ECTA Annual Conference preview: Explore the magic of IP in Prague
The ECTA Annual Conference is one of the premier gatherings in the field of intellectual property, held for the first time in 1986, and now a must-attend event for up to 900 IP colleagues from around the world.
This year, the conference will be held on June 28-July 1 2023 in Prague, the ‘City of Magic’. Mark these dates in your calendar and register before April 7 to benefit from the early bird fee.
You will have the opportunity to network with hundreds of IP colleagues worldwide, meet remarkable speakers, and catch up with ECTA friends.
The programme includes instructive sessions on the latest case law and IP trends, tailored workshops for young practitioners, exciting gatherings in the hottest spots, and Saturday excursions as the cherry on top.
New to the ECTA conference?
New members will benefit from a welcome by long-standing members at the first-time attendee reception ‘ECTA at a Glance’.
After the success of last year’s memorable conference in Copenhagen, we look forward to exploring the magic of IP in Prague, a city steeped in the alchemical arts, for the association’s 41st annual conference.
You can count on the usual friendly atmosphere of the ECTA Family and on a distinctive programme in which I am sure everyone will find something of interest.
On Wednesday, June 28, we kickstart with committee meetings (for committee members only), where impactful IP projects are worked on, updates on the latest case law are provided, and legislative and policy developments are discussed. ECTA committees are the backbone of our association and an invaluable opportunity to cooperate with numerous professionals and stay updated in your IP area of interest.
If you wish to become more active in the ECTA community, don’t miss out and meet committee Leaders at the committee booth during the conference.
On the same day, after the ECTA supervisory board’s exchange on more strategic aspects of our Association, you are all invited to attend the workshop on domain name and trade mark abuse and enjoy the welcome reception at Palace Zofin on the scenic Slovyansk (Slavic) Island.
Thursday, 29 June, will be the first of two immersive educational and networking days on the most relevant topics on the European IP agenda. We will look closely at the latest IP news and trends and what are the current forces driving the world of IP.
We will take a magic carpet ride through the online world, will be enlightened on what is contained in the long-awaited EU design reform package and will be given tricks and spells to tackle counterfeiting.
After heated discussions, newcomers are invited to raise a glass at ‘ECTA at a Glance’, a dedicated reception where long-standing members will bring them up to speed with ECTA activities and share their experience on how to get the most out of the conference. The day will conclude with a gourmet taste of Czech cuisine and beers at Red Stag, located downtown Prague.
On Friday, June 30, with parallel sessions we will double the morning’s educational offer and young practitioners are particularly invited to attend the session about the superpower of brands in sports. Experts will also take us through the alchemy of non-agri GIs, the works of applied arts, and geographical names as trademarks in light of the recent Iceland and Andorra cases.
We will then cross the lines into dark magic in a comparative session with the US on trade mark applications made in bad faith and trademarks contrary to public policy or to accepted principles of morality. To wrap up, the announcement by ECTA President of the ECTA Award 2022 winners, and an overview of the most influential EU cases.
The conference will close with the much-awaited ECTA Gala Dinner, this time at the Trade Fair Palace, a gem of Czech functionalist architecture praised by Le Corbusier.
Last but not least, ECTA friends can sign up for one of the typical ECTA Saturday excursions. This time you will have the chance to discover Prague Castle, UNESCO World Heritage site, or alternatively participate in a day trip outside of the city to the Gothic Castle of Karlštejn.
Get ready for another extraordinary ECTA Annual Conference! We look forward to seeing you all in Prague.
Carina Gommers is first vice-president at ECTA and a partner at Wiggin’s Brussels office. She can be contacted at: carina.gommers@wiggin.eu
ECTA contact details:
Rue des Colonies 18/24,Box 8, 8th Floor, BE-1000, Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32/2 513 52 85 Fax: + 32/2 513 09 14
E-mail: ecta@ecta.org
Website: www.ecta.org
LinkedIn: ECTA (official)
Twitter: @ECTABrussels
