The Belgian editorial team is delighted to bring you this special edition of Law à la Mode, marking the 139th INTA Annual Meeting in Barcelona.

Just some of the focuses for this special edition include the dangers of unused trademarks, following the news in February this year that the Supreme Court of New Zealand has revoked registration of one of the Lacoste crocodile trademarks, on the basis that the brand had not made genuine use of the trademark for over three years (page 5).

Our French team considers how the European Trademark Reform (adopted in late 2015) strengthened the protection of well-known and famous trademarks (page 8). In contrast, at the beginning of this issue, our Australian colleagues provide an insight into the specific issues faced by generic names and marks (page 4).

Native advertising has captivated the attention of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and marketers alike for its ability to blur the lines between editorial and commercial content. Our US colleagues therefore provide 5 tips for navigating native advertising (page 7).

High rents and 24 months of declining retail sales have left retailers in Hong Kong feeling the chill of a severe winter. Many tenants have found themselves tied into leases well above market values, as Hong Kong’s notoriously landlordfriendly leases make it hard to renegotiate terms in the event of an economic downturn. Our Hong Kong lawyers are happy to help you find possible solutions (page 9).

We hope you enjoy this edition of Law à la Mode.