Minister to Open IP Protect Expo 2012 in London

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The UK government’s Minister for Intellectual Property, Baroness Wilcox, is to open the first-ever international IP Protect Expo in London, to be held on 28 and 29 March this year.

“We are delighted that Baroness Wilcox has agreed to open IP Protect Expo 2012”

The presence of the Minister, who is Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills, underlines the importance of the threats posed by counterfeiting and other misuse of brands and intellectual property.

IP Protect Expo 2012, co-hosted by the UK’s influential Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG), has attracted exhibitors, brand owners, law enforcement teams and brand protection specialists from around the world, including Europe, America and Australia. The organisers are already running out of exhibition stand space at the Business Design Centre, as demand has exceeded all expectations.

“We are delighted that Baroness Wilcox has agreed to open IP Protect Expo 2012,” says Susanne Hasselmann, who developed the idea for the event in conjunction with ACG, after years of fighting counterfeits in areas such as medicines, food, clothing and electrical goods.

“This is a new and unique opportunity – designed by the industry, for the industry – and the international enthusiasm has been overwhelming. It’s a chance for everyone involved to come together and exchange tips and techniques, ideas and experiences.”

The line-up of major global brands is impressive – from Procter & Gamble, Beiersdorf and GlaxoSmithKline to Epson, Tiffany and Spirits International – and many brand owners and law enforcement agencies are bringing their whole investigation, legal or marketing teams to IP Protect Expo.

A key part of the event is the specialised seminar programme, with both open discussions and closed-doors sessions, at which industry experts will be sharing details of the latest developments in the IP protection field. There is also a law enforcement networking area – off limits to the press and media – where rights holders, police, customs and trading standards experts can talk frankly about current issues.

Details of the visitor registration process for IP Protect Expo 2012 – and the free tickets available for those with strong connections with the IP protection industry – are available at www.ip-protectexpo.com.

For more information, go to www.ip-protectexpo.com,