International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition to Celebrate 40 Years at its 2019 Annual Spring Conference

IACC President plans to outline vision for the IACC and underscore its strategic collaboration during opening remarks

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International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition

May 14, 2019, 09:00 ET

BOSTON, May 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) is hosting its annual Spring Conference from May 15-17, 2019 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. The theme of this year's conference is "Welcome to the Revolution: Fighting Fakes in the 21^st Century," which will connect Boston's rich history of spearheading groundbreaking events and visionary ideas with the IACC's legacy of innovative strategies to fighting fakes.

The agenda for this year's conference, which is slated to have more than 500 attendees from more than 50 countries, promotes a collaborative approach to anti-counterfeiting and highlights the latest technologies and online intelligence available to keep up with the ever-changing tactics of counterfeiters. Derek Benner, Acting Deputy Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is one of three keynote speakers at the conference. He will discuss the role that Homeland Security plays in keeping counterfeiters at bay and also how ICE protects consumers from the harms of fakes. Vishal Amin, the White House IP Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC), and Steve Francis, Director of the National IPR Coordination Center, will also provide keynote remarks.

In addition to the industry-specific programmatic elements of the conference, the IACC will celebrate its 40^th anniversary as well as preview upcoming programs that will be rolled out in the years ahead. As part of the IACC commemoration, during the second day of the conference, the IACC will present awards to a few of the organization's long-standing partners in the fight against fakes. Visa and Homeland Security are just two of the organizations that will be recognized for their support and continued commitment to working with the IACC and its member brands to combat counterfeiting and piracy.

"Known as a trailblazing city across the country and around the world, Boston is the perfect location to host this year's spring conference, especially as the IACC celebrates 40 years of pioneering IP protection," said Bob Barchiesi, IACC President. "At this year's event, we are excited to bring stakeholders together and elevate the conversation with a goal of fostering partnership, resourcefulness and innovation. Given the ever-increasing challenges associated with counterfeiting, and the constantly evolving methods of counterfeiters, it is essential that industries, countries and businesses come together to form long-lasting partnerships and cultivate solutions to this pervasive problem."

With a goal of fostering dialogue and cooperation amongst different parties, conference attendees will have access to roundtable workshops and interactive sessions. During these forums, attendees will have an opportunity to develop relationships and discuss individual issues with representatives from e-commerce marketplaces, social media sites and emerging platforms, among others. Some of the workshop hosts include intermediary companies such as Alibaba Group, Amazon, eBay and Facebook.

For more information about this year's Spring Conference, please visit www.iacc.org/conferences/spring-conference.

About IACC
The IACC (www.iacc.org) is a Washington, DC-based not for profit organization representing the interests of companies concerned with trademark counterfeiting and the related theft of intellectual property. The members of the IACC include many of the world's best-known brands across all product sectors. The IACC has played a leading role in the development of cross-industry voluntary agreements, to address the illicit trafficking of counterfeit and pirated goods online, including its IACC MarketSafe and RogueBlock initiative.

SOURCE International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition