The Senate invited speakers from government agencies such as Customs and Border Protection, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Government Accountability Office to speak to the issues of counterfeit goods sold online. Also addressing the committee was Terrence Brady, president of Underwriters Laboratories (UL), who told the committee on the health and safety risks associated with counterfeit goods and the challenges for brands and industry (see Legislative Update).
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More than 60 persons attended the 1^st World IP Day Michigan in East Lansing on April 26. Those attending heard presentations from representatives of government, law enforcement, academia, and industry discuss topics such as packaging challenges, e-commerce, and best practices for emerging markets. Industry representatives included those from automotive, appliance, accessory, cosmetics, and medical products industries. The event was organized by the A-CAPP Center in collaboration with the Global Business Club of Mid-Michigan the Global Food Law Program at MSU.
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The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) took effect May 25, 2018. This regulation forbids companies from sharing their EU customers’ personal data without explicit permission. Will this be the end of “WHOIS” data for use in BP investigations as we know it?
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As part of its commitment to tackling illegal content online, including infringements of intellectual property rights, the European Commission is conducting an open consultation through June 25. The online questionnaire asks respondents their views on “who has an important role to play in tackling illegal content online,” their views on different policies, and what further measures are needed. Respondents may also upload documents of relevance to the consultation.
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Mexico will elect a new president and Congress on July 1. The frontrunner for the presidency, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also known as AMLO, has said he “fully supports” pacts such as the North America Free Trade Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In its recent Special 301 report, the U.S. Trade Representative also noted, “Long-awaited updates to Mexico’s copyright and enforcement laws, as well as ineffective IP enforcement . . . remain significant challenges” (see December 2017 BPP Legislative Update on “The Uncertain Future of NAFTA”).
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Fans attending summer concerts and sporting events may have a new protection against ticket fraud: blockchain technology. Such technology may “allow event organisers to give each ticket a unique identity that is tied to its owner,” and allow promoters “to keep an easy record of who owns the ticket and prevent counterfeiting.”

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See also our December 2017 story on blockchain in the global wine market.