The International Trademark Association (INTA) has announced a list of industry leading member volunteers who will serve on its committees for the 2018 to 2019 term. Committee members, together with INTA staff, contribute their expertise to addressing issues such as advocacy of trademarks and brand owner rights, resources dedicated to intellectual property advancement, communication and implementation of INTA’s strategic objectives, and planning educational programs and events.

Eight Tilleke & Gibbins lawyers have been appointed to serve as INTA committee members. They are as follows:

• Darani Vachanavuttivong – Harmonization of Trademark Law and Practice Committee, which evaluates efforts on national, regional and international levels through treaties, trade agreements, special conventions and other nonbinding instruments that relate to trademark law and practice.
• Thomas J. Treutler – Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee, which evaluate treaties, laws, regulations and procedures relating to protection for famous and well-known marks, and also focuses on developing and advocating policies and positions to advance balanced protection of famous and well-known marks.
• Alan Adcock – Emerging Issues Committee, which identifies and advocates INTA’s policy regarding important trends and emerging issues related to trademarks and not covered by other committees.
• Loc Xuan Le – Parallel Imports Committee, which advocates on behalf of trademark owners facing parallel import issues, and fixes and advocates policy on the application of the principle of exhaustion to goods distributed in a jurisdiction other than that originally intended.
• Linh Thi Mai Nguyen – Trademark Office Practices Committee, which evaluates and suggests improvements to trademark office practices, procedures, operations, and regulations at the national, regional, and international level.
• Somboon Earterasarun – Legislation and Regulation Committee, which analyzes legislative and regulatory developments and identifies deficiencies in existing laws and regulations relating to trademarks and unfair competition, drafts proposed legislation and regulations, and advocates INTA’s existing policy positions to relevant government officials.
• Wiramrudee Mokkhavesa – Anticounterfeiting Committee, which develops and advocates INTA’s policy regarding anticounterfeiting and enforcement issues, monitors developments in treaties, legislation, regulations and other enforcement mechanisms in various jurisdictions, and coordinates with anticounterfeiting organizations in conjunction with relevant INTA committees and staff.
• Michelle Ray-Jones – Non-Traditional Marks Committee, which develops and advocates INTA’s policy regarding the balanced protection of nontraditional trademarks (e.g., sound, color, trade dress), and monitors developments in treaties, cases, legislation and regulation in various jurisdictions.

In addition to his position on the Emerging Issues Committee, Alan Adcock, partner and deputy director of Tilleke & Gibbins’s intellectual property and regulatory affairs groups, will be joining the Presidential Task Force on Brand Restrictions.

INTA is a not-for-profit global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation. If you would like to learn more about INTA and its committees, please visit the INTA website.