Today’s News Roundup – September 6, 2023 - International Trademark Association

Designs Committee to Host Policy Dialogue on EU Design Reform

INTA’s Designs Committee will host a policy dialogue in Brussels, Belgium, on September 7. The event will be moderated by Ivan Sempere (PADIMA, Spain) and Sandra Bauwens (Arnold & Siedsma, Belgium), and will bring together IP offices, EU institutions, designs attorneys, and design owners to discuss upcoming designs legislation and how it will improve conditions for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to innovate and be competitive. The discussion will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to share views on the EU Design Reform, its implications for the Hague System, and its promise to create a more accessible system for SMEs.

~ Erica Vaccarello, Advisor, Policy & Special Projects, INTA

Non-Traditional Marks Hosts Virtual Session for IP Offices in Southeast Europe

The Europe and Central Asia Subcommittee of the Non-Traditional Marks Committee hosted a virtual event on nontraditional marks for several IP offices in Southeast Europe in early July. Officials from the Bosnian Institute for Intellectual Property, the Bulgarian Patent Office, the Greek Intellectual Property Office, the Serbian Intellectual Property Office, and the Turkish Trademark and Patent Office participated in the event. Joining the discussion, the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shared information on its consolidated approach to protecting nontraditional marks.

The event kicked off with presentations from Virginia Melgar, Chairperson of the 5th Board of Appeal (EUIPO) and Non-Traditional Marks Committee member Stefanos Tsimikalis (Tsimikalis Kalonarou Law Firm, Greece). This was followed by an open forum on the broad topic of nontraditional marks, moderated by Non-Traditional Marks Committee member Peter Dawson (Wiggin LLP, United Kingdom).

The event, which also included a presentation on INTA’s Model Guidelines on the Examination of Non-Traditional Marks, was organized by Gokce Izgi (Moroglu Arseven, Turkey), Elena Miler (Bojinov & Bojinova, Bulgaria), Gordana Pavlovic (Cabinet Pavlovic, Serbia), Vladimir Trey (Trey Legal, Russia), and Mr. Tsimikalis.

~ Members of the Europe and Central Asia Subcommittee of the Non-Traditional Marks Committee

INTA Visits Anticounterfeit Authority of Kenya to Discuss Potential Areas of Collaboration

INTA’s Africa Consultant, Hazel Okoth, and INTA Board Member Lorna Mbatia (CFL Advocates, Kenya) met with officials from the Anti-Counterfeit Authority of Kenya (ACA) on August 8, at the ACA Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting served as a platform to discuss potential areas of collaboration between INTA and the ACA on public awareness of issues related to intellectual property (IP), enforcement, research on specific IP issues, and information sharing. Discussions focused on revamping the Memorandum of Understanding between the ACA and INTA and emphasized the mutual benefits of closer cooperation between the two organizations. INTA highlighted the significance of its advocacy and educational activities and emphasized its commitment to protecting IP rights and contributing to the enforcement of these rights not only in Kenya but globally.

—Hazel Okoth, Africa Consultant, INTA

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.