The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a worldwide not-for-profit association of member companies and firms that supports and advances trademarks and intellectual property as elements of fair and effective global commerce.
Contents |
INTA, originally known as the United States Trademark Association (USTA), was established in November 1878 in New York City by 17 merchants and manufacturers to protect and promote the rights of trademark owners, secure useful legislation, and give aid and encouragement to all efforts for the advancement and observance of trademark rights.
In 1908, the Association became a business corporation under the Business Corporation Law of the State of New York, and it was given broad powers to act for the protection of trademarks in the United States and around the world.
In 1926, the USTA became a not-for-profit member organization.
In 1946, the USTA worked in support of the Lanham Act, which remains the federal trademark law in the United States. The Act defines a trademark as “any word, name, symbol, or device of any combination thereof adopted by a manufacturer or merchant to define his goods and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others.”
In 1949, USTA’s advocacy led to the creation of the Model State Trademark Bill (MSTB) which addressed the threat of mandatory state trademark registration and legislation. The MSTB is the foundation for trademark statutes across the U.S. and provides a set of standards for the establishment, maintenance and enforcement of U.S. trademark rights.
In 1985, the USTA created a Trademark Review Commission to review the U.S. trademark system, including the Lanham Act, and to recommend updates to meet the changing intellectual property landscape. In 1990, Congress enacted the Trademark Law Revision Act.
In 1993, the Association changed its name to the International Trademark Association to reflect the diversity of its membership and the breadth of its activities.
In 1995, The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which stresses the importance of harmonization of enforcement standards, went into effect under the jurisdiction of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In 1996, the United States Congress passed the Federal Trademark Dilution Act (FTDA), a federal statute meant to prevent the dilution of the value of famous trademarks by blurring or tarnishment.
In 2005, The Association released a Model Free Trade Agreement to provide the parties of free trade agreements with a set of baseline proposals to consider when negotiating trademark-related provisions.
In 2006, a new U.S. trademark dilution statute that protects famous marks from uses that blur their distinctiveness or tarnish their reputation was signed into law on October 6.
In February 2009, INTA embraced the social media trend and extended its online networking sites with LinkedIn [1] and Twitter [2].
In May 2009, INTA attended its first OHIM Administrative Board meeting as an observer, along with four other trademark users’ organizations in Europe (AIM, BUSINESSEUROPE, ECTA, and MARQUES).
INTA provides services to its members and the public in three main areas: Information & Publishing, Education & Training, and Policy Development & Advocacy
• Information & Publishing [3]
INTA has a collection of resources which include Country Portals, Trademark Cancellations, Country Guides and others.
INTA has two in-house news publications, available in print and online: The Trademark Reporter, a bi-monthly scholarly journal that explores all aspects of trademark law, and the INTA Bulletin, a bi-weekly newsletter that provides up-to-date news on Association issues, trends in trademark law practice and procedure.
• Education & Training [4]
INTA offers numerous conferences, forums, roundtables, workshops and e-learning programs that bring trademark professionals together from around the world to discuss trademark issues, IP law and practice.
• Policy Development & Advocacy [5] The Association, often in cooperation with other national, regional and international intellectual property organizations, is the voice of trademark owners worldwide and focuses on taking public policy positions and protecting brand owners' rights.
INTA is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Shanghai (since 2003) and Brussels (since 2006).
INTA China was established in September 2003.
INTA Belgium was established in September 2006.
INTA’s largest event is the Annual Meeting, which dates back to 1878. The Meeting attracts participants from around the globe, and it consists of five days of networking, educational and professional development opportunities, as well as committee meetings and exhibits.
Annual Meeting