AmCham Macedonia Summer 2015 (Issue 46) | Page 32

AMCHAM NEWS AmCham Hosts U.S. IPR Enforcement Expert This June, AmCham Macedonia welcomed Ms. Jennifer Blank, Attorney-Advisor on the Enforcement Team at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Ms. Blank was in Skopje speak at a regional IP workshop for Customs and State Market Inspectorate officials organized by the State Department and USPTO. She met with AmCham members to learn more about the local IP environment from a business perspective as well as discuss ways in which USPTO programs could best support improvement of Macedonia’s IP environment. Participants shared challenges they had faced when attempting to protect their rights and all agreed that raising consumer awareness is critical for stopping piracy and one of the crucial elements in the fight against counterfeits. The group also discussed how U.S. right holders representatives are tackling the challenge of online sales of counterfeits, since there have only been a few such cases in Macedonia. Ms. Blank highlighted the importance of business community input toward improving coordination and cooperation between State institutions in this sphere. She said interested companies could also help law enforcers keep up with new technologies and continuously improve their work effectiveness and efficiency. At USPTO, Ms. Blank is responsible for intellectual property policy, support of the development and maintenance of effective intellectual property regimes, and capacity building and technical assistance programs. She is focused on the enforcement of intellectual property rights, working closely with police entities, prosecution functions, border enforcement and the judiciary. NEW MEMBER Nielsen is a leading global company for electronic television audience measurement. Our fully-integrated, proprietary system provides independent, reliable and transparent audience data that television broadcasters, advertising agencies and advertisers around the world rely on every day. Our commitment to excellence in this niche market is demonstrated by our use leading-edge technology, superior client service delivery and maintenance of global standards. Since 2007, the Nielsen Audience Measurement Branch in Macedonia has used the “people meter” methodology, the most technologically advanced and accurate television audience measurement system. Completed in 2008, Nielsen’s national representative sample in Macedonia consists of 400 installed households and more than 560 people-meters (i.e., more than 1,250 individuals) in daily production. This world-class panel was developed by using Nielsen best practices based on the company’s extensive operational experience in other markets. We welcome you to learn more about our system at www.nielsentam.tv and our corporation at www.nielsen.com. 32   Summer 2015 Issue 46