Volunteer Spotlight: Iván Sempere

Iván Sempere

Iván Sempere, partner and director of the legal department at PADIMA (Alicante, Spain), combines a passion for intellectual property (IP) law, teaching, INTA, and family, and is guided by a philosophy of “growing by learning.”

At PADIMA, Dr. Sempere specializes in design protection and enforcement. He is also a commercial mediator and legal expert in the intellectual property (IP) field, leading and coordinating IP enforcement actions for various national and international companies.

In addition, Dr. Sempere is an Honorific Commercial Law Doctor, and Professor of Law at the University of Alicante. And for good measure, he is Magister Lvcentinus in Intellectual Property (Alicante), a Spanish patent and trademark attorney, and a representative before the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office.

Dr. Sempere has been active at INTA for some time. He currently serves as vice chair of the Design Committee, and in the previous term he chaired the Designs Committee—Law & Practice Subcommittee. He describes his involvement in INTA leadership activities as exciting and enriching, highlighting his involvement in INTA trainings for intellectual property office (IPO) examiners as significant and at times life changing. In particular, he notes, these trainings have provided opportunities to share companies’ IP concerns and strategies and to raise awareness of the importance of IP in business among IPO employees.

As vice chair of the Design Committee, he has been working toward global harmonization in key issues like digital design protection, grace period recognition, unregistered design protection, and international protection means (particularly, the Hague Agreement). He believes that INTA should continue to promote IP among the younger generations with an eye to the future and an understanding of how the world is changing.

Dr. Sempere’s daily routine revolves around being a father, his work at PADIMA, his Design Committee responsibilities, and lecturing at the University of Alicante. He also carves out some time for sporting activities.

A passionate person, Dr. Sempere describes his engagement in INTA as follows: “Growing by learning, and not only from a professional point of view.”

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