FOOD & BEVERAGE

The food and beverage industry is one of Australia’s largest manufacturing sectors. Industry players are diverse – from multinationals producing large volume fast-moving consumer goods through to smaller players with flexibility to meet demand for niche gourmet items.

The industry is highly dynamic, driven by consumers seeking diversity, quality and value. Australia is staying at the forefront with exceptional R&D facilities, both public and private, assisting in the innovation process and facilitating development of new and differentiated products, as well as continual improvements to packaging and production processes.

With access to new technologies, such as machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and more, the possibilities for farmers, manufacturers, distributors and others along the supply chain in the food and beverage industry are endless.

Wrays provides services to key sectors in the food and beverage industry including:

• Beverages – non alcoholic and alcoholic
• Fruit & Vegetables
• Meat and Seafood
• Dairy
• Bakery
• Grains & Cereals
• Packaging suppliers

Wrays advises on appropriate and lawful comparative advertising, and assists wine makers in understanding the importance of geographical indicators in export markets.

Our team can assist you with:

• Clearance searches for your products, technology and processes
• Preparation, filing and prosecution of patent and design applications
• Patent/design watching services (monitoring and surveillance of IP landscapes)
• Patent/design oppositions (for IP owners or applicants)
• Patent/design litigation (for IP owners or respondents)
• Patent validity investigations
• Freedom to operate advice for innovative products and packaging
• Advice and protection of plant breeders’ rights

• Due diligence
• IP audits
• Portfolio management
• Grant application
• Structuring business considerations to enhance your IP value and return
• IP valuation in respect of brands or technologies
• IP analytics to identify opportunities for innovation and manage infringement risk

• Trade mark protection (filing and registration) for brands, including novel trade mark categories such as shape, colour and scent
• Trade mark enforcement
• Geographical indicators of origin
• Clearance searches for trade marks (locally and international markets)
• Regulatory approvals including packaging, labelling, safety, recalls
• Advertising and marketing clearances
• Anti-counterfeiting campaigns including border protection and customs seizures for “fake” or infringing products
• Copyright advice and disputes

• Manufacturing, supply, distribution and licensing agreements
• Australian Consumer Law advice and disputes
• Australian Consumer and Competition Commission advice and disputes
• Contractual disputes