Joe Simone receives INTA's 2019 Service Award for the Advancement of Association Objectives
29 February 2020
The International Trademark Association (INTA) has named Joe Simone, founder and partner of SIPS in Hong Kong as a recipient of the association’s 2019 Service Award for the Advancement of Association Objectives.
This newly established award is given to one or more individuals of an INTA member organization whose participation, efforts, and innovative thinking during the year have advanced substantive trademark and related intellectual property law and practice; committee or subcommittee objectives; or the strategic objectives of INTA.
Simone has been a leading volunteer for INTA in China for decades. He has been instrumental in the association’s engagement with the China National Intellectual Property Administration, most recently with his participation on INTA’s Bad-Faith Registration Task Force, which produced a series of recommendations presented to the Chinese authorities. His efforts also were evident throughout the public comment period on recent amendments to China’s Trademark Law, which took effect November 1. Simone participated in identifying advocacy opportunities, translating draft laws, and developing initial comments for consideration by various INTA committees.
“My work at INTA is integral to the work my firm does for its clients,” Simone said. “The IP environment in China is challenging, and I’ve always maintained that getting results for clients requires the industry to be particularly active in policy work to ensure future laws and policies are more favorable. This award validates that approach.”
