European Case Law Review 2014

Guy Heath

One of the most valuable sessions in San Diego was the European case law review, a swift canter through the key cases of 2014. Clearly a huge amount of work had gone into the final selection so it was dissapointing not to have any handouts for further perusal on the plane home. This year the INTA app promised handouts and a discussion capability, but it delivered a sparse selection of speaker bios instead. Nevertheless INTA has published in its Reporter a valuable digest which you can download here. I reccommend you do so as its beautifully organised by topic and provides national cases as well. No trademark agent should be without it.  Thanks Guy. We would love to have the slides too.

INTA Badging Fiasco

Yesterday I received my joining instructions for the INTA Annual Meeting in San Diego. INTA is an

organisation for brand owners but the majority of its profits come from the lawyers who attend the annual meeting. These people are presumed not trustworthy and are liable to try and swap badges or gain entry to the exhibition without paying. Awful people obviously. I seem to be one of them.

This year there are no guest tickets. On registration we were invited to pay additional sums $100 for our guests to attend events like the Welcome Reception. Yesterday I was informed that there would be no separate ticket for my guest so presumably he will need to be by my side at all times to ensure he is not ejected by the fearsome security. The $100 price is stated to cover ">Opening Ceremonies and Welcome Reception Guest Ticket — Opening Reception Ticket" but it omits the Keynote Address. This is going to be interesting. I am making this post so that those of us who have genuine guests (spouses) can enjoy both keynote address and meet up to enjoy the reception.
 
I hope nobody booked an excursion for an unaccompanied guest, as there will have to be a fight over who gets the badge.

Exhibitors will not enjoy any footfall (or even a bit of help with setting up or taking down their stands) from guests this year either.


I remember fondly the years that badges were sent out in the post. Even with a 9am opening on Saturday I bet there will be a queue. I had not planned to be in San Diego on Saturday as I had not realised there would programming that day so that is one queue I won't join.  If you are staying in the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina you are forbidden from meeting anyone without a badge. Hotel staff have presumably been instructed accordingly.

Free-riding is a bad thing but I do like a little trust. As a solo practitioner with no colleagues, having a guest with me helps a lot, buy hey ho, he will just have to hit the shops or the game. Maybe we should form a group of lonely would-be guests.

Still we attend the meeting for the educational events. The final programme is now on line and available on the App if you can remember your password. 245 Associate Solo Practitioners and me and my co-Blogger Jeremy @IPkat will be there, so lets hope the ticket barriers don't prevent us meeting up.