INTA News

Washington, D.C., Office Preps for a Busy Spring

Published: March 15, 2018

With nine months left until the elections for the entire House of Representatives and a portion of the U.S. Senate, in addition to the second session of the 115th Congress, the focus in Washington, D.C., has been on legislative and agency priorities. INTA has been working on increasing the membership and presence of the Congressional Trademark Caucus (CTC), including adding new members to the CTC and planning upcoming briefings. As a reminder, INTA is nonpartisan and continues to maintain great working relationships with both political parties.

Following is an update on some key activities since our last article in the January 15 edition of the INTA Bulletin.

Andrei Iancu Begins Term as USPTO Director

Last month, Andrei Iancu was formally installed as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Prior to joining the USPTO, Mr. Iancu was the Managing Partner at Irell & Manella LLP in California where his practice focused on intellectual property litigation. INTA looks forward to working with Mr. Iancu and his staff supporting and enhancing USPTO operations.

IP Associations Discuss IP Policy and Strategy During March Meeting 

The Intellectual Property Owners Association, the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the American Bar Association’s IP Law Section, and INTA met in early March for a USPTO briefing from USPTO leadership focused on new initiatives. Additionally, the group discussed legislative priorities and strategies for this Congressional session, as well as recent cases and developments.

INTA Plans Spring Congressional Events

In the next few weeks, INTA will be hosting several key events focused on education and outreach. These events include a Congressional briefing on the impact of counterfeits in the sports industry and the annual Congressional World IP Day panel and reception. Additional information and details about these events will be forthcoming.

INTA Political Action Committee (INTA PAC) Reception at INTA’s Annual Meeting

During INTA’s Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, the INTA PAC will be hosting a PAC reception on Tuesday evening from 5:30 to 7:00 in the Presidential Suite at the Sheraton Seattle hotel. INTA eligible members (non-corporate INTA members who are U.S. citizens) are invited to join for the reception in support of INTA PAC. We hope you will plan to join us for this event. INTA’s PAC is a crucial component of our advocacy program supporting INTA’s member interests in the United States.

Please contact Debbie Cohn, Senior Director of Government Affairs, at [email protected] with any questions.

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.

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