Synopsis
Today’s global economy provides a world of opportunity for smart businesses – both large and small – selling goods and services beyond their national borders.
Globalization and technological developments have provided even the smallest of enterprises with unprecedented access to export markets. However, operating in international markets means competing on the world stage. In a competitive market, a strong brand can be your best commercial asset – helping you to build consumer loyalty and command premium prices.
The demand for consumer goods and services has also created an ever-increasing supply of similar, often illegally-copied, products and services. Registering your mark internationally - so as to protect and differentiate your products and services from those of competitors - is both the first step in protecting your commercial interests abroad and an integral part of any successful global business strategy.
Exporting businesses, small and large, need a reliable, convenient and cost-effective mechanism to protect trademarks in markets of interest. The Madrid System, administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is providing the world one-stop solution for trademark holders to obtain and maintain protection in 113 countries. With the recent accession of Cambodia and Laos, and the future joining of the 5 other countries of the ASEAN, the Madrid system provides a unique solution to protect your brand in the region and in the most important trade partners. This panel presentation will explain how the system works and the potential benefits for businesses.
Professor Calboli will introduce the speakers and act as a moderator for the debate questions following the lecture.
Speaker
Peter Willimott is an experienced intellectual property expert, having worked for the Australian IP Office and with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) for a combined total of 15 years. His main area of expertise lies in the IP communications field where he has led a number of large projects both in Australia and in the Asia Pacific region. At WIPO his role as Senior Program Officer requires him to work with governments and businesses throughout the region in order to increase IP awareness, understanding and strategic use of the global IP systems.
Before joining WIPO, he worked as the Director of IP Australia’s Marketing & Customer Engagement Section. In this position he was responsible for the development and implementation of a range of outreach strategies and resources designed to raise awareness of IP issues amongst the business and general community in Australia. Mr Willimott has also worked for one of the largest law firms in Australia, as well as a host of other Australian Government organizations.
Commentator
Candice Kwok has been practicing since 2000 in Singapore. Candice is admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, and a member of The State Bar of California. Candice advises clients in the selection, registration, protection, maintenance and enforcement of their trademarks. Candice is also experienced in civil litigation and international commercial arbitration, and serves on a Committee of the International Trademark Association. Candice is described by the World Trademark Review 1000 2016 as a counsel who “consistently delivers pragmatic, on-point advice in tricky prosecution and strategy engagements”, and was also recommended in the 2015, 2014 and 2013 editions. Candice has been named as an 'IP Star' by Managing Intellectual Property in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Candice was also listed as a ‘Trademark Leader’ by the World IP Review Leaders in 2016.
Samantha Yio is a Trade Mark Examiner at the Trade Mark Registry of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) since 2006. She is experienced in examining both domestic trade mark applications as well as international registrations. She was seconded to WIPO from 2012-2014 as a Trade Mark Examiner specializing in international applications. Since her return, she has served as a contact person between IPOS and WIPO on trade mark matters.
Philip Zender is a partner with Squire Patton Boggs. He is the US practice group leader of the Technology Transactions and Brands Management groups within the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice, as well as the Media & Brands industry group. He also co-leads the firm’s global Data Privacy & Cybersecurity group. Philip has more than 25 years of experience counseling clients on intellectual property matters and business and commercial transactions with a particular emphasis on transactions and legal issues involving intellectual property and technology. His practice includes advising clients regarding domestic and international trademark protection and branding strategies, including assistance with trademark selection and clearance, trademark registration, portfolio planning and management, policing and enforcement.
Moderator
Irene Calboli is Lee Kong Chian Fellow, Visiting Professor, and the Deputy Director of the Applied Research Centre for Intellectual Assets and the Law in Asia (ARCIALA), School of Law, Singapore Management University. She is also a Professor of Law at Texas A&M University School of Law. Professor Calboli started her academic career at the University of Bologna and has held visiting positions at the King’s College London, the University of California Berkeley, the University Complutense, and the Max-Planck-Institute for Innovation and Competition. Most recently, she was a visiting professor at the Faculty of Law of the National University of Singapore. Irene’s scholarship focuses on the intersection between intellectual property and international trade. Her recent books include TRADEMARK PROTECTION AND TERRITORIALITY CHALLENGES IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY (Edward Elgar, 2014, with E. Lee), DIVERSITY IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: IDENTITIES, INTERESTS, AND INTERSECTIONS (Cambridge University Press, 2015, with S. Ragavan), and RESEARCH HANDBOOK ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY EXHAUSTION AND PARALLEL IMPORTS (Edward Elgar, forthcoming 2016, with E. Lee).
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