Hong Kong SAR, China, Attorney Receives International Trademark Association Service Award for Advancing Policy Objectives

New York, New York, November 20, 2019—The International Trademark Association (INTA) is proud to announce Joe Simone, Founder and Partner, SIPS Ltd., Hong Kong SAR, China, as a recipient of the Association’s 2019 Service Award for the Advancement of Association Objectives.

This newly established award is given to one or more individuals of an INTA member organization whose participation, efforts, and innovative thinking during the year have advanced substantive trademark and related intellectual property (IP) law and practice; committee or subcommittee objectives; or the strategic objectives of INTA.

Mr. Simone has been a leading volunteer for INTA in China for decades. He has been instrumental in the Association’s engagement with the China National Intellectual Property Administration, most recently with his participation on INTA’s Bad-Faith Registration Task Force, which produced a series of recommendations presented to the Chinese authorities.
His efforts also were evident throughout the public comment period on recent amendments to China’s Trademark Law, which took effect November 1. Mr. Simone participated in identifying advocacy opportunities, translating draft laws, and developing initial comments for consideration by various INTA committees.

“Mr. Simone’s contributions to INTA’s advocacy work in this fast-growing region are absolutely crucial,” said INTA President David Lossignol. “His dedication to the Association has been unwavering. He brings fresh and unique ideas to the table, and we can always count on him for immediate and thorough consultation.”

In accepting this award, Mr. Simone said, “My work at INTA is integral to the work my firm does for its clients. The IP environment in China is challenging, and I’ve always maintained that getting results for clients requires the industry to be particularly active in policy work to ensure future laws and policies are more favorable. This award validates that approach.”
Mr. Simone has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from American University. Before establishing SIPS, Mr. Simone was with Baker & McKenzie and Johnson Stokes & Master.

INTA presented Mr. Simone with the 2019 Service Award for the Advancement of Association Objectives on November 19 during the Association’s 2019 Leadership Meeting in Austin, Texas. The Association also presented the award to Larisa Colton, Global Trademark Counsel, YUM! Brands, Inc., Plano, Texas; Latha Nair, Partner, K&S Partners New, Delhi, India; Scott Phillips, Managing Director, Epsilon Economics, Chicago, Illinois; and Daniela Rojas, Consultant, Pirkey Barber PLLC, Austin, Texas.


About the International Trademark Association
The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation. Members include more than 7,200 trademark owners, professionals, and academics from 187 countries, who benefit from the Association’s global trademark resources, policy development, education and training, and international network. Founded in 1878, INTA is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Brussels, Santiago, Shanghai, Singapore, and Washington, D.C., and representatives in Geneva and New Delhi. For more information, visit www.inta.org.