The LESI 2010 Conference to be held at the Sandton Convention Centre from 11-14 April 2010 is not only an innovation licensing or intellectual property collaboration conference, but will also deal with numerous aspects of trademarks.

There will be morning plenary sessions and afternoon workshops in addition to the keynote addresses by experts in various fields of intellectual property around the world. The workshops will provide delegates the chance to dig deep into current intellectual property issues including that of trademarks.

Branding – There is power in a name

Choosing the most suitable and powerful brand names and trademarks is essential for the development of a company’s image and its share in the marketplace. It is often a long and tedious path full of pitfalls. With trade becoming all the more global, companies should carefully consider how they position themselves through trademarks. It is for instance, important that the trademark be acceptable across language and cultural boundaries and still being able to meet the requirements of local regulations.

Trade Secrets – Agreements

With specific focus on the chemicals industry the workshop session will deal with the protection of trade secrets such as the ones shared with clients, contractors and employees. Setting up trade secret agreements with various parties is important to ensure that information will not be stolen or duplicated by others. Policies and clauses that should form part of such agreements and the policing of licensing agreements will come under the spotlight.