory priorities.

As a reminder, INTA is non-partisan and continues to maintain excellent working relationships with both political parties.

INTA Celebrates World Intellectual Property Day on Capitol Hill

Following the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) theme of “Reach for Gold: IP and Sports” for World Intellectual Property Day 2019 (April 26), INTA celebrated on Capitol Hill with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the intellectual property (IP) stakeholder community.The event, which took place April 29, included a keynote address by Dr. Phil Wagner, Founder and CEO of Sparta Science (Menlo Park, California, USA), a company that works to heighten awareness of IP issues in the sports industry sector.

IP Associations Meeting Focuses on the USPTO

INTA, along with representatives from various IP associations, met on April 3 to discuss issues of common interest. The event included a dialogue with USPTO officials about current and future initiatives, particularly those relating to the integrity of the U.S. Trademark Register.

INTA Requests Office of Foreign Asset Control Issue a General License to Protect IP in Venezuela

INTA filed a formal request to the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of Treasury on April 2, asking the agency to issue a general license to permit IP transactions in the petro cryptocurrency (the cryptocurrency issued by the Venezuelan government in February 2018) to the government of Venezuela, in order to help maintain and secure IP protection in the country. As of this writing, INTA is awaiting further action from OFAC.

INTA Files Comments to the USPTO in Response to Proposal Requiring a Licensed U.S. Attorney for Foreign Application and Registration Filings

INTA filed comments on March 15 in response to the USPTO’s proposed rule entitled “Requirement of U.S. Licensed Attorney for Foreign Trademark Applicants and Registrants,” which would amend the rules of practice in trademark cases regarding representation of others before the USPTO in trademark matters. The comments expressed general support for the proposed rule, but also requested clarification and amendments to help further explain the process and procedure for rule implementation and confirmation of facts. INTA awaits the USPTO’s final rule on this issue.

Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Hosts Roundtable Focused on the Sports Industry

INTA joined with brands and the IP stakeholder community to discuss counterfeiting and piracy in the sports industry. The event, which took place in early March, included a focus on the challenges presented by the increasing visibility and availability of counterfeit products through online purchasing, including on social media. INTA will continue to participate in and facilitate discussions on curtailing counterfeiting with the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator and other government officials.

INTA’s Washington, D.C., Representative Office represents the Association’s 2,326 members in North America. Working in collaboration with staff at INTA’s headquarters in New York City, the Washington, D.C., Representative Office leads the Association’s policy, membership, marketing, and communications initiatives in Canada and the United States. To learn more about INTA’s activities in the region, please contact INTA Senior Director of Government Relations Deborah Cohn at [email protected].

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of items in the INTA Bulletin, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.