the May 2008 Issue in PDF Format - Trade Show Executive

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Continued from page 23 recommendations are more like a letter of intent that acknowledge IPR but are not actionable, he said. Both Wallace and Witt acknowledge that trade show organizers can go only so far in their own efforts because they aren’t qualified to enforce the laws themselves. “Organizers are not judges,” Witt said. “They must rely on a court judgment, then take action,” he said. What Show Managers Can Do Wallace and Witt hope that UFI members can lead the way by: (1) Notifying exhibitors about the risk of penalties for violations, and (2) Sharing information with exhibitors about what they can do to protect themselves. “These kinds of action safeguard quality, which is what makes a trade show successful,” Witt said. Quality is diluted by IPR violations at trade shows, and that in turn may drive reputable exhibitors away, he said. Despite a common perception, violations aren’t primarily centered in China and they aren’t necessarily focused on technology trade shows. Both the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. and the National Association of Manufacturers said they’ve seen violations. Wallace said there have been cases of exhibitors removing questionable products in Hong Kong, but he had never seen a mass raid such as the one at CeBIT. “It still could occur, as enforcement improves,” he said. In the U.S., IAEE has an IPR Resource Center that includes a tool kit, model policy statement, suggested text for show manuals, a dispute form and a form for legal counsel to use to keep track of alleged violations. It also includes the Chinese regulations that took effect in 2006. Some U.S. trade shows — The SEMA Show and the Winter NAMM Show among them — have their own policies in place. IPR a Top Priority at SEMA Show SEMA –The Specialty Equipment Market Association launched its efforts in 2004, saying IPR was among its “top priority issues.” The organization took steps to better inform companies about UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, recommends show organizers to take the following steps to inform, protect and assist their exhibitors in acting against brand and product piracy: 1. Before the event, organizers should create a specific document for exhibitors that contains detailed information about IPR protection policies. It should be sent out with the registration/participation forms, posted on the organizer’s website, included in the exhibitors’ manual, and outlined in the trade show’s General Terms and Conditions. It should: • Advise exhibitors to protect and register trademarks, patents or designs before the trade show starts and use all forms of legal protection during the event. They should consult with a specialized patent and trademark attorney regarding registration alternatives, requirements, procedures and maintenance. • Provide contact information for the person responsible for IPR issues within the organizing company, as Steps that Show Managers Can Take to Insure a Fair Business Environment at Trade Shows well as the contact details of local/ national IPR organizations, customs authorities and patent and trademark attorneys. • Encourage exhibitors to inform customs authorities before the exhibition if they suspect that another exhibitor will infringe their rights. The customs officials can then stop suspicious consignments, investigate them, take samples and destroy copies. • Inform exhibitors to bring original documents or certified copies of their patent or trademark rights to the show, so that a possible infringement may be established during the event. Any verdict already obtained against an exhibiting pirate should also be included. 2. During the show, organizers should provide a list of local IPR attorneys for exhibitors that want to pursue legal action against an alleged infringer. 3. Organizers should have on-site or on-call experts (IPR attorneys, customs authorities, etc.) during the event who can offer legal advice to those affected by IPR infringement counterfeit products. 4. Organizers should be able to provide a neutral arbitrator or judge to help determine if there is a violation or to resolve IPR disputes during the show. 5. Interpreters should be available to facilitate communication if disputes with foreign exhibitors arise. 6. When appropriate, organizers should provide an on-site office, a special stand or a point of contact to deal with any IPR requests or complaints for the entire duration of the show. 7. In order to protect exhibitors from counterfeiting or IPR infringement practices during trade shows, exhibitors should be encouraged to indicate that their products or services are protected by IPR rights, where applicable. Published with permission from UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. The full document may be found at www.ufi.org/media/thetradefairsector/ ipr_recommendations.pdf 24 May 2008 Trade Show Executive www.TradeShowExecutive.com
trademarks, patents and what can be done to protect them. It also delivers special bulletins to exhibitors that explain the rules and regulations covering IPR. The bulletins clearly outline the consequences for those who violate another’s rights. In addition, SEMA stepped up enforcement of show rules that prohibit the display of products, packaging or trademarks that infringe on the IPR of others. SEMA also conducts online webinars on the topic to help members understand how to protect their own intellectual property. NAMM Show Will Impose Restrictions on Violators NAMM, the International Music Products Association, has a two-page IPR policy on its website that informs companies that both membership and exhibitor applications contain legally binding language concerning IPR. It also specifies that it will not take sides in disputes, but is willing to impose restrictions on members and/or exhibitors during a NAMM show if the organization is reasonably certain that an intended use would violate another’s rights. NAMM also outlines its own IPR relative to its shows and outlines what members may and may not use. Stopping Violators in Their Tracks Wallace said the best thing trade show organizers might do once they know an exhibitor has violated IPR regulations is to prevent the violator from returning to the show. “The more often that happens, the more careful people will have to be,” he said. But even as enforcement improves, Witt said communication is just as important. “The more we talk about it and communicate, the better it is for the community of those who respect IPR,” he said. Reach Jochen Witt at 011-49-221-278-8888 or jwitt@ jwc.eu.com; Cliff Wallace at 011-852-2-582-7800 or cliffwallace@ hkcec.com; the SEMA Show at www. semashow.com; the NAMM Show at www.thenammshow.com ECEF Presents Hot Topic Next Month: How German Trade Shows Aim to Enforce Intellectual Property Rights By Hil Anderson, senior editor Washington, DC – The hot-button issue of protecting exhibitors from the increased number of fake, copied and unlicensed products being displayed at trade shows is a headline topic at the June 19 Exhibition & Convention Executives Forum (ECEF). Joachim Schafer, managing director/executive vice president, Messe Dusseldorf GmbH, will give a presentation on how German show managers are taking steps to prevent a repeat of the high-profile police raids on more than 50 booths at this Spring’s CeBIT show in Hannover. Patent protection has always been a concern for U.S. organizers. Photography is often restricted in the exhibit hall to prevent piracy of the latest designs. At the same time, the stakes for U.S. organizers don’t include the prospect of uniformed police entering the show floor, closing down booths and seizing the products of exhibitors suspected of patent infringement, as is the case under German law. Schafer’s presentation, “Cops and Robbers: How German Trade Show Organizers Are Dealing with IPR and Copyright Issues,” will look at the steps German organizers have taken to prevent a repeat of the CeBIT drama while at the same time remaining strictly neutral in their treatment of their exhibitors. Schafer is one of several high-level speakers who will address the ECEF audience. Other speakers include: • Greg Reid, chief marketing officer of YRC Worldwide, who is the keynote speaker. He will discuss the value of stand-alone corporate events and how “deviant leadership” principles can help exhibition producers keep their shows competitive with corporate events. • Glenn Hansen, president of BPA Worldwide, who will moderate a session on the effectiveness of marketing media. Speakers include Gordon Hughes, president of American Business Media (ABM); Joachim Schafer Glenn Hansen Galen Poss Bob Liodice, president of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA); and Dr. Raymond Pettit, senior research consultant at the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF). • Galen Poss, president, Hanley-Wood Exhibitions, who will explain how he strengthened The Surfaces Show after eight of his ten largest exhibitors pulled out of the show within a tenday period. The invitation-only forum at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC is aimed at senior executives from show organizing companies or associations that produce one or more conventions or exhibitions annually. Sam Lippman, president and founder of Integrated Show Management & Marketing (ISM), the organizers of the conference, said 146 executives had pre-registered as of mid-April. Registration information is available at www.eceforum. com. Reach Sam Lippman at (703) 979-4904 or slippman@ comcast.net; Joachim Schafer at +49 (0) 2114 56001 or schaferj@messe-dusseldorf.de www.TradeShowExecutive.com Trade Show Executive May 2008 25
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