On February 6-7, 2017, INTA hosts its “2017 Anticounterfeiting Conference: Staying Ahead of the Curve” (ACC Conference) in Hong Kong.

The ACC Conference is kicked off on Monday February 6 by Conference Co-Chairs’ welcome remarks, followed by two days of educational sessions and networking events.

The new BASCAP/INTA report titled “The Economic Impacts of Counterfeiting and Piracy” is jointly released by INTA’s CEO, Etienne Sanz de Acedo and Director of ICC BASCAP, Jeffrey P. Hardy at the conference. The impact report, which was produced by Frontier Economics, an internationally recognized economics research firm, and commissioned by INTA and ICC’s Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP), provides estimates on the wider social and economic impacts on displaced economic activity, investment, public fiscal losses, and criminal enforcement.

WAN HUI DA Senior Partner Mr. Jason Yao gives a speech at “Session II - Investigation Best Practices: Do’s and Don’ts from China and Beyond”.

The ACC Conference provides brand protection and legal professionals with tactics and strategies to combat the ongoing challenge of counterfeits. Brand owners, government officials, and legal experts discuss best practices for developing a brand protection program in an environment of changing technologies and sophisticated counterfeiting networks.

On February 8, 2017, INTA’s one-day “Free Trade Zones Workshop: Commerce vs Counterfeits” is held in Hong Kong. The workshop is unveiled by the welcome and opening remarks delivered by Heather McDonald, Baker & Hostetler LLP and INTA’s CEO, Etienne Sanz de Acedo. Director of ICC BASCAP, Jeffrey P. Hardy prepares the floor on steps brand owners can take to balance facilitating legitimate trade while combating counterfeiting in the world’s free trade zones.

The firm’s Senior Partner Jason Yao moderates the session “Navigating the Free Trade Zone Landscape”, in which a panel of experts brief the audience on the government authority scheme within a free trade zone, how it differs from other enforcement routines, and how to effectively collaborate with government authorities to enforce your IP rights.

The workshop aims to provide a forum for brand owners, free trade zone authorities, government officials, and other key stakeholders to share their concerns, best practices, and to work together toward solutions to combat the ongoing threat of counterfeiting in free trade zones.