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 …
The IP Perspective with Chris Juhasz
Amazing grace period provisions I would say that at least half a dozen times so far this year, my initial talks with a new client have gone something like this. Client (excitedly): Yeah. People are starting to really take an interest in our technology. We have made some sales, are getting positive reviews, and quite a few people have suggested …
Government grants & incentives to power up your business
For early stage companies, a government grant or tax offset can sometimes be the difference between keeping the lights on or shutting down. This may sound dramatic, but for some emerging companies without full investment funding, this is a reality. It is therefore important to stay informed and avoid missing out on funds you may be entitled to. In Australia, …
Flogging a Dead Horse – Fintech Patenting
The Australian financial sector is the single largest contributor to the national economy. New ways to legally organise, distribute, invest and hide funds so that profits are maximised, whilst minimising taxation and associated risks, has been popular since people started using coinage and other symbolic value representations for trade. With so much money in the financial sector – and with …
Freedom to operate searches
A strong knowledge base can give you a real edge over the competition, but are you taking advantage of all the available information streams? Freedom to operate searches are an extremely useful, yet chronically underutilised, tool for gathering information. FTOs are like reconnaissance missions, allowing you to scope the field of development and your competitors. Used effectively, they provide guidance …
A double-whammy for Australian distributors? Parallel importing and infringement threat damages changes
Parallel importing defence expanded It is now easier to import ‘genuine’ branded goods into Australia without infringing the trade marks relating to that brand. In our flagship magazine, The Gatherer, we let you know about an upcoming Act which will make significant changes to Australia’s parallel importation laws. As of 25 August 2018, the parallel importation provisions of that Act …
Patent Applicants- Who are the drivers in Australia?
In 2017, there were 28,905 standard patent applications in Australia, through either direct patent applications or the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), which allows applicants to file a single patent application in multiple countries. This shows a gradual upward trend of about nine percent over the past decade. However, while patent applications have grown it’s been driven by non-resident filings. Applications …
Geographical Indication- IP Australia Report
What do the Byron Bay Chilli Company, Classic Tasmanian Smoked Salmon, Margaret River Olive Company, Certified Australian Angus Beef, and Château Tanunda Grand Barossa all have in common…besides being fantastic ingredients you should probably have on your shopping list for your next dinner party? They all utilise geographical indication (GI) in their names and trade marks filed with IP Australia. …
Who is the main driver of IP growth?
According to the latest IP Australia report, applications for patents, trade marks and design rights in Australia all grew in 2017. Trade marks even reached a record peak. Sounds like good news. However, the main driver of this growth was from overseas (or non-resident) applicants. In fact, trade mark filings by non-residents increased by 25 percent and design filings by non-residents increased by 9 …
Research – The Positive effects on Commercialisation
The 2018 IP Australia report (Chapter 6) reviews two separate studies that show “public funding of research has a positive and statistically significant impact on patent production, with the impact being stronger for collaborative grants.” This is an important finding because – as the IP Australia report notes — patenting activity is an indicator of the commercialisation potential of research …