Hello International Traders!

FITA Online and the Really Useful Sites team wish you a happy and successful new year!


This week in Really Useful Sites:

• Explore the German market
• Register Trademarks and other Intellectual Property
• Learn about the ATA Carnet
• Find Technology Opportunities in the Developing World

And don't forget -- if you'd like more information about international trade, go to FITA's Really Useful Links, which has a link library of more than 8,000 sites related to international trade.

Click here to read this issue on our website.

The German Mini Portal is one of many research gateways at the FITA site. To find Mini Portals for other regions or countries, just click on "Country Profiles" from within a Mini Portal, or at the FITA home page.

REGISTERING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
International IP Agencies
http://www.wipo.int/madrid/en/guide/

Are you looking into trademarking your business or product name in the U.S.? If so, visit the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Use the TESS to verify that a trademark is not already in use or that it is sufficiently different from existing trademarks.

And since you will be going global, you also must verify international registrations. International Trademarks are governed by the Madrid System, which is administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system. Marks registered under the Madrid System are available online on the WIPO website in the Madrid Express Database or through its official publication, the E-Gazette.

The WIPO website also has a list of National Intellectual Property Offices that you can use to verify trademark registrations in specific geographical areas or countries.

TRADE COMPLIANCE SEMINARS FROM FITA AND THE BIS
http://www.fita.org/seminars
Complying with U.S. Export Controls ( March 2-3, 2010 ) and Encryption Controls ( March 4, 2010 )
DoubleTree Hotel, Arlington, VA - co-sponsored by USDOC - BIS and FITA

Complying with U.S. Export Controls ( 2 days - March 2-3, 2010 ) - led by Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS)'s professional counseling staff, provides an in-depth examination of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The program will cover the information exporters need to know to comply with U.S. export control requirements on commercial goods. For more information and to register, go to www.fita.org/seminars.

Encryption Controls ( 3/4 day - March 4, 2010 ) - an in-depth session that will focus on the unique provisions related to encryption under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS) encryption specialists will cover a variety of topics, including how items with encryption functionality are classified under the EAR. Presenters will be available for Q&A the afternoon of the program to address specific questions of attendees. Required prerequisite: Essentials of Export Controls or Complying with U.S. Export Controls or equivalent experience. For more information and to register, go to www.fita.org/seminars.

The ATA Carnet is an international customs document that permits duty-free and tax-free temporary import of non-perishable goods for up to one year. It covers commercial samples, professional equipment and goods for presentation or use at trade fairs, shows, exhibitions: computers, repair tools, photographic and film equipment, musical instruments, industrial machinery, vehicles, jewelery, clothing, medical appliances and aircraft, race horses, old masters, prehistoric relics, ballet costumes and rock group sound systems. The ATA Carnet simplifies customs formalities in 66 countries for these types of goods.

The ATA Carnet is administered by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The U.S. affiliate of the ICC is the United States Council for International Business (USCIB). Any U.S company requiring an ATA Carnet should contact the USCIB through their ATA Carnet Export Service page. And the USCIB offers a list of ATA Carnet issuers in the rest of the world. To download the text of the convention or the list of country partners, visit the ATA System pages on the website of the World Customs Organization. And for yet more information about the ATA Carnet, take a look at the U.S. Commercial Service ATA Carnet FAQ.

If you work with new technologies, don’t forget about market opportunities in the developing world. New technologies are used everywhere in the world, even in the poorest countries.

The Science and Development Network provides information about science and technology in the developing world. The aim of the website is to explore how science and technology can reduce poverty, improve health and raise standards of living around the world. Through articles, topics gateways and regional gateways, it explains how new technologies are developed and used in poor and developing countries.

In the FITA Career Headquarters job seekers can now apply for jobs online and post their resume--free of charge--in an exclusive database that will be searched by hundreds of industry employers seeking employees with international degrees and/or related work experience. Featured this week is a listing for an Senior Trade Compliance Administrator for Aviall Services, Inc in Dallas, TX. Click here to browse more than 700 other positions!

Employers - Click here to advertise your job openings on FITA's Career HQ.

Let the jobs come to you! Employers are looking for people with international skills. Post your resume TODAY and reap the rewards of the FITA Career HQ! And with a FITA Career HQ job agent, you can decide what kind of job you are looking for and let the system do the searching for you. Simply set up specific search parameters in a Job Agent, and whenever a job is posted that matches your criteria, you'll be notified automatically via email. It's that easy!

The U.S. Commercial Service, a division of the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, sponsors and participates in many events and webinars that help U.S. exporters sell overseas and help overseas buyers learn about U.S. exports. The Commercial Service has a searchable database of these events worldwide at http://www.export.gov/each/trade_events.asp. Below are some upcoming events:

• Leveraging Your Website for International Sales, January 28, 2010, New York City. Developing a website strategy to market products and services overseas.
• Roundtable Briefing: Opening Markets in Russia, February 8, 2010, Ontario, CA. Learn strategies to deal with Russia's changing commercial landscape.
• Webinar Series: Exporting Made Easier," a six-part series of webinars until March 31 covering some basic and advanced elements of exporting .... Identify markets, understand documentation, learn methods of payment, classify products, and make the most of international trade shows.
• Webinar Series: Trade Winds 2010: “The Americas,” a series of webinars through March 2010 about doing business in the Americas. Identify the strongest markets for export for your products in North, Central and South America.
• Complying with U.S. Export Controls. January 26-27, 2010, Scottsdale, AZ. An in-depth examination of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
• Medical Trade Mission to India, March 8-13, 2010. A special trade mission for manufacturers of medical products/equipment, laboratory and diagnostics products and health care and related service providers.