Conference preview: IACC 2019 Annual Spring Conference
With counterfeiters’ ever-changing tactics, it takes ingenuity, innovation, and formative partnerships to find solutions to the global problem.
Taking place in Boston from May 15 to May 17, the theme of this year’s conference is “Welcome to the Revolution: Fighting Fakes in the 21st Century”. This conference is particularly momentous as it marks IACC’s 40th anniversary.
In addition to new and exciting workshops and sessions, the IACC will be hosting special events and creating new material that will celebrate the organisation’s past, present and future.
Attendees, who will be traveling from more than 40 countries, will have the opportunity to listen to keynote speakers from a variety of industries as well as the IACC’s leadership and executive team.
Discussions will cover recent anti-counterfeiting successes, best practices in collaboration and partnership, and up-to-date information on IP trends and solutions.
Derek Benner, the acting executive associate director for Homeland Security Investigations within US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has been invited to serve as one of the event’s keynote speakers.
Panel discussions and workshops
Panels of note include “IACC MarketSafe Expansion Program Information Session”, which will take a deep dive into the IACC’s one-of-a-kind collaboration with Alibaba, and “IACC-Amazon Program Informational Session”, which will provide an update on the progress made since the IACC and Amazon launched a partnership to enhance collaboration and anti-counterfeiting efforts.
Other panel topics include “Evolution of Brand Protection: Where It Has Been, Where It Is Going, Were It Needs to Go”, “Brand Protection as a Total Business Solution”, “Online Intelligence to Actionable Offline Enforcement”, and “Emerging Abuse Trend Online”.
Attendees will also have access to a number of practical workshops, including “Success by Design” and “Data Analytics: Metrics, Modelling and Sharing”.
There will also be roundtable workshops, which take place in a small group setting, providing attendees with an opportunity to develop relationships and discuss individual issues with representatives from e-commerce marketplaces, social media, emerging platforms and other partners.
Workshop hosts include Alibaba/Lazada, Amazon, DHgate, eBay, Facebook, Mastercard, Mercado Libre, and Visa.
Through a series of networking receptions, attendees will have the opportunity to come together and tap into each other’s innovative ideas, expertise, and resources.
To close the event, there will be a “Trending Worldwide” panel, in which the US Patent and Trademark Office’s IP attachés will provide an update on important developments around the world, including new legislation and regulations, evolving tactics and trends, and tips to navigate various international IP regimes.
This year’s event is co-chaired by Rich Kaeser (Johnson & Johnson), Jeremy Wilson (Michigan State University), Shelley Duggan (Procter & Gamble), and John Carriero (Under Armour).
To register for the conference, click here.
