INTA Stepping up its Engagement on Indigenous Rights

Published: April 1, 2018

Marion Heathcote Davies Collison Cave Melbourne, Australia

Brand owners, practitioners, and academics gathered on February 28 for an INTA Pre‒Annual Meeting reception and roundtable held in Moscow. This year, it was jointly organized by the American Chamber of Commerce and Gowling WLG.

INTA’s Strategic Plan includes an initiative to “embrace innovation and change.” This was the theme of the special roundtable event that hosted more than 100 registered guests and featured presentations in Russian and English with simultaneous interpretation.

David Aylen (Gowling WLG, Russia) moderated an animated discussion between Sergey Levin, (The Coca-Cola Company, Russia), Maria Lukina (Mary Kay, Russia), and Yulia Yarnykh (Gowling WLG, Russia).

Both Mr. Levin and Ms. Lukina pointed out that forward-thinking consumer product-oriented companies recognize that innovation is key to survival. For brand owners it not only means new and creative branding, but also new attitudes toward internal management using artificial intelligence (AI) and IP management software. Ms. Yarnykh added that innovation has to embrace new forms of marketing and product endorsements using influencers and co-branding collaborations, for example.

Saule Tlevlesova, President of the Eurasian Patent Office and a special invited guest at the roundtable, noted that AI may be the next step for examiners in the examination process and for practitioners in responding to substantive office actions.

Milesh S. Gordhandas, Advisor, Europe Office, from INTA’s Europe Representative Office in Brussels, opened the discussion by emphasizing INTA’s strategic direction in embracing innovation and change, both for the Association and as the future mantra for all members.

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.