INTA Participates in Internet Governance Forum and Submits Comments to ICANN

In 2017, INTA organized 34 events, including conferences, education roundtables, receptions, and member gatherings-up 143 percent from 2016 levels. INTA nearly doubled its engagements with government in the region through policy dialogues, submissions, delegations, and face-to-face meetings. INTA also participated in 25 third-party events around the region, sending speakers to other events and organizing panel sessions with partner organizations. INTA’s impact study, titled The Economic Contribution of Trademark-Intensive Industries in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, made headlines around the region, and was covered in five languages, including Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, Malay, Tagalog, and Thai. The coming year will continue and expand upon these efforts.

Monitoring Cross-Border E-Commerce

In 2018, INTA will be monitoring and influencing policy around the region affecting trademarks, with a focus on the impact of cross-border e-commerce and anticounterfeiting. This year, Singapore has taken the chair of ASEAN and has stated that furthering regional e-commerce trade, as well as the ASEAN Single Window-a customs initiative to improve trade within the region-are top priorities. Increases in cross-border e-commerce could also increase the trade in counterfeit goods, and INTA will continue promoting the importance of trademark protection with relevant government authorities.

INTA will be releasing an updated version of its “Best Practices to Prevent the Sale of Counterfeits Online”-a set of recommendations for e-commerce platforms, brand owners, payment providers, search engines, advertisers, and shippers to prevent the trade in counterfeit goods. In 2018, INTA plans to also continue holding a series of policy dialogues with e-commerce platforms in the region. The anticounterfeiting committee plans to engage platforms in Japan and South Korea later in the year.

Speaking out Against Brand Restrictions

Last year, INTA committees advocated against brand restrictions in five Asian countries and are monitoring the situation in 2018. The Association will be conducting more policy dialogues with policymakers and stakeholders around the region.

The first dialogue will be held February 26 in Singapore and will feature: leading expert on brand restrictions, Professor Bryan Mercurio of Chinese University of Hong Kong; Christopher Chan, General Counsel and Head of Government Affairs from RedMart; Samir Dixit, Asia Pacific Managing Director of Brand Finance; and INTA’s 2018 President Tish Berard.

First International Moot Court Competition on Trademarks

INTA is honored to be hosting Asia’s first international moot court competition on trademarks from February 23 to 24 at Singapore Management University. Twenty-four teams from around Asia will be competing in this groundbreaking competition. INTA is honored to have Singapore’s Justice Valerie Thean act as a finalist judge in the competition, and the Association also greatly appreciates the brief readers and oral argument volunteers from INTA’s membership, many of whom are flying to Singapore from other countries in Asia for the event.

Do not hesitate to contact Seth Hays, INTA’s Asia-Pacific Chief Representative, at [email protected] or Queenie Zhao, INTA Asia-Pacific Associate, at [email protected] about any of these activities for 2018.

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.