Volunteer Spotlight: María González Gordon

Published: April 15, 2019

Simon Valverde Castropal Abogados San José, Costa Rica

María GonzÁlez Gordon is Of Counsel at Gómez-Acebo & Pombo, based in Madrid, Spain. It was at her first Annual Meeting, in Berlin, Germany in 2007, where she learned from various senior INTA members of the many benefits of being involved in the Association, particularly by participating on committees and task forces. In 2009, she joined her first committee, never looking back.

Her involvement and commitment led to her represent INTA before the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) Observatory and participate in the reform of the EU trademark package and EUIPO guidelines. “It has been a very fruitful experience in which I had contact with major leaders, government, and lawmakers,” she says.

Ms. GonzÁlez is particularly proud of having been invited by INTA to participate in the free trade zones workshop series as a task force leader, coordinating and organizing the Berlin workshop in 2017. Her involvement in this project was greatly appreciated, and she was subsequently invited to participate on an anticounterfeiting policy task force.

In the last year, Ms. GonzÁlez has been assisting INTA with comments covering amendments to Spain’s Trademark Law and Regulation, providing input on proposed laws that protect trademark owners in compliance with EU directives.

Looking to the future of the practice, Ms. GonzÁlez foresees critical challenges presented in the digital era for the protection and enforcement of trademarks. The sale of counterfeits on the Internet and their consignment in small parcels, and how new technologies may contribute to reduce or detect counterfeits, are also issues that she considers as priorities for the Association and its members globally.

Her daily work consists of litigating and handling trademark portfolios for major brand owners and juggling complex copyright and technology contracts with her volunteer work through INTA. She notes: “INTA is not only an organization, it is a platform that allows us to develop our profession and at the same time share and engage with colleagues who later become friends and ultimately part of our family.”

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