Trade shows can provide opportunities for both the willful and unintentional infringement of intellectual property (IP) rights. The transient nature of these events presents challenges for rights holders to discover the infringement, take action against it, or, in some cases, even determine against whom to assert their legal rights.
The USPTO is hosting this public roundtable to discuss approaches, strategies, and effective practices for addressing the kinds of infringement that most often occur at trade fairs and shows, including the infringement of copyrights, designs, patents, and trademarks. Topics to be explored will include:
- how U.S. government agencies and the courts can be used effectively when IP rights are infringed at a trade show,
- legal measures and strategies available to rights holders before, during, and after a trade show,
- recent and anticipated trends and challenges faced by rights holders and trade show operators.
In addition, speakers—who will represent academia, civil and criminal litigation practice, rights holder and industry associations, and the U.S. government—will offer their insights, along with case studies and legal strategies that have been successfully employed to remove allegedly infringing goods from a trade show venue.
Federal Register Notice:
Additional details about the meeting appear in the Federal Register Notice, published on September 14, 2017.
Registration:
The meeting is open to members of the public to attend on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is free, and is required to attend the meeting in person in Alexandria, Virginia. Registration can be done online in advance of the meeting, and may also be available on site one half hour on the day of the meeting, space permitting.
Agenda:
Click here for the agenda.
Additional information:
For non-press inquiries, please contact Kortney Hammonds at the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs, telephone (571) 272-1500, email kortney.hammonds@uspto.gov.