Global experts in counterfeiting
are coming to Northumbria University for a Workshop to discuss and share their
knowledge on measuring and tackling trademark infringement.
The event at the University’s city
centre campus on March 9th is part of a series of events being organised by
Professor Xuemei Bian from Northumbria’s Newcastle Business School. These
follow a £79,000 grant she was awarded last year by the British Academy to
continue her internationally-recognised research into counterfeit crime and the
growing influence of social media.
In partnership with the UK
Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the Workshop will explore how
research is enabling knowledge
exchange, building stronger connections and fostering collaboration between
government officials, eminent scientists and business practitioners. It will
also share research findings from the British Academy funded project, and of
two addition projects commissioned by the UK IPO. The event is
open to fellow professionals, students and members of the public.
Professor Bian said: “I would
encourage anyone with a professional or personal interest in the damaging impact
of trademark infringement and counterfeiting on businesses, customers and
economies to sign up for the Workshop. We aim to bring leading
intellectual property experts in the world together to discuss trademark issues
and share their advanced knowledge. They will come from a wide range of
sectors, including business, national and international government agencies, not-for-profit
organisations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, university
academics and researchers.
With the funding from the British
Academy, and in collaboration with the IPO, Professor Bian is working on a research
project entitled: Trademark Infringement and Social Media - A Collaborative
Approach.
She added: ” “Various
anti-counterfeiting measures, including diligent legal litigation, are often
implemented to combat counterfeiting. Nevertheless, it continues to thrive,
fuelled by the increasing volume of counterfeits on social media platforms. Almost
60,000 active accounts promoting counterfeits were discovered on Instagram in
2019, an increase of more than 171% compared to three years prior. With 45% of
the world’s population now active social media users who would be likely to
make purchases from social media networks, counterfeits on social media
platforms pose a greater risk than ever.”
Workshop details
Date: 9th March 2023
(10am to 4pm, Lunch will be provided)
Venue: Northumbria University,
Newcastle
Registration starts: 9.30am
For more information and to book a place contact Professor Xuemei Bian.
