Region: Australia

IP Australia has issued the second of two papers setting out details of proposed changes to Australia's IP system initially discussed in its earlier series of consultation papers. The paper further explains how IP Australia intends to deal with proposals tabled in the first-round consultation papers.

14 April 2010

A trademark is what the business says it is, while a brand is what the consumer sees it as. What differentiates successful businesses from their competitors is the ability to market a brand effectively by integrating and implementing the perspectives of both trademark practitioners and marketers.

10 March 2010

Occasionally a question arises regarding the proposed exploitation of a patent that is considered to be invalid. However, there is also a further question as to whether Australian law imposes a legal duty for the "infringer" to take action to revoke the patent(s) blocking its strategy.

17 February 2010

Two recent decisions of the full bench of the Federal Court of Australia have confirmed the significant potential of the innovation patent as a powerful weapon in the arsenal of proprietors of patentable intellectual assets. Innovation patents were introduced in 2001 with the intention of providing second-tier protection for innovative technologies.

03 February 2010

IP Australia has issued the first of two papers setting out details of proposed changes initially discussed in its earlier series of consultation papers. The new consultation paper explains how IP Australia intends to progress each of the proposals put forward in the first-round consultation papers.

13 January 2010

The Advisory Council on Intellectual Property (ACIP) has prepared an interim report following its review of the issues relating to post-grant patent enforcement strategies. Following further consultation, the ACIP expects to submit its recommendations in a final report to the government.

09 December 2009

IP Australia continues to examine avenues for improving the patent system in Australia. Its latest initiative is a web-based Peer-to-Patent joint trial with the Queensland University of Technology, aimed at supporting the patent examination process and improving the quality of issued patents.

25 November 2009

The government has declared a policy to "help green innovators find a fast track to market". In offering expedited examination to environmentally friendly technologies, the Australian Patent Office is following the lead set by several of its international counterparts.

11 November 2009

The issue of unsolicited correspondence from a range of organisations has been an ongoing problem in Australia. In the latest development on the issue, IP Australia has issued a warning on its website regarding a company known as TMP, Trademark Publisher, which requests payment for publication of the trademark owner's trademark details in a register.

07 October 2009

In its keenly awaited decision in <i>UWA v Gray</i>, the Full Federal Court of Australia has issued a ruling that will have a significant impact on ownership of inventions by university academics.

23 September 2009