2016 Trademark Administrators & Practitioners (TMAP) Meeting

Registration and Information Desk Open

Stop by the registration desk to pick up your badge and meeting bag.

Platinum sponsor: Corsearch
Lanyard sponsor: Smart & Biggar/Fetherstonhaugh
Meeting Bag sponsor: Ladas & Parry
Notepad sponsor: HECHANOVA & CO., INC.

Welcome Reception

Come join us as we kick off the meeting with fellow registrants and colleagues.

Welcome Reception sponsor: Kashish Intellectual Property Group (KIPG)

Registration and Information Desk Open

Breakfast and Exhibition Hall Open

Welcome Remarks and Meeting Overview

INTA CEO’s Address
Etienne Sanz de Acedo, International Trademark Association (United States)

TMAP Meeting Co-Chairs
Eileen Dunlap, Wells Fargo (United States)
Conny Schmitt, Grunecker (Germany)

Technologies of Tomorrow…Today
(General Session – Session One)

Technologies thought of as science fiction just a short time ago are now a marketplace reality appearing in an ever-increasing number of product offerings that are changing the way we interact with each other and the world around us. Two examples of such technologies are 3D printing, through which we can inexpensively create increasingly complex objects at the push of a button, and the Internet of Things, where smart machines and household objects are networked together and collect and share information so they can better serve our needs.  While these technologies may ultimately result in significant disruption of existing business models and paradigms, they also represent opportunities for innovative companies to find new ways to engage with their customers and create new business models. Leaders from cutting-edge technology companies and outside counsel that deal with these issues will provide an overview of 3D printing and the Internet of Things.

Moderator:
Marc Trachtenberg, Greenberg Traurig LLC (United States)

Speakers:
Amanda Conti-Duhaime, FCA US LLC (United States)
Catherine Mennenga, General Electric Company (United States)
Marc Trachtenberg, Greenberg Traurig LLC (United States)

Networking Break and Exhibition Hall Open

One Size Does Not Fit All: Global TM Prosecution—Tips and Watch-Outs
(General Session – Session Two)

Panelists will provide tips and tricks to successfully navigate trademark prosecution in a number of key trademark jurisdictions (China, the European Union, and the United States) and how to develop and implement strategies for successful prosecution of trademark applications around the world. Hear from experts as to how to successfully respond to Office Actions, renewal issues, extensions of time, and more.

Moderator:
Shelagh Carnegie, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP (Canada)

Speakers:
Jennifer Hetu, Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP (United States)
Scott Palmer, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP (China)
Azhar Sadique, Keltie LLP (United Kingdom)

Keynote Address: Tina Tchen

Tina Tchen is an Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady Michelle Obama. Within the Obama Administration she also serves as the Executive Director for the Council on Women and Girls and the past Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Speaker:
Tina Tchen, Assistant to the President of the United States and Chief of Staff to the First Lady

Luncheon

The EU Trademark Reform: 6 Months Later
(Concurrent Session – Session Three)

This session will deal with the changes and challenges of the EU Trademark Reform in practice. What impact does the EU Trademark Reform have on the registration, use, and enforcement of the European Union Trade Mark? Has the new regulation fulfilled its aim to make EU trademark law more effective, efficient, and cohesive, or have new uncertainties arisen and further improvement will be necessary? This panel of EU trademark practitioners will share their experiences and insight on what is new in the EU.

Moderator:
Roy Scott, Keltie LLP (United Kingdom)

Speakers:
Azhar Sadique, Keltie LLP (United Kingdom)
Conny Schmitt, Grunecker (Germany)

Brand Issues on Social Media and other Internet Platforms
(Concurrent Session – Session Four)

Social media and other Internet platforms provide far-reaching and inexpensive ways for companies to promote their brands, actively engage with customers, and manage their public relations. They also provide a multitude of challenges, including trademark infringement, copyright infringement, dilution, impersonation, parody, and other arguable fair uses. In this session, we’ll tackle the following issues: How can brand owners mitigate the risk in this vast Internet landscape? What mechanisms are in place for resolving infringement across social media platforms? What considerations do IP owners need to be mindful of when evaluating for potential infringement? How can brand owners use social media and other Internet platforms to their best advantage when dealing with ongoing enforcement actions or other PR fallout?

Moderator:
Jennifer Bollen, Expedia, Inc. (United States)

Speakers:
Ali Buttars, Twitter Inc. (United States)
Karen Carlson, AOL Inc. (United States)
Lindsay Kaplan, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP (United States)

Networking Break and Exhibition Hall Open

Day’s Wrap-Up

Table Topics

Take a break from the larger educational sessions and join a moderated discussion for groups of ten people on a wide variety of timely and important issues.

Topics available:

• Are There Universal Truths in Docketing?
• Best Practices When Instructing a Foreign Agent/Managing Your Attorney
• Big Data and New Issues for the Trademark Practitioner
• Black and White Trademarks: Does One Size Fit All?
• Cuba: The Importance of Staying Ahead of the Squatter’s Curve
• Demand Letters and Diplomacy in the Social Media Age
• Descriptive, Generic and Back-from-the-Dead Zombie Trademarks.  Strengths, Differences and Enforcement
• Geolocation and Trademark Infringement on the Internet
• How Copyright Can Enhance Brand Protection
• How to Effectively Work with In-House Clients While Managing the Company’s Trademark Portfolio
• More Than Merely Descriptive: Anticipating, Answering, Amending and Accepting Trademark Act Section 2(e) Refusals
• Navigating Trademark and Related IP Issues in Mobile Applications
• Pop Culture Trademark Protection for Hashtags, Song Lyrics and Nicknames
• Protecting Famous Marks – Practical Tips and Strategies to Successfully Argue
• Protection and Enforcement of Trademarks in the Era of Social Media: Tips, Tricks, and #Fails
• Proving Goodwill and Secondary Meaning in a Trademark in Today’s Digital Era
• Strengthening Stylized Trademark Protection through Copyright in Different Jurisdictions
• The Madrid Protocol: A Boon or a Bane?
• U.S. Trademark Applications Based on Foreign Filings: The Intent to Use Requirement
• United States Trademark Application Identification of Goods: Navigating the Issues and Providing Solutions to Keep a Broad Description of Goods
• You Want My What? Social Media Enforcement Procedures

Networking Reception with Exhibitors

Networking Reception sponsor: BrandShelter

Registration and Information Desk Open

Breakfast and Exhibition Hall Open

Welcome Back and Day’s Overview

Keynote Address: Why Our Brains Matter in Marketing

Join our keynote speaker Amy Myers from Mars Inc. for a quick tour through the human brain to find out the real reason why branding is important. You will get a chance to experience some fun tests on your own head to help explain why our role to protect brands can make the difference between a winning brand and a struggling brand and marketing that works and marketing that fails.

Speaker:
Amy Myers, Senior Consultant, Knowledge Connections, Mars Global Services

Contests, Sweepstakes, and Giveaways, Oh My!
(General Session – Session Five)

These days, many brand owners run contests or sweepstakes to promote their products and services on the Internet, in social media, and at trade shows. There are many things to consider when running a promotion, including FTC guidelines, gambling laws, and various state and local government regulations. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls by asking the right questions, understanding the various Social Media Guidelines, and drafting clear and concise Official Rules.

Moderator:
Liza Garibaldi, Facebook, Inc. (United States)

Speakers:
Jennifer Fryhling, Veritas Technologies (United States)
Michael Ostheimer, Federal Trade Commission (United States)
Marc Trachtenberg, Greenberg Traurig LLC (United States)
Dirk Wieddekind, Taylor Wessing (Germany)

Networking Break and Exhibition Hall Open

Followership: An Essential Element of Leadership 
(General Session – Session Six)

Leadership has rightly been the focus of a huge amount of study, analysis, and attention, and developing leadership skills sits easily with the aspirations many of us have in our professional—and personal—lives. But how do we view “followership,” and what are its characteristics? This session will explore the strength and influence the skilled follower brings to any team—as a reality checker for the team leader, an affirmer or constructive critic, a conscientious contributor, and the glue that bonds the team and its leader together. Followership can, of course, be a stepping stone to leadership, but it needn’t be—it’s also a role in its own right, with a vital impact on a team’s ability to realize its potential. This will be a lively and engaging session that gives followership center stage.

Moderator:
Eileen Dunlap, Wells Fargo (United States)

Speakers:
Kay Rickelman, Spoor & Fisher (South Africa)
Virginia Smith, Exxon Mobil Corporation (United States)
Alison Tan, The Procter & Gamble Company (United States)

Day’s Wrap Up

Luncheon

Alternative Intellectual Property Rights as a Means of Protecting Logos and Designs Globally
(Concurrent Session – Session Seven)

How do I best protect my logos and design marks? Is a device mark or a 3-D mark the only option? What other alternatives are there to protect and enforce my marketable assets? This panel will address various means of protecting design marks and logos globally and will provide practical advice and guidance on how best to defend these assets against copying and counterfeiting.

Moderator:
Conny Schmitt, Grunecker (Germany)

Speakers:
David Bell, Haynes and Boone LLP (United States)
Karen Fong, Collyer Bristow (United Kingdom)
Takeshi Hironaka, TMI Associates (Japan)

Best Practices to Search and File in Africa and the Middle East
(Concurrent Session – Session Eight)

Get practical tips on trademark clearance and filing strategies in Africa and the Middle East. Experts will debate the advantages and opportunities of using regional systems such as OAPI, ARIPO, and the Madrid Protocol; effective search strategies in both a digital and non-digital world; and effectively protecting your rights.

Moderator:
Kay Rickelman, Spoor & Fisher (South Africa)

Speakers:
Charles Shaban, Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (Jordan)
Shamin Raghunandan, Spoor & Fisher (South Africa)
Kay Rickelman, Spoor & Fisher (South Africa)

Networking Break and Exhibition Hall Open

Ethics—Using Private Investigators Effectively and Appropriately
(Concurrent Session – Session Nine)

This session will focus on the complexities of deciding when to hire an investigator for IP litigation investigations and subsequently vetting, hiring, instructing, and receiving information from investigators. Legal, ethical, and practical implications of conducting your own investigations or outsourcing them, and the methods used by anyone conducting an investigation, will be discussed. The session will also include a review of select challenges to the ethics of private investigations, including pretexts in the context of trademark litigation.

Moderator:
Ross Bulla, The Treadstone Group (United States)

Speakers:
Ross Bulla, The Treadstone Group (United States)
Frank Long, Dickinson Wright PLLC (United States)

“Inside Out”: Global Portfolio Management on a Budget
(Concurrent Session – Session Ten)

In-house and outside counsel provide honest insights in the do’s and don’ts of effective IP portfolio management. Hear about roles and responsibilities; learn cost-effective tips for adequately protecting IP rights; and get an inside look as to what effective collaboration looks like from both the “inside” and the “outside” perspective.

Moderator:
Charles Shaban, Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (Jordan)

Speakers:
Cecilia Emanuelson, Inter IKEA Holding Services S.A. (Belgium)
Jeffrey Neuman, Com Laude (United States)
Gabrielle Roth, Sughrue Mion, PLLC (United States)