Manila, 20 October 2021 - Five members of the firm's Intellectual Property, Data and Technology Practice Group (IPD&T) have been appointed to several International Trademark Association (INTA) committees for 2022 to 2023. INTA is a global organization of brand owners and experts committed to promoting trademarks and related intellectual property (IP) in order to increase consumer confidence, economic growth and innovation. Serving on a committee is a unique volunteer opportunity to help achieve shared strategic goals and demonstrate leadership in the worldwide trademark community.
Our members who qualified for membership in various INTA committees are listed below:
- Bienvenido Marquez III – Anti-Counterfeiting Committee
- Divina Ilas-Panganiban, CIPM – Data Protection Committee
- Reena Mitra-Ventanilla – Building Bridges Committee
- Frederick Jose, CIPP/E – Enforcement Committee
- Neonette Pascual, CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT – Pro bono Committee
Consistently, in past years, QT's IPD&T partners have served as committee officers.
Bien, who heads the firm's IPD&T Practice Group and co-heads its Consumer, Goods & Retail Industry Group, served as chair of INTA's East Asia and the Pacific Anti-Counterfeiting Sub-Committee (2016-2017) and was a member of INTA's Enforcement Committee (2018-2019). He returned as a member of INTA's Anti-Counterfeiting Sub-Committee for 2020-2021, and worked on surveys for secondary liability and customs enforcement in the Asia Pacific region.
In 2015, Bien was instrumental in working with the Philippine Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to conclude the very first Memorandum of Understanding between the IPO and the INTA. Said MOU was relaunched in 2021.
In 2018, Bien received INTA's "Volunteer Service Award for the Advancement of the Association."
Divina, a partner of the firm's IPD and T Practice Group and cohead of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Group, is the outgoing chair of the Unreal Campaign of the INTA for East Asia and the Pacific. Divina continues to lead campaign efforts in the Philippines, aimed to reach out to the youth to teach them about the basics of trademark protection and the ill effects of counterfeiting. She is one of the pioneers of this campaign in the Philippines, going around several schools in the country year after year. With the continued community quarantines, Divina presented the campaign online to a nationwide audience composed of college, law, and postgraduate students; members of the academe; and MSMEs, reaching almost 1,000 participants from more than 20 universities and colleges.
As they undertake their INTA committee membership activities in the coming term, IPD&T Partner Reena and Associates Frederick and Neonette will further enhance collaboration among INTA, QT and the larger IP community.
About Quisumbing Torres' Intellectual Property, Data and Technology Practice Group
Our Intellectual Property, Data and Technology Practice Group provides effective protection of ground-breaking technology and successful litigation of IP disputes while leveraging deep industry knowledge and broad experience to offer practical advice and workable solutions on a wide range of issues.
We offer integrated and seamless service to protect clients' intellectual assets in the Philippines and across borders. Our IP, data and technology lawyers focus on assisting clients in new business opportunities and operational improvements brought about by technological innovation. Our advice ranges from counseling on registrability, conducting trademark and patent searches, registration and maintenance, to commercialization, protection and enforcement.