The TMA Committee has kicked-off the year 2016 with a fantastic event. On Thursday, 28 January 2016, a mini-seminar was organized by the International Trademark Association (INTA) and the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) in Munich, Germany. The seminar was specially developed for Trademark Administrators (TMAs) and Paralegals in Germany. [[{"type":"media","fid":"4583","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image alignnone size-full wp-image-2533","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"844","height":"429"}}]] The four-hour event with the title “Make Yourselves Invaluable to Your Firm and Company”, with over 90 attendees was, thanks to the organizing committee, speakers and sponsors, an overwhelming success. The topics included:

• Promoting INTA and the work of the German TMA Committee;
• An update from the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA);
• The role and challenges of a paralegal working outside your country at another office and how to use this to enhance your career;
• The challenges and views on running a trademark portfolio in-house;
• What you need to know about preliminary injunction proceedings (PI´s) in trademark cases in Germany.

After a fantastic lunch and snacks provided for by the DPMA, Ms. Barbara Preissner, Head of Trademark and Design Department at the DPMA, started the event off with a welcome speech, followed up by a total of five speakers on different topics relevant for TMAs and Paralegals. The seminar was interactive with a Q&A session after each presentation. [[{"type":"media","fid":"4584","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-2540","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"490","height":"388"}}]] The first speaker was Mr. Martin Sebele from the Trademark Department at the DPMA, who gave an update from the DPMA on the changes and updates on classification. Secondly, Ms. Christina Maier, Paralegal at Kuhnen & Wacker Patent- und Rechtsanwaltsbüro, and Ms. Natalie Oei, Head of Trademark Administration/Paralegal at Noerr LLP, shared their experiences with working as paralegals in another office in another country, and how to use this experience to enhance your career. Afterwards, Ms. Claudia Meindel, Head of Intellectual Property Department at Euro-Triumph GmbH, continued with a presentation on legal and corporate practice on running a trademark portfolio in the fashion/lingerie industry from the point of view of an in-house counsel. Mr. Stephan N. Schneller, Attorney at Law at Maiwald Patentanwalts GmbH, gave a presentation on what paralegals need to know about preliminary injunction proceedings (PI´s) in trademark cases in Germany. DOWNLOAD OF PRESENTATIONS: The presentations (in German) given can be downloaded here: VORTRAG_Martin_Sebele_DPMA_Klassifikation VORTRAG_Christina_Maier_20160128_USA_Praktikum VORTRAG_Natalie_Oei_Secondment_Alicante Alexandra Dellmeier, Attorney at Law at LexDellmeier IP Law Firm, and Susanne Ferstl, Freelance Paralegal, closed the mini-seminar with a great round of applause by the participants and small snacks. [[{"type":"media","fid":"4585","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-2541","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"505","height":"405"}}]] We want to especially thank the DPMA and its President, Ms. Cornelia Rudloff-Schaeffer, and Ms. Barbara Preissner, Head of the Trademark and Design Department, for actively supporting and hosting this event at their Munich headquarters for the third time after the last TMA event there in 2013. Of course special thanks also go to INTA and DPMA staff members as well as the organizing team in Munich, Alexandra Dellmeier (previous TMA Committee Member), Susanne Ferstl (current TMA Committee Member) and Melanie Schulze. Please see some more pictures from the INTA/DPMA mini-seminar below: [[{"type":"media","fid":"4595","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image aligncenter wp-image-2554","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"547","height":"389"}}]] [[{"type":"media","fid":"4596","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2556 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"548","height":"410"}}]] [[{"type":"media","fid":"4597","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2559 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"551","height":"412"}}]] [[{"type":"media","fid":"4599","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2564 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"555","height":"415"}}]] [[{"type":"media","fid":"4598","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2562 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"558","height":"422"}}]] [[{"type":"media","fid":"4601","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2568 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"559","height":"414"}}]] [[{"type":"media","fid":"4602","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2570 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"555","height":"408"}}]] [[{"type":"media","fid":"4603","view_mode":"media_large","instance_fields":"override","attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-2573 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"553","height":"406"}}]]