Washington Office Preps for Industry Briefings, World IP Day, New Partnerships

Funding for the U.S. government has been a key focus for Congress and the administration for the past several weeks. Additionally, with eight months until a major election for the entire House of Representatives and a portion of the U.S. Senate, there has been a focus on candidates and discussion about future leadership of key committees, including the House Judiciary Committee with the upcoming retirement of Rep. Goodlatte (R-VA-6th). At the same time, the work of the second session of the 115th Congress continues with a focus on legislative and agency priorities.

INTA continues to educate and reach out to key members of Congress about trademarks, with a focus on increasing the membership and presence of the Congressional Trademark Caucus (CTC) and encouraging Congressional participation in briefings later this month. As a reminder, INTA is nonpartisan and continues to maintain excellent working relationships with both political parties.

Following is an update on some key activities since our last article in the March 15 edition of the INTA Bulletin. Please contact Debbie Cohn, Senior Director of Government Affairs, at [email protected] with any questions.

USPTO Officials Brief IP Associations During March Meeting
During the March IP Associations meeting, USPTO officials briefed the attendees about current agency issues and new initiatives involving the stakeholder community. In addition, the attendees discussed priorities and goals for the remainder of the 115th Congress.

INTA and Congressional Trademark Caucus Briefing Focused on the Sports Industry
On April 25, INTA is partnering with the CTC to host a briefing on Capitol Hill entitled, “Sports Industry Perspective on Trademark Counterfeiting Issues and Important Impacts on Sports Fans and Consumers of Sports Industry Products.” The briefing will feature CTC Congressional leadership and members of the private sector focused on efforts to address counterfeiting within the sports industry, including key guidance for consumers. A full briefing report will be forthcoming.

INTA Partnering with D.C. IP Community and USPTO on World IP Day
On World IP Day (April 26), INTA will be co-hosting a World Intellectual Property Day dialogue and reception on Capitol Hill focused on “Powering Change: Women in Innovation and Creativity.” A full report will be forthcoming.

INTA Co-Sponsoring Design Day Program at the USPTO
On April 25, INTA is joining with other IP associations in co-sponsoring the Design Day program at the USPTO. This program provides an opportunity to discuss various aspects of design patents, from conception through enforcement. Additional information and registration for this free event is available here.

National Association of Secretaries of State Partners with INTA
INTA has been working with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) on an education and outreach initiative focused on business names and trademarks. NASS has shared the information developed by INTA’s Enforcement Committee on their website. This summer, INTA plans to present an educational session at the NASS conference focused on this issue.

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. Law & Practice updates are published without comment from INTA except where it has taken an official position.