International Trademark Association

The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a worldwide not-for-profit association of member companies and firms that supports and advances trademarks and intellectual property as elements of fair and effective global commerce.

History

INTA, first known as the United States Trademark Association (USTA), was established in November of 1878 in New York City by 17 merchants and manufacturers to protect and to promote the rights of trademark owners, to secure useful legislation, and to give aid and encouragement to all efforts for the advancement and observance of trademark rights.

In 1908, the Association became a business corporation under the Business Corporation Law of the State of New York, and it was given broad powers to act for the protection of trademarks in the United States and around the world.

In 1926, the USTA became a not-for-profit member organization.

In 1946, the USTA worked in support of the Lanham Act, which remains the federal trademark law in the United States. The Act defines a trademark as “any word, name, symbol, or device of any combination thereof adopted by a manufacturer or merchant to define his goods and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others.”

In 1949, USTA’s advocacy led to the creation of the Model State Trademark Bill (MSTB) in response to the threat of mandatory state trademark registration and legislation. The MSTB served, and still serves, as the foundation for trademark statutes across the U.S. and provides a set of standards for the establishment, maintenance and enforcement of U.S. trademark rights.

In 1985, the USTA created a Trademark Review Commission to review the U.S. trademark system, including the Lanham Act, and to recommend updates to meet the changing intellectual property landscape. As a result of advocacy by the USTA in 1990, following two years of study, Congress enacted the Trademark Law Revision Act.

In 1993, the Association changed its name to the International Trademark Association to reflect the diversity of its membership and the breadth of its activities.

In 1995, with the support of INTA, The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which stresses the importance of harmonization of enforcement standards, went into effect under the jurisdiction of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In 1996, INTA successfully urged passage of the United States Congress to pass the Federal Trademark Dilution Act (FTDA), a federal statute meant to prevent the dilution of the value of famous trademarks by blurring or tarnishment.

In 2003, INTA held its first Annual Meeting outside North America in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Also in 2003, INTA opened its Shanghai, China, representative office.

In 2005, The Association released a Model Free Trade Agreement to provide the parties of free trade agreements with a set of baseline proposals to consider when negotiating trademark-related provisions.

In 2006, INTA led the campaign to enact a new U.S. trademark dilution statute that protects famous marks from uses that blur their distinctiveness or tarnish their reputation. The bill was signed into law on October 6, 2006.

Also in 2006, INTA opened a representative office Brussels, Belgium.

In 2007, INTA expanded its representation and commitment to internationalization by hiring a representative consultant in Mumbai, India.

Activities

INTA’s strategy for supporting and advancing trademark and intellectual property protection falls into three main categories: Information & Publishing, Education & Training, and Policy Development & Advocacy.

• Information & Publishing

INTA offers a vast collection of resources for its members. These include Country Portals, country-specific online trademark information with links to INTA content and external trademark-related information, as well as several searchable databases that offer basic and practical information on a breadth of countries and their respective trademark practices.

INTA also has two publications, available in print and online: The Trademark Reporter®, a bi-monthly scholarly journal that explores all aspects of trademark law, and the INTA Bulletin, a bi-weekly newsletter that provides up-to-date news on Association issues, trends in trademark law practice and procedure, and legislative activity and business developments that affect trademarks in more than 180 countries.

• Education & Training

INTA offers numerous conferences, forums, roundtables and workshops that bring trademark professionals together from around the world to discuss trademark and IP law and practice. This open dialogue helps foster a global trademark community that is informed and prepared to meet the challenges of IP protection and helps members to do their job.

• Policy Development & AdvocacyINTA's expertise on trademark issues influences public policy makers around the world. As a leading advocate for the interests of trademark owners, INTA works to promote effective trademark laws and policies worldwide and harmonize their implementation. The Association, often in cooperation with other national, regional and international intellectual property organizations, encourages the adoption of and adherence to trade agreements and multinational treaties, acknowledging that trademark protection encompasses broad trade concerns. INTA promotes these efforts and carries out its public policy mission through a number of vehicles, including, amicus briefs, advocacy, reports, and model laws and trademark examination guidelines.

INTA's Locations

INTA is headquartered in New York City, and also has offices in Shanghai and Brussels.

INTA's Annual Meeting

INTA’s largest and most highly-attended event is its Annual Meeting, which dates back to 1878. The Meeting regularly attracts more than 8,000 participants from around the globe. The Meeting consists of five days of networking, educational and professional development opportunities, as well as committee meetings and exhibits.

The Meeting has an exhibition hall featuring new products and cutting-edge demonstrations. The schedule is often packed with networking opportunities, making the INTA Annual Meeting the only place where trademark professionals can network with thousands of their colleagues and keep up-to-date on everything that goes on in the industry.

See also

* Intellectual property organization
* Trademark attorney

External links

* [http://www.inta.org/ INTA Homepage]