INTA Continues Engagement with Congress in 2018 - International Trademark Association

INTA achieved new levels of engagement with industry and authorities in China in 2017 and looks forward to building on these activities in 2018 through exciting new committee work and partnerships.

This comes at a time when China’s court system is implementing important changes to the way case precedence is used in IP cases and as China’s economic engine focuses its attention on e-commerce and initiatives along the One Belt One Road (OBOR) region, stretching from China to Europe through South and Central Asia and Africa.

Working with Courts

INTA has been working closely with China’s courts, including the IP courts in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The Association looks forward to reaching out to new IP courts established in Shenzhen and the new Internet court established in Hangzhou.

Judges from the Supreme People’s Court attended the Annual Meeting in Barcelona and participated in a workshop organized by the Enforcement Committee. This year’s INTA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, will see another judges workshop, and INTA looks forward to inviting the Supreme People’s Court once again to this unique gathering of judges in the IP world.

A notable honor for INTA in 2017 came when the chief justice of the Supreme People’s Court mentioned INTA in his annual work report to the National People’s Congress, in which he noted INTA’s outreach and interaction with the specialized IP courts.

Cross Border E-Commerce, and OBOR

At the 19th Party Congress in October, President Xi Jinping mentioned the word “innovation” 24 times, a key component of which is improving product quality, and increasing the digital economy. These goals intersect with China’s OBOR policy; President Xi said that China “should pursue the Belt and Road Initiative as a priority, give equal emphasis to ‘bringing in’ and ‘going global,’ follow the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, and increase openness and cooperation in building innovation capacity.” INTA’s priorities in China are two-fold: (1) to provide trademark-related resources for Chinese brands going global; and (2) to assist international brands working in China on trademark-related issues and concerns.

Online counterfeiting has been a priority issue for INTA in China. In 2017, INTA co-organized an event with the Hangzhou General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) National E-Commerce Monitoring Center. China Office staff based in Shanghai, Vicky Dai, worked closely with authorities at the e-commerce monitoring center, and successfully invited representatives from the Ministry of Public Security, National Leading Group in IPR Infringement, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC), and Customs. INTA’s anticounterfeiting staff, Tiffany Pho, and INTA Chief Representative Asia-Pacific, Seth Hays, delivered remarks at the event.

In December, an INTA delegation of brand owners and committee members continued the Association’s engagement with platforms in China and globally to address IP protection online. A team of INTA members met with representatives of Tencent at their campus in Guangzhou while INTA staff was participating in the nearby Hong Kong Business of IP Conference in December.

INTA also conducted a groundbreaking seminar on the importance of cross-border IP enforcement along the OBOR investment corridor from China to Europe at the China Trademark Festival in Guilin in September. This was the first seminar in China focused on OBOR cross-border IP protection with experts coming from across Asia and Europe to discuss the complex and diverse methods of cross-border brand protection in several OBOR jurisdictions. In 2018, INTA will continue to stress the importance of cross-border protection of trademarks as the OBOR project grows and continues to be the centerpiece of China’s economic foreign policy.

Partnerships Moving Forward into the “Year of the Dog”

In the Chinese lunar calendar, the year of the rooster was a successful one for INTA (ending in February 2018). The Association looks forward to the year of the dog, which represents the qualities of honesty, loyalty, and responsibility-traits which seem apt for an association of brand owners who seek to build loyal customers through the trust and quality embodied in a brand.

A major achievement for INTA in 2017 was the successful signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the State Administration of Industry and Commerce Vice Minister at INTA’s headquarters in New York. The LOI proposes that INTA and the SAIC continue working together across the spectrum of education, policy, and communications matters. The LOI also mentions INTA’s continued support and collaboration with the China Trademark Association.

INTA also renewed a Cooperation Agreement with the Quality Brands Protection Committee (QBPC) and looks forward to deepening this close working relationship in the year of the dog.

Join Us on WeChat

INTA’s official WeChat account has been a significant boost to the Association’s outreach to members and non-members; members are encouraged to download the app to hear about INTA’s exciting series of VIP seminars and member networking opportunities for 2018. To join INTA’s WeChat, please scan the QR code (left) or search for WeChat ID: INTA_China.

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.