McAndrews, Held & Malloy Shareholder Christopher V. Carani to Speak on “IP & Fashion” at the AIPPI World Congress in Milan
09.14.16
McAndrews, Held & Malloy Shareholder Christopher V. Carani will speak at the upcoming Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) World Congress, September 16-20, in Milan. Carani, along with General Counsel from Hermes and Moncler, will participate in a panel discussion titled “IP & Fashion: Protect your Style.” Carani, who is a leading international authority on design law, is also Chair of AIPPI 2016’s Working Question Study Committee, as well as Chair of AIPPI’s Standing Committee on Designs. Carani will be joined onsite at the event by McAndrews Shareholder Nabeela Rasheed and Associate Dunstan Barnes.
The panel discussion on IP & Fashion will be held on September 19, and will focus on the critical role intellectual property plays in the fashion industry along with key issues and challenges for IP protection in this sector. Panelists will provide insight on how to prevent the creation of counterfeit products while maintaining a balance with borrowing and building on previous fashion trends. In addition to Carani, participants include:
- Aurélia Marie, Cabinet Beau de Loménie (moderator)
- Pravin Anand, Anand & Anand Advocates
- Nicolas Martin, Head of IP, Hermes
- Federica Zambelli, Worldwide Intellectual Property and Brand Protection Senior Manager, Moncler
Additional information on the conference and panel sessions can be found here.
As Chair of the Working Question Study Committee, Carani and over 60 AIPPI national and group delegates will meet on September 17 to discuss this year’s question, “DESIGNS – Requirements for Protection for Designs.” The Committee will finalize and aim to pass a resolution regarding the role of functionality doctrine as it applies to design rights. Along with Carani, other committee leadership team members include Sara Ashby (Co-Chair); Hiromichi Aoki (Co-Chair); and Johanna Lilja (Secretary).
Carani also serves as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Designs for AIPPI. He was appointed to this position in September 2015. On September 18, 2016, Carani and committee members, which hail from countries all over the world, will meet to discuss recommendations to AIPPI on policy and legal frameworks relating to designs, including reviewing policy initiatives, proposed legislative changes and judicial decisions.
The AIPPI, headquartered in Switzerland and containing about 9,000 members across more than 100 countries, is the world’s leading international organization dedicated to the development and improvement of IP. Its mission is to protect, promote and improve intellectual property on an international and national level. The AIPPI’s members-only World Congress events attract about 2,000 attendees each year.
Carani practices in all area of intellectual property law, including patents, designs, trademarks and copyrights. He is a well-recognized authority in the field of design law, having published and lectured extensively on the topic. In 2016, IAM Magazine included him in its “IAM Patent 1000”, referring to him as one of the U.S.’s “pre-eminent design law experts.” Carani has extensive experience working in the apparel, footwear and accessories industries. He is on faculty at Northwestern University School of Law as an Adjunct Professor teaching IP law. Carani conferred his J.D. from The Law School at The University of Chicago and holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Marquette University. Away from the law, Carani is a studied jazz musician playing upright bass on the Chicago jazz circuit.