IDI Annual Conference 2025

The 2025 IDI Annual Conference took place in Turin on 6–7 June 2025, addressing key topics such as the use and protection of trademarks in distribution networks, AI integration in business, emerging actors in online distribution, and strategies for managing product recalls.

Prof. Dr. H. Ercüment Erdem, Founder and Senior Partner of Erdem & Erdem Law Office and IDI country expert for agency and distribution in Türkiye, chaired the Friday morning discussion panel on “Creating Online Policies for the Distributor’s/Franchisee’s Website and for the Use of Social Media.” The panel focused on developing strategies that allow distributors and franchisees to promote and sell online under strict compliance frameworks to ensure network uniformity and brand protection.

Dominic Hui (Ribeiro Hui, Shanghai), Iain Irvine (Vardon Legal, Adelaide), and Melanie Käser (Streichenberg Attorneys, Zurich; IDI franchising country expert for Switzerland) contributed to the panel as speakers. They shared practical insights and sectoral examples of contractual clauses regulating online sales, website content, and social media use within distribution and franchising networks.

The session emphasized the importance of harmonized online policies and legally sound compliance mechanisms that protect brand identity while enabling digital engagement across jurisdictions.

As with prior IDI events, the 2025 conference fostered dynamic exchanges and brought clarity to evolving legal complexities in international distribution and franchising. The insights shared during this session contribute to the development of a coherent, forward-looking approach to online governance in commercial networks.