Applications are now open for Western Australia’s Innovation Voucher Program (IVP), which aims to provide SMEs with a financial boost to advance their ideas and decrease the commercialisation gap in WA. We know that entrepreneurs march to the beat of their own drum, so gaining funding without sacrificing ownership can be challenging. The IVP is designed to assist innovators overcome …
Applications for WA Innovator of the Year 2019 – open now
The WA Innovator of the Year (IOTY) program showcases innovative and entrepreneurial individuals and businesses, and provides support to commercisalise, scale and execute promising innovation in WA. The IOTY program is an initiative of the State Government’s New Industries Fund, which aims to enable SME’s to develop greater opportunities to commercialise their ideas and inevitably expand and create new jobs. …
As Brexit looms, what will happen to your existing patent rights?
29 March 2019… Brexit Day. This is the date that, at 11pm, the UK will leave the European Union. The UK can decide to halt the process without consent from the other 27 EU States and stay in the EU at any time up to Brexit Day. However, for the UK to halt the process, this would require a change …
LESANZ appoints Tyson Keed as WA Committee Chair
Wrays is excited to announce that Tyson Keed has been appointed the Licensing Executives Society of Australia and New Zealand (LESANZ Inc.) WA Committee Chair. Wrays has supported LESANZ for over 25 years with a commitment to sharing our knowledge and experience to support industry growth and development, inspire and guide new entrepreneurs, and impart advice to organisations that will …
Unraveling the repair defence to design infringement
When Australia’s new registered designs regime was introduced in 2003, it included a defence to infringement for spare parts used for repair work (section 72 of the Designs Act 2003 (Cth)). The scope of this repairs defence has now been explained in an illuminating court decision concerning car body parts, highlighting the defence’s complexity. In GM Global Technology Operations LLC …
From jackaroo to CEO
Stuart McCullough: Director of Woolmark and CEO of Australian Wool Innovation Stuart McCullough shares his career transition from jackaroo to CEO, and discusses leading innovation in the wool and agriculture industry, including the development of technology to improve connectivity between farm and animal. The work Stuart is doing presents the diversity in working in this sector, with the supply chain …
The Intellectual Property of Autonomous Mining
Almost 3 years ago I wrote an article discussing some of the issues associated with patent protection being obtained relating to remote mine site operations. That article can be accessed here. That article is the most viewed article of the many I’ve written and published on the LinkedIn platform. This demonstrates the high level of continuing interest in remote mine site …
Prepare to have your world Rokt ….
Australian Federal Court Overturns IP Australia’s Rejection of Computer Implemented Invention (CII). In a blow to the recent practices of the Australian Patent Office of IP Australia when examining CIIs, the Federal Court of Australia has, in its decision by Robertson J in Rokt Pte Ltd v Commissioner of Patents [2018] FCA 1988 [Rokt], overturned IP Australia’s rejection of a …
Getting the Deal Through – Trademarks 2019
Getting the Deal Through has published their 2019 edition of Trademarks, wherein experts provide international analysis in key areas of law, practice and regulation for corporate counsel, cross-border legal practitioners, and company directors and officers. Wrays’ Principal Marie Wong provides a detailed analysis of the scope, ownership, registration and enforcement of Trademarks in Australia. If you are considering filing in …
The impact of BREXIT on UK & European patents
As is widely known, the United Kingdom shocked the world – and themselves – by voting No on the question of whether to remain part of the European Union in the referendum held in June 2016. The UK parliament subsequently formalised the intention of the UK to leave the EU by invoking Article 50 of the Treaty on the European …