News source: INTA daily news
INTA’s President and China’s QBPC Chairman have renewed a cooperation agreement designed to protect and promote the use of trademarks among their members.
INTA and China’s Quality Brands Protection Committee (QBPC) signed a cooperation agreement at the Annual Meeting yesterday to reinforce trademark protection for their members.
The agreement requires both parties to recognize the value of trademarks as a vital form of intellectual property to protect consumers and to promote fair and effective commerce.
It follows a rapid increase in the trade in branded goods within China and between China and other nations. QBPC comprises members of the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment.
“The great thing about QBPC is that you are on the ground,”said INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo. “The good thing about INTA is that we can bring in the international expertise,”he added.
INTA President Joseph Ferretti noted that the Association is paying attention to brands more holistically as part of its Strategic Plan. “Part of that is education, so we greatly appreciate the agreement we are here to sign today,”Mr. Ferretti said.
The purpose of the agreement is to establish a strategic cooperation and to set forth a framework between INTA and QBPC, to protect the trademark rights of their members in accordance with the shared objectives of the parties.
“QBPC is full of energy and passion,”said QBPC Chairman Jack Chang. “We have the guts to do the right thing and keep on going,”he said.
Potential cooperation activities include the development of programs and specific collaborative projects related to trademarks, dispute settlement, trademark rights enforcement, and in other related areas. The agreement also includes the exchange of research and information on issues of mutual interest; exchange of experience and educational material; and the organization of congresses.
Furthermore, the two parties aim to accept members of each other’s organizations.
Within this framework of cooperation, INTA and QBPC will respect the “commercial-in-confidence”status of information provided by either party to this cooperation agreement, subject to any overriding legal obligations affecting either party.
“We are very much looking forward to continuing our efforts in China,”said Mr. Sanz de Acedo.
The agreement will be in full force from May 2017 to May 2020.
