The Future of Trademarks

In May 2006, nearly 8,000 delegates gathered in Toronto for the INTA’s 128th Annual Meeting to share ideas about IP trends in today’s globalised economy. This opportunity to network is key to the organisation, as INTA’s Daryl Grecich explains.

The International Trademark Association (INTA) was founded in New York in 1878 – when it was known as the United States Trademark Association (USTA) – by 17 merchants and manufacturers who wanted to: ‘protect and promote the rights of trademark owners, to secure useful legislation and to give aid and encouragement to all efforts for the advancement and observation of trademark rights.’ It was the first such association in the US, and since then has built up a membership of more than 4,900 trademark owners and IP professionals from more than 190 countries, many of whom were congregated at the 128th Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, in May this year.

For Daryl Grecich, INTA’s director of marketing and communications, the number of members comes as a direct result of what he sees as the organisation’s ongoing dedication to the trademark industry, not to mention the energy of its committee members, who play such an important role in shaping trademark legislation and practice: ‘INTA’s ongoing mission is to represent the trademark community, shape public policy and advance professional knowledge and development,’ says Daryl. ‘That’s why, 128 years after it was first formed, IP experts from all over the world are serving on our committees and sub-committees, driving the work of the association – and more are joining every year.’

A clear mission
‘INTA’s mission is based on four strategic drivers,’ says Daryl. ‘Firstly, “internationalisation” to reflect the scope and diversity of membership; secondly, “policy development and advocacy” to ensure we are driving policies on critical trademark and related rights around the world; thirdly, “education, information and services” to model the way we provide education and services to INTA members, IP professionals, public officials and the general public; and finally, “governance, leadership, membership and participation” to ensure that the association is driven forward through international leadership and participation.’

The one ‘must-attend’ meeting in the trademark professional’s calendar, the INTA annual meeting provides the association with the perfect opportunity to unite behind these four strategic drivers: ‘The schedule is packed with networking opportunities, both for delegates and committee members,’ says Daryl. ‘Simply by coming together to discuss the IP industry, we can ensure that our members are kept up-to-date with current challenges and future plans, and make sure that we are listening and responding to the needs of our members. Our committee members also get to put their heads together with their equivalents in other industries and territories around the world.

'INTA’s ongoing mission is to represent the trademark community, shape public policy and advance professional knowledge and development. That’s why, 128 years after it was first formed, IP experts from all over the world are serving on our committees and sub-committees, driving the work of the association.'

Every year, more than 7,000 participants from over 130 countries arrive at the INTA annual meeting to take advantage of five days of educational programmes, committee meetings, exhibits and social events, and this year was no exception. The 2006 INTA annual meeting in Toronto was jam-packed with skill-building workshops, industry breakouts, educational sessions, table topics, and exhibitors, such as CPA, featuring new products and cutting-edge demonstrations.

Toronto 2006
This year’s event took ‘cross-border trademark issues’ as its theme, so there was plenty of opportunity for delegates to explore international trademark issues from a variety of perspectives. As Paul W Reidl, president of INTA and associate general counsel at the E&J Gallo Winery highlighted when he opened the event: ‘The theme reflects the twenty-first-century reality that trademark protection is increasingly a global challenge.’

Popular sessions focused on current practices in anti-counterfeiting, customs and cross-border issues; new directives and regulations from the EU and further afield; comparisons of country trademark laws; and current issues in the regulatory environments of major fields, such as the pharmaceutical, tobacco and fashion industries. In the evening there were plenty of opportunities to continue the debate, with a whole host of receptions, cocktail parties and sightseeing tours, including INTA’s own ‘Grande Finale’ reception, which celebrated the success of the conference with most of the delegates aboard the HMS Liberty Grand.

Getting involved
Next year’s event is already being organised, Daryl tells me, and the venue is set to be in Chicago. IP professionals who would like to register for the 2007 event or find out more about the benefits of membership should visit the association’s website, www.inta.org. It contains details of the six membership categories available to applicants, including two new forms of membership targeted at professors and students, and the corresponding membership fees. Each type of membership brings its own level of entry to INTA and its committees, but discounted entry to the annual conference and free access to INTA’s online resources come as standard.

A SHORT HISTORY OF INTA

1878 US Trademark association (USTA) holds its first meeting in New York

1879 USTA works to expedite passage of the US Trademark act of 1881 and helps revise the act again in 1905

1906 Argentina invites USTA to comment on its national trademark law

1908 Ecuador asks USTA to propose a trademark law for that country; the proposal becomes the model for other South American trademark laws

1926 The association becomes a not-for-profit member organisation

1949 USTA’s advocacy leads to the creation of the Model State Trademark Bill (MSTB), which still serves as the foundation for the trademark statutes in 49 US states

1954 The first USTA committee, the Information committee, is created

1980 USTA is accredited by WIPO and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTaD)

1993 USTA votes to change its name to the International Trademark Association to reflect the diversity of its membership

1994 INTA participates in the drafting of the Trademark Law Treaty establishing standards for registration and renewal of trademarks

1995 The US congress passes the Federal Trademark Dilution Act (FTDA), as a result of one of INTA’s initiatives

1995 The agreement on Trade-Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) comes into effect. INTA serves as the voice of trademark owners before the WTO on IP Rights

1999 INTA plays an instrumental role in the creation of ICANN’s Uniform dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) to safeguard against the bad faith registration of domain names

1999 WIPO adopts a resolution on the protection of well-known marks, which INTA was instrumental in developing

2005 The US house of Representatives passes the Trademark Dilution Revision Act, which was supported by INTA

This article first appeared in IP Review, issue 15