The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a global association of brand owners and professionals dedicated to supporting trademarks and related intellectual property (IP) to foster consumer trust, economic growth, and innovation. Why are trademarks important? INTA’s members are more than 7,200 organizations from 191 countries.
INTA members collectively contribute almost US $12 trillion / €8.8 trillion / ¥73 trillion to global GDP annually. For comparison, the 2016 annual GDP of the top three markets was $11.2 trillion (China), $16.4 trillion (European Union) and $18.6 trillion (United States). The Association's member organizations represent some 31,000 trademark professionals and include brand owners from major corporations as well as small- and medium-sized enterprises, law firms, and nonprofits. There are also government agency members, as well as individual professor and student members. As a not-for-profit association, INTA’s role is to serve its members and society as a trusted and influential advocate for the economic and social value of brands.
INTA also has offices in Brussels, Santiago, Shanghai, Singapore, and Washington D.C. and representatives in Geneva and New Delhi. The not-for-profit Association was founded in 1878 by 17 merchants and manufacturers who saw a need for an organization “to protect and promote the rights of trademark owners, to secure useful legislation and to give aid and encouragement to all efforts for the advancement and observance of trademark rights."