PARIS—The transatlantic Womble Bond Dickinson team of Laura Kees and Rose Smalley represented the firm at the 32nd MARQUES Annual Conference , which took place Sept. 18-21 in Paris.
MARQUES is a leading organization for European brand owners, and focuses on copyright, design and trademark issues. More than 900 IP attorneys and professionals from around the world attended this year’s event.
The theme of the 2018 Conference was “Branding Style: Appearance, Aesthetics and Éclat” and many sessions focused on topics including protecting the brand and design of luxury goods. Specific sessions addressed:
- EU copyright reform
- Implementation of EU Trade Secrets Directive
- Dealing with copycat products
- EU case law update, including EUIPO and European courts
- Update on the impact of Brexit on IP.
Laura Kees concentrates her practice on managing trademark and copyright portfolios; counseling clients on risks associated with proposed names and marks; evaluating when applications for domestic and/or international registration should be filed and advising how and when to maintain those registrations.
Rose Smalley advises clients in relation to the full range of intellectual property rights, including trademarks, copyright and designs. She has acted on behalf of clients pursuing and defending claims, and also regularly negotiates commercial agreements involving IP, such as development agreements, licenses and assignments.