INTA Elects Zeeger Vink as 2022 President, Approves Four Resolutions

New York, New York—November 22, 2021—The International Trademark Association (INTA) is pleased to announce the election of Zeeger Vink as the 2022 President of the Association and the Chair of its Board of Directors.

Mr. Vink is intellectual property director at MF Brands Group, the Swiss group that owns the fashion and lifestyle brands LACOSTE, GANT, AIGLE, TECNIFIBRE and THE KOOPLES. In this role he oversees the brands’ global intellectual property (IP) function and leads a team of IP professionals responsible for all prosecution, clearance, and enforcement work.

Assuming his one-year term on January 1, 2022, Mr. Vink takes the helm at a pivotal moment for the Association, as it begins the implementation of its 2022–2025 Strategic Plan. The Plan, which involved a multi-year process to develop, includes an updated mission statement and three strategic directions that will guide all of INTA’s activities over the next four years:

Mr. Vink succeeds Tiki Dare, vice president and associate general counsel at Oracle Corporation, based in Redwood City, California.

“As we continue to emerge from the pandemic and adapt to a new normal, I look forward to 2022 with optimism for INTA and the global IP community. This optimism stems from the incredible job that Tiki has done leading the Association in 2021, for which I am deeply grateful,” said Mr. Vink.

The new Strategic Plan, he added, “presents a clear vision for our future, and new opportunities to bring positive impact to the IP community and society-at-large.”

INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo noted: “In addition to his vast experience working with global brands, Zeeger brings a strong interest in the creation and protection of IP as a commercial asset an area that is of increasing and critical importance.

“No doubt, this will prove invaluable during the first year of the 2022–2025 Strategic Plan. We are fortunate to have Zeeger leading INTA as we begin a new chapter for our Association and community.”

In the past year, Mr. Vink has served as the chair of the Planning Committee and Advocacy Group, and as a member of the Executive and Finance Committees. He has been a member of INTA’s Board since 2015.

Prior to joining MF Brands Group in 2010, Mr. Vink was in-house IP counsel at L’OREAL in France. He started his career as an attorney, practicing in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. He holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Amsterdam, with specializations in IP law and marketing. He is the author of The Great Catapult, a business book focused on IP.

The Board elected Mr. Vink and the 2022 INTA Officers during its quarterly Board meeting, held on November 15 to 16, during the Association’s 2021 Annual Meeting Virtual+. The 2022 Officers are:

President-Elect: Jomarie Fredericks (Rotary International, US)
Vice President: Dana Northcott (Amazon.com, Inc., US)
Vice President: Elisabeth Bradley (Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, US)
Treasurer: Deborah Hampton (The Chemours Company FC, LLC, US)
Secretary: Louis Chan (UL International, Singapore)

At the same meeting, the Board approved four Board Resolutions, related to (1) non-traditional marks, (2) conflicts between copyright and trademark law, (3) data access, and (4) the Model State Trademark Bill in the United States. These key policy documents establish the Association’s position on an issue and guide its advocacy on that issue moving forward.

Through the fourth resolution, the Board adopted a revised version of INTA’s Model State Trademark Bill, which has served as an effective reference document for the Association to provide guidance to government policy officials and legislatures in the United States. It is the fourth time that the Association has revised the bill. The first time was in 1949 when the United States Trademark Association (now INTA) promulgated the Model State Trademark Bill, and the most recent revision was in 2007. Currently, 46 U.S. states have adopted some version of the Model State Trademark Bill.

The decision to institute substantial revisions followed notable developments in U.S. trademark law, including amendments to the Lanham Act and U.S. Supreme Court decisions addressing inconsistencies between the Lanham Act and protections contained in the U.S. Constitution.

The new revisions cover six specific changes, two of which are based on principles grounded in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and apply equally to the states under the Fourteenth Amendment.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors and entire INTA membership, I extend our gratitude to the volunteers serving on the U.S. Subcommittee of the Legislation and Regulation Committee who undertook the meticulous work aligning the Bill with contemporary laws,” said Mr. Sanz de Acedo. “The adoption of the Model State Trademark Bill is a notable achievement for the Association and a testament to its history of effective advocacy in the United States.”

In other news during the 2021 Annual Meeting Virtual+, INTA unveiled its 2022–2025 Strategic Plan, and the Association’s plans to hold its 2022 Annual Meeting, April 30 to May 4, in person at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., plus a virtual component.

About the International Trademark Association (INTA)
The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation. Members include nearly 6,500 organizations, representing more than 34,350 individuals (trademark owners, professionals, and academics) from 185 countries, who benefit from the Association’s global trademark resources, policy development, education and training, and international network. Founded in 1878, INTA is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Beijing, Brussels, Santiago, Singapore, and Washington, D.C., and a representative in New Delhi. For more information, visit inta.org.