Inside INTA London and the IP ‘carnival’

Against a backdrop of rooftop receptions, hot-topic debates, hectic networking, and cross-city navigation, WIPR brings you highlights and key talking points from the world’s largest IP conference.

Last week, the global IP community descended on London for the first International Trademark Association Annual Meeting held in the UK capital in more than 35 years.

Despite ominous weather forecasts in the run-up, the rain largely held off as more than 10,000 delegates from 180 countries packed into a hectic five-day event over the bank holiday weekend.

For many attendees, INTA 2026 was as much about London as the conference itself. From rooftop receptions overlooking the spectacular skyline, to late-night networking in historic venues across Soho, Mayfair and the City, delegates appeared determined to make the most of being back in London.

Even persistent transport frustrations around the conference venue—with crowded Elizabeth (Tube) line services, DLR (Docklands Light Railway) disruption and lengthy journeys across the capital—did little to dampen the mood.

Must-watch interviews

The WIPR team was at the heart of the action, delivering rolling coverage with real-time highlights, key takeaways and developments as they unfolded.

The team also published a series of exclusive video interviews with leading in-house counsel, policymakers and practitioners from across the global IP community.

Among them were Marylauren Ilagan, senior counsel and head of IP at luxury haircare brand Olaplex, who shared key takeaways from the in-house community; John Ward, vice president and associate general counsel of trademarks at Moderna, who revealed his team’s AI-first strategy, and more.

Constantin Eikel of Bird & Bird shared his top London tips, while Rob Cumming of Appleyard Lees reflected on the ‘INTA carnival’ and explained why his word of 2026 is ‘lizard’.

Global brands and AI risks

In-house leaders offered insight into managing globally recognised brands at enormous scale.

Starbucks’ IP chief Russ Jacobs discussed the challenges of protecting one of the world’s most recognisable retail brands across more than 35,000 stores, while Virgin Group general counsel Bill Budd reflected on balancing licensing, enforcement and AI-related risks for one of the world’s most unconventional companies.

Several themes dominated the agenda at London’s ExCeL conference centre, with artificial intelligence and the future of brand protection looming large throughout the week.

US Patent and Trademark Office director John Squires told delegates that applicants are “increasingly connecting trademarks to identity” as the agency reacts to a surge in personal brand filings in response to the threat posed by AI and deepfakes.

Prosus AI expert and panellist Tara Harris urged brands to rethink enforcement and crisis management strategies before synthetic media threats escalate further.

The risks associated with AI-driven marketing also featured heavily, with sessions exploring ‘AI washing’, manipulative design practices and so-called ‘dark patterns’.

But there was good news too: while many children are just discovering their interests, we heard how one 12-year-old student inventor is using AI and technology to turn ideas into something more.

And UK government minister Kanishka Narayan praised IP as a strategic economic tool, with the ability to unlock growth.

Dupe culture and non-traditional marks

Brand enforcement in the age of ‘dupe culture’ was another major talking point.

Counsel from FIFA, Alo and other major brands discussed the explosive growth of lookalike products and whether trademark law can realistically keep pace with social media-fuelled trends that increasingly blur the line between inspiration and infringement.

Elsewhere, colour trademarks once again proved one of the most commercially valuable—and legally contentious—areas of brand protection. Mondelēz counsel shared lessons from safeguarding iconic colours associated with brands such as Cadbury, underlining the enduring strategic importance of non-traditional trademarks.

Industry culture and what comes next

Beyond enforcement and technology, several sessions focused on the IP profession itself.

Panels examined how workplaces are attempting to bridge generational divides, while senior figures from Meta, Hugo Boss and the Swedish IP Office discussed the barriers still affecting gender equality across the industry.

INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo confirmed widespread speculation that San Diego will host INTA 2027, bringing the event back to one of its most popular US destinations—and one that even the most ardent fan of the UK’s capital would admit is considerably easier to navigate.

Amid the action and hectic to-ing and fro-ing, it’s no wonder our sturdy yet stylish London/WIPR-themed bags became the unexpected must-have accessory of the event.

One attendee summed it up neatly: “Such a useful bag. It even carried our jackets on our flight back to Germany.”

But after more than three decades away, London’s return as host city appeared to leave a strong impression on attendees—even if many departed with sore feet.

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