Anyone with even a remote interest in intellectual property will have observed that, on the same day President Trump whispered into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ear while eating ‘the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake you’ve ever seen’ to inform him of a missile strike on Syria, the Chinese Government announced that his daughter Ivanka Trump’s trade marks had been …
Protect your intangible assets
Nobody can afford to leave their most valuable belongings lying around unguarded. That’s why companies need to be vigorous about managing and protecting their intellectual property. Indeed, often a company’s most valuable asset is its intellectual property (IP) – that unique invention, idea, design, application or process that gives it a key advantage. A robust IP portfolio creates commercial opportunities, …
Amazon AU deconstructed
The drums are beating in the sunburnt country We are told we have one of the best retail industries in the world – competitive, aggressive and constantly delivering good value to the Australian consumer. Although the April 2017 Westpac Consumer Confidence Survey suggests a dip in confidence among Australian consumers. Amazon is benefiting from the creation of FUD (fear, uncertainty, …
ACCC is now targeting unfair contract terms in small business contracts
The ACCC has announced that the new provisions extending the unfair contract protections of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) to small businesses will be a priority in 2017. The law to extend the unfair contract protections of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) for consumer contracts to standard form small business contracts came into effect on 12 November 2016. All standard …
The race is on – protecting your designs at sea
With the America’s Cup action now resolved in New Zealand’s favour on the Great Sound in Bermuda, we now await news of what is in store for the next edition. In the last few weeks we have been treated to an amazing spectacle of high technological designs and development. On display in this 35th instalment was an incredible interplay between …
The canned wine conspiracy – Wrays’ Principal Jennifer McEwan speaks with Today Tonight
Wrays’ Principal Jennifer McEwan shared her insights into how to protect brands when going offshore when she spoke with Today Tonight about the case of Barokes’ wine-in-a-can technology. Greg Stokes and Steve Barics of Barokes invented and patented the Vinsafe wine packaging system which enables wine-in-a-can to be successfully produced. Barokes sells wine-in-a-can directly in Australia through Dan Murphy’s but …
WIPO reports strong growth in international intellectual property
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) recently released it’s an annual report detailing filing statistics for each of the International IP policies which it oversees. These include the Patent Cooperation Treaty for international patent applications; the Madrid system for international trade mark applications; and the Hague system for international design filings. Each of these international systems experienced significant growth in …
Australian Intellectual Property Report 2017 – opportunities to drive innovation
The Australian Government has recently published the 2017 edition of the Australian Intellectual Property Report. As with previous years the report sets out the latest data, initiatives and information about the Australian IP system. This is a brief summary of some of the key points in the report and what to expect from IP Australia this year. Australia’s IP office …
Australian Federal Budget 2017 – impact on the intellectual property landscape
“Unlike a mining boom, an innovation boom is a boom that can continue forever, … limited only by our imagination.” – Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull Earlier this month Australia paused to dissect and digest the Federal Government’s 2017/18 Budget – to gain an understanding of what it does, or doesn’t deliver for Australia’s future. For many there was great anticipation …
Australia’s mining industry – digging deeper to embrace innovation
Mines of tomorrow The mining industry must fully embrace innovation in order to build the mines of tomorrow and increase the growth and productivity. This was the conclusion drawn from a recent Innovation in Mining: Australia 2016 Report (the Report) released by Deloitte in association with Diggers and Dealers and the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC). The Report …