‘What keeps in-house counsel awake at night?’ is one way to summarise our editorial focus. We aim to track the strategies of in-house IP counsel within companies, big and small, by speaking directly to them about the day-to-day issues they face. Law firms need practical information that they can apply when advising their clients, and companies find value in benchmarking their strategies with those of their peers. This is why we have adopted this approach in our subscription-based service. Our content is not reactionary or news-focused, but informed and actionable.

In this pursuit of in-house intelligence, we also publish several surveys each year that include exclusive data focusing on specific industry issues. These polls allow us to provide an accurate snapshot of how in-house counsel perceive and act on a given issue.

Our other core objective is interviewing senior judges, whose insight is valuable for many IP stakeholders. We find that the judiciary are vital for giving counsel, private and in-house, highly useful information for when they are locked in litigation. We continue to speak regularly with IP offices too.

Regardless of its specific intent, our coverage is global and encompasses (but is not limited to) the following areas:

Copyright;
Data;
Designs;
Patents;
Trademarks; and
Trade secrets 

Corporate domain management is more than just a choice, it has become a necessity for businesses. The key elements range from understanding the intricacies of domain registration and disputes, to strengthening brand identity and enforcing IP rights through the domain management process. Domains and their underlying infrastructure also often play a key role in protecting the integrity of a brand, guarding against brand misuse and fraud, as well as cyber threats. A comprehensive domain management strategy, aligned with IP and online brand protection (OBP), should be on the radar of companies of all sizes.
 
At its core, domain management involves registering, acquiring, and maintaining domain names across various top-level domains (TLDs), including country code TLDs, as well as securing and maintaining the internal infrastructure that underpins them. 

The following speakers from Zacco, the international full-service IP and OBP specialists, will explain some of the essential domain management principles and will be available to answer questions in a Q&A session at the end of the webinar: 

• Magnus Ljungdahl draws on a decade of working with IP and both digital and physical branding to provide strategic advice regarding trademarks, designs, domain names, and other unique business identifiers;
• Niclas Jonsson drives innovation within Digital Brand, maintaining responsibility for services across Germany, Denmark, Norway, and southern Sweden, and helping clients to manage, control, and protect their domains and online brand identity; and
• Kristian Elftorp assists clients with protecting their IP across all channels, including those online – such as domain names, online marketplaces, and social media – as well as providing advice on IP strategy and licensing, data privacy, and marketing law.

The webinar will be relevant to IP, branding, legal, and technical teams.

Domain Trust: why you should be aligning your domain, IP and OBP strategy

Join MIP and Zacco at 2pm BST (3pm CEST) on Thursday, June 15 as they explore some of the reasons why companies are increasingly adopting a hybrid IP portfolio management model, both as a means to improve quality and in response to an uncertain economic outlook.
This webinar from MIP and Zacco will explain how organisations can improve the quality, efficiency and reach of their IP portfolio, often reducing management costs and without compromising on the integrity or protection of their IP rights.
As the size of an IP portfolio grows, it becomes significantly more time consuming and expensive to maintain. Costs accumulate further when your in-house team are spending their time on administrative tasks, and the maintenance of existing rights, when it could be put to better use focusing on the development and protection of new ideas and innovations. Alternatively, the cost of losing rights through failure to maintain them could be catastrophic, so what options are available to companies looking to grow their IP portfolio without risking their current rights?
An increasing number of companies are finding value in adopting a hybrid IP portfolio management model. Such a model can effectively remove the need for in-house resources to perform some of the more time-consuming tasks, such as renewals, validation or invoice management. 
The types of services available can be designed to suit any budget and any portfolio size. A good IP service provider will improve the quality of your portfolio and can often be a more cost-effective solution than maintaining the same level of expertise in-house. 
Zacco’s Karin Kärvling Søholt, director of strategic alliances, Betina Hellemann, director of IP services and quality, and Agatha Bergman, relationship manager, will explain how your business could benefit from a new approach to IP management and offer insight into what questions you should be asking at the first stage of any IP service partnering discussions.

Webinar: Hybrid IP portfolio management: maximise efficiency/minimise costs

Join Ude Lu, the chief IP counsel (US) of Purplevine IP, Helen Zhang, the litigation manager of Purplevine IP in Beijing, and Penny Sun, the brand protection manager of ABRO Industry, as they discuss evidence collection for patent enforcement in China and the US virtually with Managing IP on November 9 at 10am (US ET) / 3pm (UK) / 11pm (China).
China has become one of the most litigious countries for patent enforcement. Foreign patentees may therefore face challenges when collecting evidence in China because, unlike in most European countries and the US, the plaintiff has the burden of proof in proving infringements.

Foreign patentees should have well-planned patent enforcement strategies and be prepared for evidence collection when encountering lawsuits in China.

The webinar will focus on the differences between the Chinese and US approaches to infringement litigation in the following areas:

• The types of evidence required;
• The factual evidence needed; and
• Evidence regarding the claim amount.

Join Purplevine IP’s experts as they compare evidence collection for patent litigation in China with the approach in the US.

Evidence in Chinese patent enforcement: Key differences with the US

Join Managing IP and CAS for a webinar on September 26 at 10am ET / 3pm BST / 4pm CET to discuss the exciting opportunities that AI offers for revolutionising patent searches.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world by revolutionising fields as diverse as healthcare, automobiles, and finance – and patent offices are no different. 

CAS recently worked with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of Brazil to successfully develop an AI solution for prior art searches. 

The solution CAS and INPI developed cut examination times in half, reduced search times by more than 75% for applications processed, and contributed to an 80% reduction in the office’s patent backlog. Now, the CAS team have partnered with MIP to share their lessons learned and discuss the opportunities for leveraging AI in patent searches.

Join Jen Sexton, director of CAS Custom Solutions, and Jeffrey Wilson, senior manager of data science for CAS, as they discuss the INPI Brazil project and share key insights into selecting the right AI solution for your own patent searches. 

During this webinar, CAS’ experts will share the three key pillars companies must be aware of to successfully integrate AI in their IP strategy: 

• How the right data improves AI performance and yields higher-quality outcomes;
• Which types of algorithms can help you generate the most relevant search results; and
• Why leveraging human expertise alongside technology will improve your AI performance.

Register here to join CAS’ webinar on the three key considerations for AI and patent searches.

Webinar: Three pillars for success in using AI for patent searches

Whether you are a general counsel or a brand protection expert dealing with a lot of infringers you are probably wondering: how can I identify who is threatening my brand the most, and make the biggest impact for my business? 

Wahl Clippers implemented a new brand protection strategy that prioritises large-scale counterfeiters instead of smaller distributors in order to make a bigger impact. By combining online and offline data – and being more strategic in the way they used their resources to target large-scale infringers – they have been able to see real tangible impact in their brand protection efforts worldwide. 

In this webinar, you will learn:
(1) What top actions Wahl Clippers’ legal team is taking to uncover and dismantle large-scale counterfeiters;
(2) How Wahl Clippers is leveraging data from multiple sources including Red Points’ brand protection software in order to zero in on infringers; and  
(3) Best practices to bridge the gap between online and offline investigation to act against physical factories, wholesalers, and seller networks.

The webinar will be held at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST. The 50-minute webinar will be moderated by Red Points’ VP of Brand Relationships, Daniel Shapiro, and have Wahl Clippers Corporation’s IP attorney, Atika Prasad, as a guest speaker. The webinar will be followed by a Q&A session.

Combining online and offline investigations to stop large-scale infringers

How do IP leaders report on metrics of brand protection software? In fact, how do they even define them? 
While many rely on spreadsheets to monitor performance, others are using self-created reports to share with stakeholders and showcase brand protection efforts and success.

There are a number of methods for measuring brand value. These involve looking at revenue gain, regulatory compliance, intellectual property protection, and many other areas necessary for protecting brands.

Join our webinar and learn how IP leaders are defining, measuring, monitoring, and reporting on their brand protection software.

In this webinar you’ll learn:
1.	Real-world examples of how IP leaders are using brand protection software to bolster their brand protection programs 
2.	What you should expect from using brand protection software 
3.	Metrics & KPIs you can track to effectively measure a brand protection software success

Online brand protection: How IP leaders define, track, report & assess KPIs?

The current pandemic situation is unsettling, yet we hope temporary. This webinar will look at nine key skills you can work on during this time and ongoing, that will help to future proof your career - both in terms of the current situation and other changes that are happening regardless. These key skills are our non-technical 'soft' skills which are frequently neglected, yet essential to progress in your career and improve your firm's performance.

Skills to work on to future proof your career

Join executive coach Alicia Sutton for this 30 minute webinar.
Do you often find yourself wondering whether or not you’ve demonstrated the right level of assertiveness? This uncertainty can impact our effectiveness and self-confidence. With the increase of virtual working, it can be even more challenging to gauge how well you’re representing yourself in conversations with colleagues and clients. This engaging and interactive session will support you in having clarity on how to stand up for yourself, whilst also creating warmth and connection in your relationships.

Enhancing your assertiveness for greater self confidence

In Part 1 we covered - How to Identify your Personal Brand.

That’s a great first step but your personal brand is no use if only you know about it! You need to take proactive steps to raise your visibility. This 30 minute seminar will provide tried and tested tips on how to do this.

I’m not about to suggest you all start speaking at international conferences if that’s not your thing.  There are introverted and extraverted ways to do this.  Yes, stretch outside your comfort zone but I’m not asking you to terrify yourself.
It’s about finding natural ways to share with people:
•what you do,
•what they can expect from you,
•how they will benefit from having a working relationship with you,
•your interests and where you want to go in the future.

Raising your visibility (part 2)

The western part of Africa is known for its vast population, cultural diversity and illustrious commercial activities that traverse the several countries that make up the sub-region. With trade and commerce deeply and historically embedded in the lifestyle and cultures of the people, it is no wonder that the use and protection of intellectual property rights is a significant concern – as well as a treasure trove of opportunities. 
 
Together, the trio of IP experts from Jackson Etti and Edu dissect the underlining issues surrounding trade and commerce cultures in West Africa and further advise on the best strategies to protect IP rights in this region. In this webinar, we will discuss cultural patterns such as the appetite for foreign goods, the relatively open borders and free trade system being operated in the region, the national and regional IP filing systems and how all of these come together to paint an interesting picture in the IP space. Join us on the 9th of June as we uncover the treasures of West Africa.

Trade and commerce in West Africa and how it influences IP rights

What type of person do you imagine saying ‘I’m currently working on my personal brand?' For many people, it’s an unflattering image that comes to mind, usually of someone similar to the most annoying contestants on The Apprentice.

I’m with you on this, such people have me ready to run in the opposite direction. The thing is, you have a personal brand whether you realise it or not. People are making judgments about you all the time based on your: work, behaviours, communication style, appearance etc. It matters because it’s a key factor in: 
•whether opportunities and clients come your way, 
•whether people want to help you on projects and
•whether people buy into what you are trying to achieve.

So, identifying your brand and raising its visibility, are vital.

This 30 minute webinar will explore the first step in this journey – How to Identify your Personal Brand.

For step two, join Part 2: Raising your visibility, next week.

How to Identify your Personal Brand (part one)

Join Alexandra Durnford, coach and former crisis management consultant, for 45 minutes to discuss how you can coach yourself and leaders as we navigate through the Covid-19 crisis by borrowing from best practice crisis management. 

There are a number of similarities between effective crisis management and coaching which we can use to help ourselves and those we work with, to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and create sustainable working practices. These include focusing on:

- Creating time and space to achieve perspective and insight 
- Discipline of thought and approach 
- Emotional Intelligence.

Coaching in a crisis

‘Uncertain,’ fast-moving’ and ‘unprecedented’ have been the buzzwords of the last two months. As this feeling of flux is likely to continue for some time, it is vital to develop mechanisms for coping. Join Executive Coach Julie Smith for 30 minutes as she shares a selection of tools to build and maintain your resilience during these unusual times.

Resilience during uncertainty

Finding the time to lead - and knowing how to do it well - can be difficult at the best of times. It can be challenging to figure out how to balance doing your own legal work with the responsibility of managing and motivating your teams and colleagues.

During a crisis, when working lives and social interactions are disrupted, it can feel overwhelming and almost impossible to do effectively, remotely. Yet our personal experience and studies show that now, more than ever, is when we all want and need great leadership. It’s become essential. What can you do to improve how you show up as a leader for others while you’re in lockdown?

This 45 minute session will give you immediate practical takeaways based on the latest leadership research. It will help you not only focus on what’s important during COVID-19 but also give you the tools to enable you, your colleagues and your business to come out better and stronger on the other side.

Leadership for Lawyers: how to stay visible and show up as a leader

Few organisations saw COVID coming, and it is causing massive global disruption right now. How are you navigating this challenging time? 

In this 45 minute webinar, Nicki Deeson will talk through:

•The change curve that we all have to go through to be successful in the new COVID world 
•How to negotiate that as leaders
•The importance and ways to maintain work life balance.  

Only by building our own resilience, can we be the best leaders we can possibly 
be. This webinar will help you do that.

How to adjust to Covid-19 while keeping a good work/life balance

This webinar will focus on techniques and skills to develop (and keep) new business. 

The speakers will discuss various ways to make contacts and build networks to reach potential clients, including how this can be done during these difficult times. Calling on their own personal experiences, they will discuss what worked and what they wished they had done differently, particularly early in their careers. They will also talk about how to focus on and win the business you want, and equally important, how to keep it once you have it.

Honing your business development skills

Millions of locations online are dedicated to infringing intellectual property, including by offering copyright content without any licence and selling counterfeit products. It doesn’t stop there.  Infringers will fake accounts to harvest data, run operations to trap people into paying for services that they never receive and give access to products that are illegal and often dangerous.

All responsible Internet operators can play their part in stopping this proliferation of unlawful activity online.  Hosts of websites act to take down an illegal website when notified.  Social media platforms remove harmful posts when notified. 

But search engines will do very little, if anything.  Indexing the world’s information has gone too far. 

So, what can be done to redress the balance? 

Join us as we analyse:
• What is happening online, with practical case study examples on issues affecting the pharma, sports, consumer product, motoring and electrical sectors
• The case law that shows how search engines can be required to do more
• What next steps brands can take to get more cooperation from search engines

Jointly hosted by Incopro and Managing IP

Search Engines can do more to protect your intellectual property

Join Olivares and Managing IP for a complimentary webinar on May 14th at 4pm GMT/11am EST as we review the interplay between Cannabis and IP in Mexico. 

Topics to be discussed include:

• Regulation of the use of Cannabis in Mexico.
• Current legal framework.
• Intellectual Property & Cannabis.
• International trade law issues.
• Cannabis business in Mexico from the corporate perspective.
• Steps and predicted developments on the legal framework of Cannabis in Mexico.

Intellectual Property & Cannabis in Mexico

Intellectual property law is crucial to ensuring that you or your organization have exclusive rights to that assets that you’ve created. The BrightTALK intellectual property community has thousands of professionals focused on learning and exchanging information about intellectual property management, intellectual property software and how to protect intellectual property. Join the community for access to free, interactive presentations or attend live webinars to have your questions answered by IP lawyers and industry experts.

Intellectual Property

The legal community on BrightTALK combines the fields of employment law, e-discovery, intellectual property and environmental law to create a thriving ecosystem of legal resources. Attend live and on-demand webinars dealing with employment contract law, e-discovery solutions, intellectual property software and sustainable development from leading lawyers and legal professionals to gain knowledge in a wide range of fields. Join the community and be part of the conversation by attending live legal webinars and connecting with industry thought leaders.