Acting President Rhonda Steele (Mars Inc.) kicked off the INTA Annual Meeting with the theme: “Breaking Down Barriers.” Welcoming attendees to Berlin and encouraging them to enjoy the diverse and historical city, Mrs. Steele noted her steering of INTA efforts particularly in the Asia-Pacific region and E.U. She observed that the challenges and opportunities facing trademark owners and counsel in emerging markets might be summed up by the moniker: “one size does not fit all.” Mrs. Steele remarked that this multi-faceted approach to trademarks could be seen in efforts to promote new ways of thinking about trademarks, e.g., with respect to protecting non-traditional marks (sight, sound, color, taste) as well as using trademark law to protect traditional knowledge, culture, and folklore. Building on this, she noted that a broader goal was in harmonizing the recognized harms of counterfeiting (the focus of the recent Fourth Global Congress to Combat Counterfeiting & Piracy in Dubai) and global criminal enforcement of counterfeiting laws. Finally, she commented that activities and resources should be focused on a forward-looking approach to understanding the value of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in trademark disputes as well as education and outreach focused on NGOs, the judiciary, consumers, and retailers.

Wrapping up the evening was Keynote Speaker Hans Van Bylen (Henkel). Mr. Van Bylen summarized the importance of trademarks at the outset of his talk by noting that Henkel’s reputation is built on inventions and brands. Underscoring the role of trademarks to the company’s broader IP portfolio, he pointed out that 10 years ago Henkel was primarily a German company, but presently it has a significant U.S. presence and an increasing one in emerging markets. This expansion has seen the birth of 110,000 trademark registrations in 198 countries. Mr. Van Bylen illustrated that one of the key aspects of Henkel’s success was in its disciplined use of “Master Brands” (e.g., house mark) “Schwarzkopf”. Schwarzkopf was acquired in 1995, and has seen tripled sales from then to 2007. Mr. Van Bylen provided examples demonstrating the gradual packaging changes to incorporate the Schwarzkopf master brand as part of the company’s long term trademark strategy. He also highlighted the importance of adapting Henkel’s product lines for an international market (“göt2b” in the U.S. became “got2b” in E.U. markets – with a plus sign inside the “o” instead of the “ö”). Finally, Mr. Van Bylen illustrated what he called “Glocal” branding – where a master brand is tied to local designations, e.g., the Schwarzkopf brand complemented by local linguistic variations (English, French, or Greek) in the secondary product designations.