Today’s News Roundup—July 10, 2024

Apply to Be Listed in INTA’s Directory of Trademark Mediators

INTA has launched its Directory of Trademark Mediators, a listing of qualified members who are available to serve as mediators in disputes involving trademarks. To view the Directory or to apply to be listed, please visit INTA’s Directory of Trademark Mediators.

~ Willard Knox, Editor-in-Chief, The Trademark Reporter, INTA, USA

Input to EU Observatory: Work Programme 2025 Preliminary Comments

INTA recently submitted comments on the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights Work Programme 2025.

To enhance the Observatory’s impact, INTA recommends expanding awareness efforts beyond the intellectual property (IP) community by sharing success stories, engaging influencers, and collaborating with consumer and health organizations to underscore the dangers of counterfeit products.

INTA advocates for sustainable practices in the destruction and recycling of counterfeit goods, aligning with the European Union and United Nations’ sustainability goals. The Association also calls for increased engagement with online platforms to ensure consumer and brand protection in the digital marketplace. Proactive monitoring of small consignments is highlighted as essential to curbing the anonymous sale of counterfeit goods online. Additionally, INTA suggests addressing the prevalence of counterfeit goods in sports, particularly in light of upcoming events like the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Finally, INTA drew attention to the connection between counterfeiting and organized crime, highlighting the need for enhanced cross-border cooperation and enforcement, and called for further studies and regulatory measures on greenwashing to prevent misleading environmental claims.

~ Fernando Diaz, Policy Officer, INTA, Belgium

INTA Provides Input to EU Commission DG Trade in Advance of Canada IP Dialogue

INTA provided the EU Commission DG TRADE with the following recommendations prior to an intellectual property (IP) dialogue with Canada on June 12:

Quebec’s Bill 96:

• INTA urged DG TRADE to raise Quebec’s regulations relating to the translation into French of generic and descriptive non-French terms in trademarks.

Counterfeit Goods Detention:

• Detentions of counterfeit goods at Canadian borders have significantly dropped. Ports currently pose challenges, as they are less active in detaining counterfeits, and initiating collective action against consolidated shipments presents difficulties. INTA suggests prioritizing counterfeit detection, enhancing information sharing between the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and rights owners, and providing regular customs officer training.

Simplified Border Procedures: 

• Currently, rights holders must litigate to destroy detained counterfeit goods, which is costly and time-consuming. INTA proposes a streamlined process where CBSA contacts rights holders to confirm counterfeit goods, and if uncontested by the importer, the goods are destroyed. This aims to increase participation and reduce costs.

~ Fernando Diaz, Policy Officer, INTA, Belgium

The Unreal Campaign Awards Students for Raising Awareness of Counterfeit Goods

On behalf of the Unreal Campaign, Senior Program Manager —Brand Protection Strategic Partnerships Natalia Buzina-McCreary (Amazon, USA) and INTA Communications Associate Grace Magid (USA) attended the DECA International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California, USA, on April 30, 2024. At the Conference, which was attended by more than 23,000 students, Ms. Buzina-McCreary and Ms. Magid congratulated and presented awards to the Unreal Campaign Video Challenge winners.

The Unreal Campaign Video Challenge invited 261,000 DECA students to create a 60-second public service announcement video educating their peers about the dangers of counterfeit goods. The Challenge received 103 video entries from students and received more than 108,000 public votes, also from DECA students.

The winners of the Unreal Campaign Video Challenge are as follows:

1. Not a DEAL if It’s UNREAL | Jaime Lin and Hafasa Hayat, Fairfax High School, Virginia, USA
2. The Real Deal Is the Right Deal | Mina Cayli and Rachel Hennessy, Triangle Math and Science Academy, North Carolina, USA
3. Catch the Counterfeit | Sanjana Tamma and Siya Panara, Mallard Creek High School, North Carolina, USA

~ Grace Magid, Communications Associate, INTA, USA

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest. Law & Practice updates are published without comment from INTA except where it has taken an official position.

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