A Message from INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo

Dear Colleagues,

There’s a chill in the air this morning here in New York—it is a gentle and welcome reminder that change is coming. As summer winds down in the Northern Hemisphere, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the productive year so far for INTA and look ahead to an exciting few months ahead for our community.

First, I would like to thank everyone who joined us in San Diego, California, for our largest post-Covid-19 Annual Meeting to date. More than 10,000 brand owners and IP professionals, government officials, business leaders, judges, and academics from 139 jurisdictions participated in dynamic conversations centered around “The Business of IP.” Our beautiful host city was electrified with the spirit of camaraderie, collaboration, and creativity that can only be found at an INTA Annual Meeting.

A definite highlight of the Meeting was the announcement of London, England. as the destination for our 148th Annual Meeting which will take place May 2–6, 2026. This is going to be our most ambitious and globally significant Annual Meeting, and enthusiasm was immediately apparent when close to 1,200 registrants secured their spot during a record-breaking pre-sale. Many organizations have also already booked a Business Suite at the Excel London or an Affiliate Event at one of our curated hubs in iconic London hot spots. If you have not registered yet, there will be another opportunity to get in early during our upcoming flash sale in October.

I would like to extend our gratitude to three 2026 Ambassador Firms that have signed up so far: Abion, CMS, and Rouse. These London-based law firms are collaborating with INTA to showcase the best of London to our global registrants, providing local insights, and elevating local voices. Our Ambassadors are playing a vital role in supporting the development of an unforgettable Annual Meeting.

I’m also deeply grateful to the UKIPO and leading UK IP associations—including the Anti-counterfeiting Group (ACG), Cyber & Intellectual Property Association (CIPA), The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA), the IP Federation, and IP Inclusive—for engaging in early conversations with INTA on how we might collaborate to make the Annual Meeting a meaningful success for all.

Follow our dedicated #INTA2026 hashtag on social media to stay on top of all the latest 2026 Annual Meeting news and updates.

Before our focus fully turns to the 2026 Annual Meeting, we will see many of you in Berlin, Germany, later this month for the 2025 Trademark Administrators and Practitioners (TMAP) Meeting. This is a must-attend event for trademark administrators, paralegals, and attorneys looking to stay up to date on key trends and developments in trademark law and practice. There is still time to register and join the close to 400 IP professionals who have already signed up.

The upcoming 2025 Leadership Meeting, taking place in Hollywood, Florida, in November, is a critical opportunity for member volunteers to gather for an advanced educational program and get together in person with your committees. This is a particularly important Leadership Meeting as we are in a committee term transition year, and your participation will help us to manage this transition smoothly and effectively. It is also an opportunity to prepare for the launch of our 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, against which all committee objectives will be set. More than 1,000 registrants have already taken advantage of the Early Bird pricing, which closes this coming Friday, September 5. I encourage all who are eligible to attend to register before the end of the week.

In October, the Association will expand our global presence with the opening of our Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Representative Office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We are excited for the opportunity to better serve our growing membership in this crucial market. As part of the opening celebration, INTA will bring the final installment of our 2024–2025 series of the Integrating Intellectual Property, Finance, and Valuation Workshop to Dubai on October 6. This workshop will focus on intangible assets and their relevance to private investors, venture capitalists, and financial institutions.

This year has been a productive year for INTA on the advocacy front. Over the past few months, the Association participated in the WIPO General Assemblies and has led high-level delegations to meet with heads of IP offices, government officials, and Association members to discuss critical issues facing brand owners and IP professionals in Brazil, China, and most recently, in the Asia-Pacific. These delegations strengthen INTA’s status as a global IP leader and provide invaluable opportunities to promote the value of IP in crucial jurisdictions globally.

In May, INTA’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution that lays out foundational principles on AI and IP rights, reflecting our commitment to providing thoughtful and timely input into the developing regulatory framework around AI. The Board will vote on four new resolutions later this month, covering:

• Acceptance of Coexistence Agreements & Letters of Consent (sponsored by the Enforcement Committee)
• Standardized Exceptions for International Exhaustion of Trademark Rights (sponsored by the Parallel Imports Committee)
• Support for Delegation of New dotBrands within the Domain Name System (sponsored by the Internet Committee)
• Best Practice Guide for Online Marketplaces to Protect Design Rights (sponsored by the Designs Committee)

The Board will consider four more resolutions, which are currently being drafted, when it meets in November during the Leadership Meeting.

While there is still more to be done in the coming months, I would like to thank our volunteers for a highly successful 2024–2025 committee term so far. INTA is a member-run organization, and I am pleased to report that we received a record 4,470 applications for the 2026–2027 committee term. While we are unfortunately not able to place all applicants, I want to encourage everyone to stay involved in INTA. There are so many ways to get involved, contribute to the Association, and raise your profile in the IP community.

We are always working to improve the volunteer experience and ensure that all of our volunteers’ amazing contributions are driving our mission forward and helping us fulfil our strategic priorities. In light of feedback from staff liaisons, committee leaders, and committee members, the Association introduced a new committee structure for the 2026–2027 term with the goal of eliminating overlaps and redundancies in the current structure and enhancing the overall committee experience for members. We have also amended the Association’s bylaws to allow associate members the opportunity to serve as officers in the role of secretary or vice president. I look forward to another dynamic and productive term starting in the new year under this new structure and new Strategic Plan.

The committee selection process will conclude later this month, and we then enter our membership renewal season in October, which coincides with the Annual Meeting flash sale.

I’m proud of what we have accomplished together as an Association and a community during 2025 so far and look forward to ending this year strong and starting a new chapter in 2026.

Sincerely,
Etienne Sanz de Acedo
INTA CEO