Category Archive

Over the past few months if not years, applicants may have observed delays in the commencement of examination after filing their patent application in Australia. These delays do not appear to be COVID-19 related. Rather, they appear to be a function of ordinary business operations. Gaining patent protection in Australia may have positive benefits to the applicant’s overall patent strategy, …

The Australian Made Campaign (AMCL) is calling on Australia’s business community and all levels of government to adopt ‘buy Australian first’ procurement policies, to help fast-track the country’s resurgence as it plans its recovery from the impact of COVID-19. The Federal Government’s commitment to supporting an increase in the domestic manufacturing of critical products such as medical supplies is a …

Since our last update on the reporting requirement under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth), the world has continued to negotiate the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses in Australia have suffered greatly due to the sharp economic downturn and many employees either had their salaries cut or have been stood down. In light of the current circumstances, the Australian Border Force (ABF) …

On 22 April 2020, IP Australia implemented a simplified system designed to assist IP owners meet deadlines that would otherwise be missed due to COVID-19. The system provides free extensions of time for up to three months for patents, trade marks and design matters, including extensions of time to file evidence in oppositions. To get an extension all that is …

We have recently been receiving queries from overseas IP firms who have received a notice from IP Australia asking for an address for service in Australia or New Zealand. This is happening when their client’s mark is protected in Australia via the Madrid Protocol, even if no objections have been raised during the examination process, when this has not been …

As we move through the COVID-19 pandemic and many countries start to show signs of emerging out the other side, how are Patent Offices around the world modifying their approach to dealing with the hardship that patent applicants are experiencing in these difficult times? Many Patent Offices worldwide have implemented temporary extensions of time to meet the requirements of satisfying …

There are few industries where the failure of a single piece of equipment can lead to such catastrophic events, in terms of life and property, as in the oil and gas industry. Events such as Deepwater Horizon are still very much part of living memory. At the very least, unexpected downtime in any facet of operations is a huge cost. …

A recent decision in the Federal Court, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation v BASF Plant Science GmbH [2020] FCA 328 (13 March 2020), has highlighted the difficulties encountered when trying to make post-acceptance amendments to correct deficiencies in the claims or specification of a patent in Australia. In particular, care must be taken to ensure that there is contextual …

Like something out of a science fiction movie, Celestino’s $5B Sydney Science Park is set to be a world-first in the scientific community. In partnership with private industry and universities, and driven by the new Aerotropolis, the park will be an international epicentre for scientific STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and R&D and is set to be Australia’s …

Many people, even those with significant experience with patents, harbour some misconceptions about the patent system, its advantages and risks. This article debunks a few of the more common mistakes. Only Genius Ideas Can Be Patented An invention need not be a genius idea to be patentable. An  Australian standard patent (which provides 20 years’  protection) requires that the invention …