IP Protect Expo is launching its 2014 conference which provides a variety of seminars and training sessions dealing with intellectual property and brand protection, on and off-line. It brings together brands, content owners and designers from across the world, as well as many in the field of intellectual property.
The third IP Protect Expo will run at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London on March 11 and 12, 2014. The event is hosted by ACG (UK Anti-Counterfeiting Group) and its partners include the Intellectual Property Office and many of the main industry associations and law enforcement bodies. In 2013 the event had 500 participants and around 50 exhibitors.
With speakers from Nintendo, Hunter Boot, Charming Music, Tangle Teezer, Alibaba, Beiersdorf, Hewlett Packard, Epson and Trunki, delegates can learn from others about the challenges faced by rights owners across the world. Speakers will share their issues and the practical solutions and programmes they have developed in the fight against the counterfeiters, pirates and fraudsters.
With a focus on internet protection, IP Protect Expo offers a range of seminars and workshops from gTLDs (generic Top Level Domains) and partnership between rights owners, payment providers and law enforcement, to case studies and industry sessions including the film, music and games industries. Security packaging plays an important part in the programme with seminars on security inks, track and trace, fashion labelling and mobile apps. Other topics include 3D printing, China, Free Trade Zones, the Middle East and the US. The programme also covers a review of the latest changes to design rights legislation by Bill Trott and Clare Hurley from the Intellectual Property Office, as well as a review of copyright legislation by Ben Challis of Charming Music. The Intellectual Property Office with Tangle Teezer are also running a session for SMEs.
Supported by an extensive law enforcement exhibition in a restricted law enforcement networking area, the conference also offers seminars supporting closer cooperation between law enforcement and IP rights owners. These include sessions delivered by FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft), IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industries), the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit and Interpol. In addition Hewlett Packard are sponsoring a drinks party on March 11 between 5pm and 7pm at the Business Design Centre to promote public – private partnership. All rights owners and law enforcement officers are cordially invited.
This year sector specific conference programmes have been developed, including, designers, copyright and trademark owners, as well as those with a special interest in on-line, security packaging and law. These tailored programmes should make it easier for interest groups to navigate the full programme.
Conference ticket prices start from £65-£100 + VAT for a single day ticket for law enforcement officers and IP rights owners respectively.
For any rights owners or law enforcement officers who cannot spare the time to attend a full day conference, the option remains to visit the exhibition free and participate in a number of discussion sessions and workshops, as well as visit the exhibition stands. Complimentary sessions include the Intellectual Property Office’s help desks for companies interested in trading in India, Brazil, China and South East Asia, MarkMonitor are running a help desk on gTLDs, AlpVision are demonstrating smart phone authentication and Epstein Drangel are providing their top 10 tips for brand protection in the US.
There are also two sponsored workshops, offering free training to all IP rights owners: MarkMonitor: ‘From improbable to inevitable – it’s time to prepare your brand for the new gTLD’s, and the new internet’; and Procter & Gamble: ‘Rooting Out Rogue On-line Merchants: Anti-Counterfeiting Tactics for the Modern Era’.
For the first time, ACG (UK Anti-Counterfeiting Group) are running their popular annual London IP Training Day on March 11, in parallel to the Expo. This event usually attracts 40 rights owners and 150 law enforcement officers.
Notes:
Full conference programme is available at http://www.ip-protectexpo.com/conference-programme.htm.
Tailored programmes for designers, copyright owners, trademark owners/ brands, law firms, law enforcement, security packaging and on-line are available at http://www.ip-protectexpo.com/programmes-by-sector.htm
A list of free sessions and help desks for visitors of the exhibition are available at http://www.ip-protectexpo.com/free-sessions.htm
