Walpole Alliances

Comite Colbert  & Altagamma

Walpole formalised a working relationship over four years ago with Comité Colbert and Altagamma. Comité Colbert represents 7O companies at the heart of the French luxury industries and Altagamma unites 50 top Italian companies. We have had a series of successful meetings in Paris, Florence and London and are working on a common action programme in the fields of economic studies, protection of intellectual property and market access and ways in which we can jointly lobby on behalf of our members in Brussels.

An Advisory Board and sector working groups are being formulated across the three groups. The Walpole Intellectual Property Group is headed by Dr Frederick Mostert Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for Dunhill (Richemont) with the support of Michael Leathes, general manager of the Brand Enforcement Group of British American Tobacco.

Following consultation with many members, reports developed by and on behalf of the three organisations have been exchanged within the groups. Walpole has passed two board resolutions in support of the joint activity on Intellectual Property - the first in support of IP specialist civil court sections and IP specialist public prosecutors and the second giving support for creation of an Anti-Counterfeiting Agency at European Union level. The main issues common to the three organisations have been brought to the attention of the European Union to seek its intervention. Two meetings have taken place with Mr. Pascal Lamy and Mr. Romano Prody.