Trademark Administrators Committee Holds Successful Seminars in Germany and Austria

The International Projects Subcommittee of the Trademark Administrators Committee organized two very successful seminars for trademark administrators in October 2018-one in Germany that discussed product piracy and one in Austria that focused on filing trademark applications in that country. Registration exceeded expectations, demonstrating the interest of trademark administrators in these countries in these types of educational events.

Trademark Administrators in Germany Convene to Discuss Product Piracy

Susanne Ferstl, Co-Chair of the International Projects Subcommittee, organized a seminar on brand protection and product piracy at the German Customs Office in Munich, Germany, on October 16.

After five INTA mini-seminars held at the German Patent and Trademark Office within the last five years, this event marked the first seminar held outside the office since the main topic-product piracy-was addressing slightly different matters. The importance of the issue was reflected by the successful attendance of more than 120 paralegals, trademark administrators, practitioners, brand protection managers, and lawyers.

Kicking off the seminar, Klaus Hoffmeister of the Federal Customs Administration of Germany provided recent statistics of border seizures in Germany and the European Union, as well as information on how to deal with border seizure applications in these areas, including a very helpful checklist of do’s and don’ts in the application process.

Corina Oßwald of Schwanhäußer Industrie Holding GmbH & Co. KG and Alexandra Preising of Norton Rose Fulbright LLP talked about the practical aspects that need to be observed in brand protection. Most interesting, they provided the view from the perspectives of the industry (client) and the legal advisor (law firm).

Concerning the online landscape, UllaSieber of PUMA SE spoke about issues that can no longer be ignored by any company: online brand protection as well as the advantages of and problems created by social media. In addition, David Franklin and Nina Klepzig of CSC Digital Brand Services discussed online brand protection methods to combat counterfeiting and infringement in the Asian market.

Wrapping up the seminar, Sabina Wolf, a freelance journalist, captivated the audience in relaying her investigations into how purchasing counterfeit goods finances terrorist activities.

Register for Next Seminar in Germany on February 14

With the ever-growing popularity of these events in Germany, the Subcommittee has organized another seminar for February 14 in conjunction with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA).This event, to be held at the DPMA, will discuss the recent developments regarding the German Trademark Law Modernization Act as well as the latest decisions from the Federal Patent Court. To register, click here.

Committee Holds First Mini-Seminar in Austria

Gudrun Irsa-Klingspiegl of Schönherr Rechtsanwälte GmbH and a first-year member of the International Projects Subcommittee, organized the very first INTA mini-seminar in Austria. The half-day seminar was held on October 16 at the law firm’s office in Vienna, and, exceeding expectations, more than 50 trademark administrators attended.

Focusing on the basics, the seminar was entitled “Tips and Tricks for Filing Trademark Applications in Austria.” The first speaker, Elisabeth Zakl-Buchner of Sonn & Partner Patent Attorneys, outlined the online filing tools for national applications and provided a glimpse into the new online tools for Austrian national applications, available as of January 2019.

Gudrun Irsa-Klingspiegl of Schönherr Rechtsanwälte GmbH then led the attendees through the myriad classification tools and offered tips on when and how to use TMClass, the alphabetical list of the Nice Classification or the Madrid Goods and Service Manager of the World Intellectual Property Organization. Lastly, Johann Wiplinger of the Austrian Patent Office explained the Office’s current practice in examining lists of goods and services.

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.

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