Procedures for Requests by IP Owners to Visit CES® Exhibit Booths


A. IP Owners' Requests

IP Owners' Requests and Notification of Exhibitors

Intellectual Property (IP) is a complex area of the law which refers to creations of the mind for which exclusive rights are recognized in law. As IP deals with intangible assets, they can often come under debate at trade shows, where several copyright, trademarks, patents, and industrial design rights are being unveiled for the first time.

IP Owners or their representatives ("IP Owners") should contact CTA Legal to request a time slot to visit CES exhibit booths. IP Owners should provide CTA Legal with a list of the booths they intend to visit and the products on display that they believe infringe their IP.

IP Owners must communicate in writing, by letter, email and/or fax, with the individual responsible for exhibit coordination and, if possible, with the exhibitor's legal department to inform them that:

  • The IP Owner has reason to believe that the exhibitor will/is display infringing products at the exhibit booth;

  • The IP Owner plans to visit the exhibitor’s booth;

  • If the IP Owner finds infringing products at the booth, the exhibitor will be asked to remove the infringing products from display;

  • If the exhibitor refuses to remove the infringing products, the IP Owner may seek a court order to have the products removed from display.

CTA Legal must receive copies of all such communications before the IP Owner’s request will be approved.

B. Appointments

Appointments

Appointments can be scheduled with CTA Legal by emailing CTALegal@CTA.tech.

CTA will provide email confirmation to the IP Owner of the date and time of the appointment, including the names and locations of the exhibit booths to be visited. IP Owners must adhere to the appointment schedules. IP Owners who do not appear within five (5) minutes of their scheduled appointments will be presumed to have cancelled the appointment.

IP Owners are responsible for obtaining and paying for any translation services needed for the appointment.

C. Rules

Rules for Visiting Exhibits

Oral communications between the exhibitor and the IP Owner must take place in the presence of an authorized CTA representative. To ensure that the visits are conducted in an appropriate manner, the following rules will be observed:

  • IP Owners and exhibitors must be civil and courteous. Loud, offensive or embarrassing confrontations are not permitted. Exhibitors may not be verbally or physically threatened or abused.

  • The IP Owner can advise an exhibitor that if the exhibitor refuses to remove infringing products, the IP Owner may seek a court injunction against the exhibitor. However, an IP Owner may not remove or attempt to remove the infringing products from the exhibit booth.

  • IP Owners are strongly encouraged to limit the size of the groups visiting exhibit booths to no more than two (2) company representatives, one (1) translator, if applicable, and one (1) attorney.

  • If possible, IP Owners should bring with them a list of all of their approved licensees.

D. Violations

Violations

Violations of these procedures can result in the immediate suspension or cancellation of a scheduled appointment and the revocation of an IP Owner's permission to be present on the CES floor.

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