2019 Trademark Administrators & Practitioners (TMAP) Meeting

Discover Berlin Sightseeing Tour

Sign-up for the tour closes on Wednesday, September 4.

A two-hour guided tour of Berlin that includes some of the city’s most iconic sights such as Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, Television Tower at Alexanderplatz, Potsdamer Platz, and more. Spend the afternoon touring the city of Berlin, catching up with colleagues, and connecting with other meeting attendees!

Transportation: A shuttle bus will pick up and drop off attendees at the Maritim Hotel.

Fee: US $30 (fee includes VAT and is nonrefundable)

Registration and Information Desk Open
Stop by to pick up your meeting badge and bag.

Welcome Reception in the Exhibition Hall
Join us as we welcome fellow TMAP Meeting attendees, colleagues, and exhibitors!

Registration and Information Desk Open
Stop by to pick up your meeting badge and bag.

Exhibition Hall Open
Stop by and meet the exhibitors. Explore the products and tools available to help you improve your team’s performance.

Welcome Coffee in the Exhibition Hall

Welcome Remarks and Overview for the Day

INTA Past President:
Ronald van Tuijl, JT International S.A. (Switzerland)

TMAP Meeting Co-chairs:
Tracy Cooke, Electronic Arts Inc. (United States)
Susanne Ferstl, Maiwald Patentanwalts- und Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (Germany)

Session 1: Understanding the Brand Concept—What Can You Protect?

Examine a brand concept and find out what elements can be protected. We’ll take a closer look at trademarks and the differences in various legal systems around the world when seeking protection.

Moderator:
Gudrun Irsa-Klingspiegl, Schoenherr Rechtsanwaelte GmbH (Austria)

Speakers:
Dominik Hofmarcher, Schoenherr Rechtsanwaelte GmbH (Austria)

Networking Break in the Exhibition Hall
Join us in the Exhibition Hall to meet for refreshments and networking!

Session 2: Meet Your IP Offices Up Close
(CLE credit is not available for this session.)

Listen to representatives from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), as they provide feedback on the best ways to pursue trademark registrations, tips on streamlining the process, updates on news and resources, and what hot topics their offices are focused on right now.

Moderators:
Susanne Ferstl, Maiwald Patentanwalts- und Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (Germany)

Speakers:
Normunds Lamsters, World Intellectual Property Organization (Switzerland)
Christian Posselt, German Patent and Trademark Office (Germany)
Sven Stürmann, European Union Intellectual Property Office (Spain)

Networking Lunch

Quick Question & Answer Round: Do You Even Need a Trademark Registration?

Discuss with fellow meeting attendees sitting near you and be ready to share your thoughts!

Session 3: Limited Budget? Not a Problem!

Learn the tips and tricks for getting the most protection with a limited budget.

Speakers:
Mercedes Bullrich, Berton Moreno + Ojam (Argentina)
Tracy Cooke, Electronic Arts Inc. (United States)

Session 4: Tailoring a Strong Goods & Services Specification—Tools & Practical Tips

Have you ever been annoyed by an office action requesting amendments to the list of goods and services you worked so hard to put together?

We’ll show you the most important tools to create a strong specification—starting with the Nice Classification and pointing out similarities and differences in various territories, touching on the Harmonized Database in the EU, the Madrid Goods and Service Manager, U.S. Trademark ID Manual, as well as the sub-classification systems in East Asian jurisdictions.

Speakers:
Gudrun Irsa-Klingspiegl, Schoenherr Rechtsanwaelte GmbH (Austria)
Mark McVicar, Winkler Partners (Taiwan)

Session 5: Do You Have the Right Moves?

Over the past year, the video game industry has been at the center of controversy over the use of well-known dance moves in video games. Whether its mimicking dance moves, referencing pop culture icons, adding snippets of music, or using famous phrases, join us as we discuss best practices to avoid copyright infringement pitfalls.

Moderator:
Tracy Cooke, Electronic Arts Inc. (United States)

Speakers:
Nick Allan, Wiggin LLP (United Kingdom)
Darya Firsava, Wargaming Group Limited (Cyprus)
Julian Waiblinger, Boehmert & Boehmert (Germany)

Networking Break in the Exhibition Hall
Join us in the Exhibition Hall to meet for refreshments and networking!

Session 6: The Dream Team
(CLE credit is not available for this session.)

Dream Team: a team of people perceived as the perfect combination for a particular purpose. Sounds easy enough—but how do you actually build and sustain the Dream Team model? Whether you are practicing in-house or at a law firm, this session will provide practical tips for doing just that. Are you ready for your team to achieve its highest potential?

Moderator:
Mark McVicar, Winkler Partners (Taiwan)
Kristen Merker, Netflix, Inc. (United States)

Speakers:
Gary Wengrofsky, Charter Communications (United States)

Session 7: AI Is Taking Over the World. Is It Going to Take Over My Job?

Learn about the connections between AI and the TMA’s role in the trademark space. This session will focus on current use of AI technology by Trademark Offices, law offices, and in-house legal teams around the world.

We’ll discuss how AI is affecting the public and trademark professionals, as well as what we, as trademark professionals, can do to keep up with this technology. Professional development opportunities are endless and to remain relevant, it’s important that attorneys and paralegals of every experience level learn to embrace digital transformation tools.

Moderator:
Priscilla Gomes, Microsoft Corporation (United States)

Speakers:
Priscilla Gomes, Microsoft Corporation (United States)
Tiffany Valeriano, Corsearch (United States)

Idea Exchange Cocktail Hour

Network with fellow meeting attendees during this happy hour to discuss topics of interest, which will range from choosing the right foreign counsel for the job, registering local language versions of trademarks, online enforcement, bad-faith filings in China, and protecting Industrial Designs internationally. Come prepared to join in the conversation and share your thoughts!

Dine-Around Event (Optional)

Sign-up for this event closes on Friday, September 6

Casual group dinners of 10–12 people at various restaurants around Berlin. Participants will pay for their own dinner. For more information and the list of restaurants, please see the Dine-Around Event page.

Thank you to the TMAP Meeting attendees who volunteered to serve as a dinner captain for this event!

• Mattieu Aubert, SafeBrands (France)
• Michael Bradley, Bean,
• Kinney & Korman, P.C. (United States)
• Miguel Carpio, Carpio, Ochoa, Martinez & Brik, S.C. (Mexico)
• Sarah Domandl, LEMARIT GmbH (Germany)
• DennisEscalante, eproint.com (Costa Rica)
• Loyanna I. Grierson, Taft Stettinius & Hollister (United States)
  Irsa-Klingspiegl Gudrun, Schoenherr Rechstanwaelte GmbH (Austria)
• Ina-Mara Helbig, Unverzagt von Have (Germany)
• María Inés Herrera, BARLAW – Barrera & Asociados (Peru)
  Martin Kuechenthal, LEMARIT GmbH (Germany)
• Luana A. Muniz de Barros, Montaury Pimenta, Machado & Vieira de Mello (Brazil)
• Maria Prokhorova, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (Germany)
• Aglaya Salvatierra, Clarke, Modet & Co (Spain)
• Juanitasari Winaga, Januar Jahja & Partners (Indonesia)
• Marion Woods, Eversheds Sutherland (United States)

Registration and Information Desk Open
Stop by to pick up your meeting badge and bag.

Exhibition Hall Open
Stop by and meet the exhibitors. Explore the products and tools available to help you improve your team’s performance.

Welcome Coffee in the Exhibition Hall

Welcome Back and Overview for the Day

TMAP Meeting Co-Chairs:
Tracy Cooke, Electronic Arts Inc. (United States)
Susanne Ferstl, Maiwald Patentanwalts- und Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (Germany)

Session 8: Not Only Words … Options to Protect Nontraditional Trademarks

Get a glimpse of the types of nontraditional trademarks that exist around the world, learning about some of the most important cases that have arisen during the past year. We’ll discuss how these trendy marks are being addressed—with practical tips on how to protect them in different jurisdictions.

Moderator:
Ina-Mara Helbig, Unverzagt von Have (Germany)

Speakers:
Joshua Mandell, Rouse (China)
Daniela Rojas, Pirkey Barber PLLC (United States)
Iván Sempere, Padima (Spain)

Session 9: The Role of Trademark Administrators Around the World and “Crossing the Line”

Identify how TMAs are defined around the world—from Legal Assistants, Docketing Clerks, Paralegals, TMAs, Trade Mark Agents, and more.

Listen as TMAs discuss their current and emerging roles in trademark prosecution, maintenance, and enforcement, as well as how they avoid “crossing the line” as non-lawyers.

Moderators:
Michael Bradley, Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C. (United States)
Ahmed Youssef, Rouse & Co. International (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Speakers:
Tanya Hill, International Private Bank (St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands)
Olga Kalinovskaya, Bolotov & Partners LLP (Republic of Kazakhstan)
Maureen Manson, Celgene Corporation (United States)
Sylvia Pries, Unverzagt von Have (Germany)

Networking Break in the Exhibition Hall
Join us in the Exhibition Hall to meet for refreshments and networking!

Session 10: Genuine Use of Trademarks in the EU
Round up your effective trademark protection strategy by learning about the Dos and Don’ts for genuine use of trademarks in the EU. Refresh your memory and hear about recent case law of the competent authorities.

Moderator:
Susanne Ferstl, Maiwald Patentanwalts- und Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH (Germany)

Speakers:
Susanna Heurung, Maiwald Patentanwalts- und Rechtsanwalts-GmbH (Germany)

Networking Lunch

Quick Question & Answer Round: Do You Even Need to Use a Trademark Symbol?

Discuss with fellow meeting attendees sitting near you and be ready to share your thoughts!

Session 11: Defending Your Brand: Protected? What Next?
Set your brand in motion and explore available defensive strategies for your rights. Whether through precautious measures, maintenance of existing registrations, or legal actions against third parties.

Moderator:
Ahmed Youssef, Rouse & Co. International (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Speakers:
Lisa Ritchie, Philip Morris Products S.A (Switzerland)

Unreal Campaign
(CLE credit is not available for this session.)

Counterfeiting is rapidly spreading worldwide, posing health and safety dangers to all consumers, including teenagers and young adults. The Unreal Campaign is INTA’s consumer awareness initiative that educates young consumers about the dangers of purchasing counterfeit products and the importance of trademarks and brands. During this session, you’ll learn more about how to get involved and educate the leaders of tomorrow.

Speakers:
Michael Bradley, Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C. (United States)
Daniela Rojas, Pirkey Barber PLLC (United States)

Networking Break in the Exhibition Hall
Join us in the Exhibition Hall to meet for refreshments and networking!

Session 12: Brexit: What Happens Now?

In a post-Brexit world, learn about the current state of affairs in the trademark world.

Speaker:
Deborah Brincat, Procter & Gamble France SAS (France)

Session 13: Beyond Trademarks: Broadening Your Skill Set
(CLE credit is not available for this session.)

A panel of experienced paralegals will discuss the paths taken and choices made in order to advance their careers in the IP field.

Hear about how each of these professionals learned new skills, seized opportunities, and navigated their way to success.

Moderator:
Sonia Jolicoeur, Riot Games (United States)

Speakers:
Anne Bauschke, Dentons Europe LLP (Germany)
Deborah Brincat, Procter & Gamble France SAS (France)
Liza Garibaldi, Facebook, Inc. (United States)

Session 14: All Brand Stories Change
(CLE credit is not available for this session.)

How do you actively protect your trademark rights as the brand matures and changes over time?

Speaker:
Robert Sterner, AUDI AG (Germany)

Farewell Reception in the Exhibition Hall
Catch up one last time with meeting attendees, colleagues, and exhibitors before saying farewell to Berlin!