Tencent demonstrates longstanding dedication to protecting and enhancing the value of IP at INTA’s 2024 Annual Meeting

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – May 22, 2024 – At this week’s International Trademark Association (INTA) 2024 Annual Meeting, INTA partner and Meeting sponsor Tencent joined thousands of attendees in celebrating the essential role of IP in creativity, commerce, and innovation. The company showcased how it combats intellectual property (IP) infringement across its platforms and works with global brands to create and deliver next-generation brand experiences in video games and other digital worlds.

In addition to contributing to panel discussions alongside IP experts during the Meeting, Tencent convened a workshop series highlighting the company’s efforts to protect IP through its Weixin Brand Protection Platform (BPP).

“At Tencent, intellectual property has long served as a core driver of our businesses, supporting the development, licensing, and distribution of some of the most popular video games, TV shows, movies, and music enjoyed around the world. It is an honor to support INTA’s Annual Meeting and the bringing together of the global IP community dedicated to the exchange of knowledge and best practices,” said Danny Marti, Tencent’s Head of Public Affairs and Global Policy. “The company’s IP journey has led Tencent to recently be recognized as the largest filer of trademark applications in the world, a recognition of our IP-intensive business models spanning across our technology and entertainment portfolios. IP provides the framework and incentives to develop and pursue commercial and other opportunities that enrich our lives and our communities. Tencent is committed to continuously improving IP frameworks and enhancing brand value in evolving digital worlds.”

During the five-day event, which was attended by more than 9,650 IP stakeholders from 136 countries, Tencent’s knowledge-sharing sessions included:

Level up your brand: harnessing the power of video games for interactive marketing and consumer engagement: Rozita Tolouey, Tencent Head of Business Development & Partnerships, North America, and Jaymes Wu, Tencent Games Game Operations Manager, participated alongside Holly Upgren, Polaris Senior Associate Marketing Manager – Corporate Partnerships, and Alexandre Rudoni, Allen & Overy IP & Litigation Partner.

The panel, moderated by World Trademark Review Managing Editor Trevor Little, highlighted the ways brands and video game developers can successfully engage consumers by integrating IP into video games. Tolouey and Wu spoke about opportunities and emerging trends in the licensing of trademarks in video games; lessons learned and considerations for video game studios and brands seeking to promote in-game branding; and the evolution of consumer marketing from static ads to interactive and immersive entertainment experiences.

Weixin brand protection workshops: Shuru Chen, Senior Legal Counsel, Tencent, and Ross Zhang, Tencent Legal Counsel, hosted six dynamic workshops on the Weixin Brand Protection Platform (BPP). During the workshops, Chen and Zhang summarized Tencent’s recent advances in protecting IP rights and safeguarding against the illicit activity, including the advertising and sale of counterfeit goods on Weixin, Tencent’s unique multifaceted communication service serving more than a billion users and bridging private and public features like direct messaging, group chats, Official Accounts, and third-party Mini-Programs. 

Chen and Zhang also spoke about Weixin’s use of innovative solutions, increased proactive measures, and enhanced enforcement tools to help minimize and deter prohibited activity across the platform’s private and public features. They shared the latest BPP enforcement data with an audience of trade association representatives, content creators, rightsholders, and policy experts, underscoring how effective Tencent’s approach to IP protection has been in reducing bad actors’ misuse of the platform and demonstrating why so many of the world’s leading brands choose to leverage Weixin as a vital channel for engaging directly with consumers.

 Anti-counterfeiting roundtable: Tencent joined leading brands, IP owners, experts, and government officials at INTA’s Anti-Counterfeiting Workshop. The discussion explored the complexities of anti-counterfeiting strategies; new opportunities for IP owners, governments, and enforcement agencies to collaborate across jurisdictions; the latest tools and techniques to help identify and track counterfeit goods online and offline; and proven IP enforcement measures in cases involving artificial intelligence and the metaverse.

Over the course of the meeting, Tencent also welcomed attendees to an opening reception that included opportunities to learn how the company’s innovative digital platforms, including Weixin and WeChat, connect users to content and services and its global role as a creator, distributor, and licensor of high-quality entertainment for the hundreds of millions of people who use Tencent Video, Tencent Music, and Tencent Games.

To learn more about Tencent’s presence at INTA 2024, please click HERE.