International Trademark Association releases Global Report, focuses on Africa

The International Trademark Association (INTA) has launched its Global Report, an annual report that provides updates and resources on trademark law and policy in Africa, Asia-Pacific, China, Europe, India, Latin America, the Middle East and North America.

This year, the Global Report has given special attention to Africa, where heightened innovation, industrialisation and a fast-growing creative industry have sparked interest in intellectual property rights.

“A growing number of trademark owners and professionals in Africa have raised concerns about intellectual property rights. As INTA, we are committed to boosting advocacy in the continent in order to strengthen intellectual property policy,” said Tat-Tienne Louembe, INTA Africa and Middle East Representative.

The association has made notable forays into Africa in the recent past. In June this year, INTA CEO, Etienne Sanz de Acedo, and INTA Africa and Middle East Representative, Tat-Tienne Louembe engaged with partner associations, private sector entities and government officials in Zimbabwe and South Africa. 

INTA also interacted with stakeholders in Cameroon and Nigeria in July. It plans to expand its advocacy activities to other parts of the continent, in line with its commitment to bolster IP protection in Africa.

“With this new report we hope to not only affirm our commitment to Africa, but also provide relevant insights to policymakers, help brand owners in the continent to protect their work and contribute significantly to economic growth.” said Tat-Tienne Louembe, INTA Africa and Middle East Representative.

INTA has 7000+ member organisations that represents some 31,000 trademark professionals, including brand owners from major corporations as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, law firms and nonprofits. There are also government agency members as well as individual professor and student members.

The Global Report, which is available for download on the INTA website, is part of INTA’s effort to encourage economic diversification, innovation and consumer protection through global advocacy. The not-for-profit advocacy association, which has offices in Brussels, Santiago, Shanghai, Singapore and Washington D.C. and representative offices in Geneva and New Delhi, also organizes Annual Meetings to advance IP protection through networking and educational programs. The 140^th Annual meeting will take place in 19-23 May 2018, at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, Washington.