Updates from the field World IP Day photo gallery Map of domestic activities
Updates from the field
Johannesburg, South Africa - August 2026
On August 19, the USPTO’s intellectual property (IP) attaché for Sub-Saharan Africa, Katherine M. Hiner (third from left), joined the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Regional Media Hub for a call with African journalists to share more about the “IP for Growth” workshops held in Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg, South Africa, and to discuss the USPTO’s work promoting strong IP systems on the continent. Also pictured are, from left to right: Anne Compton, public diplomacy officer at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations (UN); Phillip Assis, director and French language spokesperson of the Africa Regional Media Hub; and Ashleigh Shields, public engagement coordinator at the U.S. Mission to the UN.
Lagos, Nigeria - August 2026
In a recent article in the online publication Peoples Gazette, the Nigeria Customs Service announced its partnership with the USPTO to help combat counterfeit goods and strengthen intellectual property protection and border enforcement. USPTO partners customs to fight counterfeit goods in Nigeria
Bangkok, Thailand - July 2026
On July 11, 2026, Bangkok-based attaché Matthew Kohner participated in the anti-counterfeiting campaign “Do Not Buy, Do Not Use, Do Not Support Intellectual Property Infringement,” held in Bangkok’s Siam Square. The gathering happened adjacent to MBK Center, considered a notorious market for counterfeit goods. Mr. Kohner was joined by Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Suphajee Suthumpun, Department of Intellectual Property Director General Auramon Supthaweethum, and other Thai officials.
Geneva, Switzerland - July 2026
On July 9, 2026, Johannesburg-based IP attaché Katherine Hiner participated in a panel discussion called “The Rhythm of IP,” during the WIPO Assemblies in Geneva, Switzerland. American musician John Legend and Nigerian rapper Ladipoe were also part of the event, which was part of the broader IP for Growth Initiative and hosted by Universal Music Group. “The U.S. is committed to empowering creators in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Ms. Hiner said. “We want to help foster solutions that benefit artists, entrepreneurs, and the broader creative economy.” Photo: U.S. Mission/Eric Bridiers
Swearing-in ceremony - June 2026
The USPTO has welcomed two new intellectual property (IP) attachés, who took part in a virtual swearing-in ceremony on June 29, 2026. Shailendra Bhumralkar (left) will be posted in New Delhi, India, to serve as the IP attaché for South Asia. Scott Strickland (center) is set to depart for Guangzhou, China, where his coverage area will include Southern, Southwestern, and Southeastern China, including Hong Kong and Macao. They were joined during the ceremony by the IP Attaché Program Director Deborah Lashley-Johnson
More Updates from the Field
Orlando, Florida - April 2026
(From left to right) The USPTO’s Deborah Lashley-Johnson (third from left in first photo), Dorian Mazurkevich, and Conrad Wong took part in panel discussions at the 2026 International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition Annual Conference, held April 28-30 in Orlando, Florida. Ms. Lashley-Johnson, the director of the IP Attaché Program, spoke on “Managing IP Enforcement Across Borders: Lessons from the Tri-Border in Latin America,” during which she highlighted policy advocacy and public-private partnership efforts by current Brazil-based IP attaché Cairo Jennings. Mr. Mazurkevich, former Ukraine-based IP attaché, spoke on “Disrupting Counterfeiting and Illicit Trade in Free Trade Zones,” focusing on U.S. government-led efforts to combat counterfeit goods trafficking through FTZs. And Mr. Wong, an attorney-advisor on the China team, discussed landlord liability as a practical tool for IP enforcement. Photos courtesy of IACC.
Mexico City, Mexico - March 2026
The USPTO hosted a Dialogue on Live Sports Event Content Protection and Illicit Streaming Enforcement. The U.S. Commercial Service Mexico (CM Mexico) shared the details on social media.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - February 2026
The USPTO’s IP attaché for the Mercosur region, Cairo Jennings (second from right), participates in the Department of Justice’s Digital Piracy Working Group meeting in Latin America, held February 25-27 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mr. Jennings led a panel discussion with U.S. stakeholders on best practices for effective public-private partnerships. The panelists also discussed the latest technical developments in digital piracy in the region and ways to counter those bad actors.
Bangkok, Thailand - February 2026
The USPTO’s IP attaché for Southeast Asia, Matthew Kohner, speaks at the Trademark 5 (TM5) workshop on combatting bad faith trademark filings, held on February 5, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand. Representatives from all five of the world’s largest trademark offices participated in the workshop, which aimed to support Thai trademark examiners in addressing the growing incidence of bad faith applications. The Japan Patent Office (JPO), the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), and Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property (Thai DIP) co-organized the event.
Lima, Peru - November 2025
Lima-based IP attaché Jennifer Chicoski speaks at the launch of the anti-counterfeiting campaign “Por un Perú de Largo Aliento,” a coalition that supports the respiratory health of Peruvian workers. The campaign aims to educate the public on health risks associated with counterfeit and low-quality respiratory products such as masks, respirators, and filters. Peru has a large number of mining, construction, and agriculture workers who depend on respirators to safely do their jobs. The launch event was held on November 18, 2025, at the headquarters of the National Society of Industry in Lima.
Bangkok, Thailand - September 2025
USPTO Bangkok-based IP attaché Matthew Kohner (left) and U.S Embassy Bangkok Economic Analyst Stephen Orr destroy counterfeit Ford car parts during Thailand’s annual destruction ceremony of IPR infringing goods, held on September 5, 2025. More than 1.5 million counterfeit items, including apparel, footwear, and car parts bearing U.S. and international brands, were destroyed to ensure they would not re-enter channels of commerce. (Photo courtesy Chanchart Chotiphol)
Singapore - August 2025
On August 26, 2025, Matthew Kohner, IP Attaché for Southeast Asia, met with Vichea SUON, Director of Cambodia’s Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) and Chairperson of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC), and his delegation to discuss IP protection and enforcement in ASEAN. This meeting occurred on the margins of Singapore IP Week.
Nairobi, Kenya - June 2025
On June 5, 2025, Johannesburg-based attaché Katherine Hiner participated in an event organized by the American Chamber of Commerce, Kenya, and the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. The event, held in Nairobi, focused on creating opportunities for U.S. industry to operate and invest in the Kenyan creative economy. During the event’s first panel discussion, “Unlocking the Potential of the U.S.–Kenya Creative Ecosystem,” Ms. Hiner emphasized the importance of a strong IP framework for creators and rights owners to realize the full market potential of Kenya’s creative sector.
Shanghai, China - May 2025
The USPTO’s IP counselor in Beijing, Michael Mangelson, moderated a discussion at a pharmaceutical IP seminar held on May 15, 2025 at the U.S. Consulate’s Shanghai American Center. Mangelson co-hosted the event with the USPTO’s Shanghai office. The panel discussion included speakers from Jones Day Shanghai, AstraZeneca, PhRMA’s Beijing Office, and a former Beijing IP court judge.
Bangkok, Thailand - April 2025
On April 21, 2025, the IP attaché team met with Ms. Nusara Kanjanakul, the new Director General of the Thai Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), to discuss a variety of topics, including ongoing IP legislative developments in Thailand, U.S. stakeholder concerns, and potential bilateral cooperation between the USPTO and DIP, including on items outlined in the IP workplan finalized last year.
Bangkok, Thailand - March 2025
On March 5, the IP attaché team in Thailand (including IP attaché Matthew Kohner, fifth from right) and the Economic Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok participated in an intellectual property rights awareness event at MBK Center, a shopping mall in Bangkok. The mall is on the U.S. Trade Representative’s Notorious Markets List. The event, organized by the Thailand Department of Intellectual Property and led by Director General Nusara Kanjanakul (fifth from left), was part of a broader public outreach campaign aimed at promoting IP protection and enforcement. The campaign included five events that took place in February and March.
Quito, Ecuador - October 2024
The USPTO’s IP attaché in the Andean region, Jennifer Chicoski (second from right), presents a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the USPTO and the Tribunal de Justicia de la Comunidad Andina (Court of Justice of the Andean Community) on October 28, 2024, in Quito, Ecuador. The MOU solidifies the collaborative working relationship between the two entities.