INTA Formalizes Collaborations with Four Leading UK Intellectual Property Organizations Ahead of the 2026 Annual Meeting

New York, New York—February 11, 2026—The International Trademark Association (INTA) is pleased to announce the signing of Cooperation Agreements with four leading UK intellectual property (IP) organizations:

• The Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG);
• The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA);
•  The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA); and
•  The IP Federation.

These agreements strengthen collaboration across education, advocacy, joint communications, and engagement at INTA’s 2026 Annual Meeting, taking place in London, UK, May 2–6.

“In a world of rapid technological change and heightened uncertainty, the IP community has a responsibility to come together—not simply to exchange views, but to set direction,” said INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo. “These agreements reflect a shared commitment to practical collaboration across the full IP landscape, including trademarks, patents, enforcement, litigation, and policy. London is the right place for that global conversation, and we invite IP professionals everywhere to be part of it.”

A Global Convening Moment—Rooted in History, Focused on the Future

INTA’s 2026 Annual Meeting will convene more than 10,000 business and IP leaders from 134 jurisdictions, spanning academia, industry, government, and private practice.

The choice of London in 2026 carries exceptional significance. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the first modern trademark registration, filed in London on January 1, 1876—an event that laid the foundation for trademark protection worldwide. Hosting the world’s largest IP gathering in the city where formal trademark rights began underscores both heritage and evolution, from the earliest filing to today’s dynamic, global IP system.

Reflecting INTA’s expanding perspective, the Annual Meeting embraces IP holistically, recognizing that brands, patents, data, enforcement, litigation strategy, and policy are no longer discrete silos but interconnected tools in a knowledge-based economy. The program is designed to connect the stakeholders who shape outcomes: advisors, innovators, policymakers, the judiciary, and enforcement leaders working across borders and disciplines.

Why London—and Why Participation Matters Now

London’s role as host city is both symbolic and practical. It is a global center for commerce, law, finance, and dispute resolution—in addition to being the birthplace of the modern trademark registration system. In 2026, it becomes the meeting point for the next chapter of global IP leadership.

The Annual Meeting will feature three education tracks—Law & Policy, Technologies Shaping the Future of IP, and Business of Intangibles—alongside a strengthened Patent Series, expanded in-house programming, judicial engagement, and enforcement-focused sessions. Together, they reflect a simple truth: even in a fragmented world, the IP community can empower itself through shared learning, shared standards, and collective action.

Registration for the 2026 INTA Annual Meeting is now open and more than 6,000 people are already registered. Early[LH1.1][1.2]-bird registration ends on February 13. IP professionals across disciplines—trademarks, patents, enforcement, litigation, policy, and innovation—are encouraged to register in what promises to be a defining global gathering in London.

Partner Perspectives

The ACG will collaborate with INTA on anticounterfeiting initiatives, brand protection programming, and joint communications for the 2026 Annual Meeting.

“Counterfeiting remains a highly adaptive global threat that demands coordinated action,” said ACG Director General Phil Lewis. “INTA’s Annual Meeting brings together brands, enforcement authorities, policymakers, and solution providers to strengthen cooperation and ensure enforcement keeps pace with an evolving digital marketplace.”

CIPA joins the cooperation framework with a focus on strengthening dialogue between patent and trademark professionals, including its active support of the Patent Series of Annual Meeting educational programming.

“Innovation thrives when the IP ecosystem works as a system—patents, trademarks, enforcement, and the courts. INTA’s Annual Meeting in London reflects that reality,” noted CIPA Chief Executive Lee Davies. “For patent professionals, it offers a global forum to engage on AI, litigation trends, and the strategic role of patents in the wider intangible economy through the two-day enhanced patent programming that the Annual Meeting will offer.”

CITMA and INTA have formalized an agreement to deepen collaboration between trademark professionals in the UK and INTA’s global network. CITMA will also participate in the Trademark Administrator (TMA) Brunch.

“London 2026 is a defining moment for the trademark profession. One hundred and fifty years after the first trademark was registered here, the global IP community will gather in London to address the realities of modern brand protection—from online abuse to AI-driven infringement,” said CITMA President Kelly Saliger. “INTA’s Annual Meeting brings together the perspectives practitioners need, and CITMA is pleased to support this global collaboration.”

CITMA and CIPA are also collaborating with the Intellectual Property Lawyers’ Association and the Intellectual Property Bar Association to host a high‑profile Annual Meeting educational session featuring three prominent UK judges.

The IP Federation, representing British industry on IP policy, has joined the cooperation initiative with a focus on policy engagement and collaboration at the Annual Meeting. In addition, IP Federation President Sarah Vaughan will moderate the panel titled Leading the IP Charge: Strategic Skills for Non-Patent Professionals.

“For UK innovative industry, intellectual property is a core business asset that supports investment, competitiveness, and economic growth,” said Dr. Vaughan. “Holding the Annual Meeting in London provides an important opportunity for UK industry to bring its perspective directly into global IP discussions. As IP policy increasingly spans patents, brands, trade, and technology, this collaboration helps ensure that international debate is informed by the practical realities faced by UK-based industries operating in global markets.”

“We look forward to showcasing the outcomes of this collaboration at our 2026 Annual Meeting and warmly encourage everyone throughout the global IP community to join us for what promises to be a vibrant, insightful, and unmissable gathering,” added Mr. Sanz de Acedo.

About the International Trademark Association:  
The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and complementary intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation, and committed to building a better society through brands. Members include more than 6,600 organizations, representing more than 38,000 individuals (trademark owners, professionals, and academics) from 182 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 Beijing, Brussels, Dubai, Santiago, Singapore, and the Washington, D.C., Metro Area, and representatives in Nairobi and New Delhi. For more information, visit inta.org.

Reporting on intellectual property? See INTA’s Media Toolkit for guidance and resources.

Media Contact:
Jean-Claude Darné
Managing Director, Marketing and Communications
212-642-1774
[email protected]