Trademark Clearance, Manager

About the Role & Team:

This person will be an integral team member of the Disney Experiences Business Affairs (BA) Department.  The person will have day-to-day responsibilities for managing the trademark clearance operations and strategies across the Disney Experiences (DX) businesses.  This person is expected to work in a highly collaborative fashion with other Business Affairs and Legal members of The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) and members of the DX creative, product development, licensing, marketing, finance and franchise management groups to gain an understanding of business objectives to make decisions regarding legal strategies.

What You Will Do 

Scope of duties: Manages trademark clearances and trademark filing strategies by researching, evaluating and communicating available information to make appropriate recommendations about trademark filings to business clients and internal partners. 

• Manage BA trademark clearance operations, including tracking and processing trademark clearance requests, and auditing and improving clearance operations for efficiency.

• Manage trademark clearances and trademark filing strategies by reviewing, evaluating and communicating available information to make appropriate recommendations about trademarks to business clients and internal partners.

• Summarize trademark legal opinions for all consumer product franchise teams to manage and minimize risks to the Company and licensees. Consult with IP Legal and business clients on scope of use and any creative changes required to mitigate risk. 

• Consult with IP Legal and provide business plans with recommendations for trademark filing strategies.

• Collaborates with business clients when necessary to ensure budgetary compliance.

• Meet regularly with franchise teams to determine business strategy in order to analyze best practices for trademark clearances and filings as necessary for new properties, logos, brands, taglines, character names, locations, and elements.

• Provide Business Affairs IP risk support to TWDC franchises relating to consumer product clearances and branding guidelines.

• Review and approve packaging, product development, branding, and marketing style guides and assets for trademark, contract, brand guidelines, and other intellectual property issues.

• Prepare and deliver trademark clearance presentations on trademark principles and Business Affairs operations.

• Collaborate with IP Legal to gather evidence such as proof of use, business plans, licensee information, and financial information to support trademark filings, claims, oppositions, and cancellations.

• Collaborate with IP Legal on trademark clearance, filing, maintenance, and enforcement strategies.

• Work with business clients to report possible pirated products to the Antipiracy team.

• Works on other projects as assigned.

Requirements/Qualifications

• 3 or more years experience in handling intellectual property issues and related matters, particularly with respect to trademark clearances, prosecution, and maintenance.

• Strong interpersonal skills (collaborative ways of working within team, cross-functionally and with business clients), analytical skills, and verbal and writing skills (discussion, analysis, succinctly summarizing key issues).

• Experience using U.S. Patent and Trademark Office programs and commercial trademark clearance programs.

• Experience using trademark docketing programs.

• Experience managing trademark filings and office actions with the USPTO, preparing identification and classification of goods and services, and collecting use and specimen evidence.

• High energy and enthusiasm, self-motivated, able to work independently.

• Advanced working knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint.

• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to a rapidly-changing environment.

• Ability to communicate effectively with business counterparts, understand business/ marketing strategies, assess risks and counsel appropriate action.

• Superb organizational strength, capability to manage a large workload and juggle many competing priorities.

• Operationally driven and comfortable applying technological solutions to drive efficiencies.

• Consumer product experience a plus.

Education

• B.A./ B.S., or equivalent; and/or qualified paralegal by certification or education and work experience as set forth by the American Bar Association and/or applicable state codes.

The hiring range for this position in California is $78,200 to $104,800 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.