INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY AND FIGHT AGAINST COUNTERFEITING AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS: A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WAS SIGNED BETWEEN AEFI AND THE MINISTRY OF ENTERPRISE AND MADE IN ITALY – DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY – ITALIAN PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
Collaboration between AEFI and the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy is strengthened thanks to a new memorandum of understanding signed with the Directorate General for Industrial Property – Italian Patent and Trademark Office (DGPI-UIBM). According to the agreed text, which falls under the powers contemplated in Article 223 – paragraph IV – of the Industrial Property Rights Code, the Association’s role as a point of reference for the Italian exhibition industry is recognised, which is expressed through events, conventions and congresses in the Members’ districts, and AEFI’s commitment to provide information and training services on Industrial Property and the Fight against Counterfeiting is noted, supporting and assisting trade fair companies in this matter.
The protocol between the DGPI-UIBM and AEFI starts from a fundamental premise, namely that of mutual cooperation for the enhancement and protection of industrial property rights against counterfeiting of products at exhibitions, also through awareness-raising actions.
In this direction, Article 2 of the protocol provides for AEFI to act as a facilitator of the knowledge, dissemination and exploitation of industrial property among its members. In this framework, AEFI promotes Italian companies in the strategic use and economic exploitation of industrial property and provides the tools to fight counterfeiting both on the domestic and #international markets. The collaboration also includes involvement actions to the public.
Concretely, “Following the definition of the annual calendar of exhibitions organised by AEFI Members, the list of trade fair events for which free participation is possible is communicated to the DGPI-UIBM. The DGPI-UIBM identifies, within the same list and on the basis of the interest of the commodity sector for its activities, at least 4 (four) exhibitions to join during the year.”
Furthermore, a “specific information action will be activated at all events organised by AEFI members through physical presence with information touch points at events offering spaces for this presence, links highlighting specific interventions by DGPI-UIBM and AEFI on their respective websites, training activities for AEFI members and participating operators, with specific reference to the sectors in which counterfeiting is most important.”