At this week’s International Trademark Association (INTA) 2024 Annual Meeting, Tencent, an INTA partner and Meeting sponsor, joined thousands of attendees in celebrating the essential role of intellectual property (IP) in creativity, commerce, and innovation. Tencent showcased its efforts to combat IP infringement across its platforms and its collaborations with global brands to deliver next-generation brand experiences in video games and other digital worlds.
Tencent’s contributions included participating in panel discussions with IP experts and hosting a workshop series that highlighted 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 honour 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 Head of Public Affairs and Global Policy. “The company’s IP journey has led Tencent to recently be recognised 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 attracted more than 9,650 IP stakeholders from 136 countries, Tencent’s knowledge-sharing sessions included:
Harnessing the power of video games
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, explored how brands and video game developers can successfully engage consumers by integrating IP into video games. Tolouey and Wu discussed opportunities and emerging trends in trademark licensing in video games, lessons learned, and considerations for video game studios and brands promoting in-game branding. They also examined 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). They summarised Tencent’s recent advances in protecting IP rights and preventing illicit activities, including the advertising and sale of counterfeit goods on Weixin.
Chen and Zhang discussed Weixin’s innovative solutions, proactive measures, and enhanced enforcement tools to deter prohibited activities across the platform’s features, such as direct messaging, group chats, Official Accounts, and third-party Mini-Programs. They shared the latest BPP enforcement data with an audience of trade association representatives, content creators, rightsholders, and policy experts, emphasising Tencent’s effective approach to IP protection and demonstrating why leading brands use Weixin to engage 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, opportunities for collaboration across jurisdictions, tools and techniques to identify and track counterfeit goods, and proven IP enforcement measures in cases involving artificial intelligence and the metaverse.
Ross Zhang, Tencent Legal Counsel, spoke at the Anti-Counterfeiting Roundtable. Rozita Tolouey and Jaymes Wu participated in the “Level Up Your Brand: Harnessing the Power of Video Games for Interactive Marketing and Consumer Engagement” panel. Shuru Chen presented at the Weixin Brand Protection Workshop.
Throughout the Meeting, Tencent also hosted an opening reception showcasing its innovative digital platforms, including Weixin and WeChat, and its global role as a creator, distributor, and licensor of high-quality entertainment through Tencent Video, Tencent Music, and Tencent Games.
