Kats at INTA 2: Monday delights are in the offing

There are easier ways to track down
an IP blogger ...

Meet the Bloggers! If you happen to be in Hong Kong this Monday, 12 May, why not saunter down to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club where you can meet, speak to and even touch a selection of live intellectual property bloggers from many points around the planet. The event takes place from 8 pm to 10 pm and, if previous editions of this meeting are anything to go by, should not be missed. The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is only a matter of minutes from the Convention Centre, the precise number of minutes depending on whether you can walk on water or not, and there will be a guaranteed warm welcome from all concerned. Hospitality is graciously supplied by the local office of Marks & Clerk, who not only pay for the drinks and nibbles but even take the trouble to read our weblogs (thanks, guys!). If you haven't already registered (it's free), click here for all you need to know.

Look who's sponsoring! On the subject of bloggers, this Kat notes with pleasure that one of INTA's media sponsors this year is Spicy IP, a blog which has not merely placed India firmly on the map so far as IP blogging is concerned, but has provided an invaluable source of information, ideas and critical comment at an impressively high level.  It's only a few years ago since blogs were still regarded with suspicion, dislike and often contempt -- but blogs like Spicy IP are definitely a force for good and this Kat applauds its blog team collectively and individually for all its hard work.

Amo, Amas, Amanda! Ever an admirer of the Latin language, this Kat is pleased to report that one of his favourite feminine gerundives is here in person this year, this being barrister, author and Appointed Person Amanda Michaels. Amanda has kindly given up valuable professional time and expended considerable effort in order to traverse half the world in time for 3 pm tomorrow, when she will be stationing herself at the Oxford University Press exhibit booth (that's booth 409) in order to chat with trade mark enthusiasts about the fifth edition of her classic A Practical Guide to Trade Mark Law (co-written with fellow Hogarthian Andrew Norris).  It's not often you can get a busy and successful barrister to write anything for nothing, but this Kat suspects she makes no charges for signing the copies of the book when you buy it. For the record, the publishers describe this book as

"a comprehensive, digestible [this is good news for all those who are concerned about the environment: when the 6th edition comes out, you can eat this one] and approachable introduction to trade mark law, explaining the technicalities of the law in plain, accessible language. While the focus of the book is primarily on UK law, it also deals with the acquisition and protection of EU trade marks, and procedure at OHIM, drawing comparisons between trade marks in the UK, and EU trade marks where appropriate. The book remains highly practical throughout, comprising discussion on topics such as the absolute and relative tests for registrability, registration practice and procedure, revocation, assignment and licensing, as well as complete coverage of the law on infringement, passing off and remedies".

It's a jolly useful little book (xliv + 450 pages) -- and it's a lot easier to navigate than a Hong Kong street map.

Where IP rights overlap.  Another distinguished IP personality in town is lawyer, scholar, fellow Kat and guru's guru Neil Wilkof, who is also putting in an appearance at the Oxford University Press exhibit booth. He's not actually launching anything but he'll be there from 12 pm to 1 pm so you can discuss with him the topic on which he has teamed up with Katfriend and Indian legal scholar Shamnad Basheer to edit an OUP tome -- Overlapping Intellectual Property Rights (book here).  There may still be a copy of two of Neil and Shamnad's book by then, if they have not already been snapped up by discerning shoppers.

The Symposium: another gift that
the Greeks gave to the world ...

Come to the Scholarship Symposium. One of the best things INTA has done in recent years is to set up its annual Scholarship Symposium, at which young scholars present papers which are critically reviewed and discussed by trade mark practitioners and professorial members of the organisation. It's not just useful but also important: scholars get input from people who are actually working in the field on a daily basis, while practitioners gain insights that the pressure of their daily routines rarely allows them the time to consider.  For reasons that leave this Kat mystified, the Scholarship Symposium presentations are invariably poorly attended. If you're tempted to join us, please do so.  Topics on offer at 2 pm to 3.15 pm are "Can Trademark Law Circumvent Copyright's First Sale Doctrine" (room S429) and "Sixth Time Lucky: Starbucks and the Lessons from European Law" room S424).  Then, from 3.30 pm to 4.45 pm, we have "Initial Interest Confusion 'Troika' Abandoned?" (room S429) and "Indirect Trademark Infringement -- is International Consensus Possible?" [this is such an important subject for the future, so why not start thinking about it now?] (room S424).  Come and join us!