HIGHLIGHTS FROM ANTI-COUNTERFEITING & BRAND PROTECTION

Keynotion’s Anti-Counterfeiting & Brand Protection Summit took place 19th-20th April 2018, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Organised by Kartik Shekar, Conference Producer – Keynotion, this summit saw professionals from legal & commercial backgrounds speak about some of the most relevant topics in this industry.

Day 1

LEGAL AND GOVERNMENT AVENUES IN DEFENCE OF BRAND ABUSE

Susan Wilson, U.S. Intellectual Property Attaché – U.S. Department of Commerce, joined the summit as chairperson for day 1. Susan opened with an enlightening keynote speech which set the tone for the days ahead. Not only this but throughout the summit, Susan was engaging with all participants & took an active role during Q&A sessions portraying her wealth of experience along with humour. Mathieu Maes, Secretary General – ICC Belgium, discussed ‘Counterfeiting Goods In The World’ used this topic to showcase his vast knowledge of this industry on a global scale.

Ana Ramalho, Assistant Professor of Intellectual Property Law – Maastricht University, had some of the highest engagement from attendees when presenting a case study of ‘EU Direction on IP Protection’. Attendees were interested in the topic & the content provided. Ana allowed for questions during the presentation which lead to great discussions throughout. Jos Klaus, Attorney-at-law – BarentsKrans, lead an ‘Expert Talk’ detailing efficiently combatting IP infringement by addressing online intermediaries with a practical approach. Jos held strong opinions in this area & was refreshing to hear speak.

Theresa Conduah Managing Counsel – Toyota Motor North America, lead a separate ‘Expert Talk’ with WEB marketplaces – management of IP Infringing goods. Therese reference companies such as eBay & Alibaba & the issues they face with counterfeiting which grabbed the attention of all attendees.

The Panel Discussion ‘Break out session feedback from audience discussion’ with Thomas L. Lederer, Director – Patent Attorney – Chapman IP, Marlous Stal-Hilders, Managing partner – NLO SHIELDMARK, Jos Klaus, Attorney-at-law – BarentsKrans & Jos Klaus, Attorney-at-law – BarentsKrans, received great feedback due to the intimate setting. This allowed for more direct interactions throughout. Marek Piergies, Head of Brand Security EMEA – Hewlett Packard Enterprise & Bastian Moritz, Senior Investigator – HPE joined forces to provide a case study analysis ‘Taking The Legal Route Against IP Infringers’ which was from a more commercial standpoint creating an interesting dynamic.

Kymberli Stewart, Global Brand Protection Solutions – SGS provided a cultural viewpoint of counterfeits in the Asian market, taking her experience from time spent living & working in China during ‘Beyond Legal: How To Craft A Secure Supply Chain & Distribution Strategy’. Adding an entertaining & much-appreciated aspect to the presentation, Kymberli posed a question to the audience rewarding the correct answer with macaroons from Paris.

BUSINESS SUPPORT TO BRAND PROTECTION

As Philips is a major player in the technology industry many people were eagerly anticipating the case study of Jan De Visser, Senior Director Brand Protection – Philips, covering ‘Business Strategies In Brand Protection’ with industry insights on IP infringement. Jan did not disappoint.

Day 2

Michael Browne, IP Lawyer joined Corporate Parity as chairman for day 2 providing interesting insights along with support for the remaining sessions. Ritesh Kumar Arora, Global Head of Marketplaces and Brand Protection – KF Beauty, opened with a fresh opinion when it comes to the major online platforms during ‘Effective Strategies To Chase & Stop Counterfeiting Rings’. Many argued that such platforms were not doing enough in deterring counterfeiting but enabling it in some respects. Ritesh highlighted that many of the platforms mentioned actually created & enforced a counterfeit protocol to protect other brands whereby if a complaint is made a certain amount of time is given to prove ownership or the product will be removed.

TECHNOLOGY ENABLEMENT AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Olivia Mazzucotelli, Global Relationship Manager – MarkMonitor, covered ‘E-Commerce Platforms: The Evolving Landscape of IP Crime’ raising many controversial points relating to brand protection. This presentation was the centre of great discussions from all perspectives of the industry. Sebastiaan Passtoors, Director International Development & CISO – CRΔNIUM, is a seasoned professional when it comes to presenting & discussing topics in detail. Sebastiaan highlighted ‘The Influence of Information Security On Brand Value’ during which there was humour, engagement & an informal relaxed setting for all attendees to enjoy the presentation.

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