An enlarged Full Bench (five judges) of the Federal Court of Australia today handed down its much-anticipated judgement in the appeal case Encompass Corporation Pty Ltd v. InfoTrack Pty Ltd, in which it upheld the finding of the trial judge that the patents-in-suit do not relate to patent-eligible subject-matter (i.e. not a “manner of manufacture”) under Australian law. This case …
Canned soup: an uncanny result?
Campbell Soup Company ran into some difficulties getting its trade mark application for UNCANNED over the line in connection with information services about food. The mark is used to support a consumer information campaign about trends and issues in modern food production (e.g. GMO, food tech, etc). The Australian trade mark office initially knocked back the application, saying the mark …
Gin for the win! Apothecary Gin vs Apothic (for wine) would you be confused?
An alcohol-fuelled trade mark battle came before the Australian Trade Marks Office last month. E&J Gallo winery opposed gin distiller Kristy Booth’s application for APOTHECARY GIN covering spirits in class 33. The large winery cited many reasons for its opposition, the primary reason being that Ms Booth’s mark was confusingly similar to its own wine brand, APOTHIC. The winery relied …
Curtin Ignition Program 2019 – scholarship applications open now!
Collaboration and augmentation are the foundational principles of innovation – Vaclav Smil We understand the importance of collaboration and the need for guidance in the early stages of commercialisation. That is why we are proud supporters of the Curtin Ignition program – an intensive training program for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators to trial and prepare high growth business ideas for …
Wrays supporting Women in Tech in WA
Priding ourselves on supporting great innovators of present and future, we are excited to announce our partnership with WiTWA – Women in Tech WA. WiTWA is a Perth-based, not for profit organization, providing a framework for women in tech to extend their networks and expand their knowledge on a broad range of professional topics. The organisation encourages young people through …
IoT: the ultimate solution?
Australia’s burgeoning agtech ecosystem barely existed three years ago. Yet, it’s the dawn of a new era for the country’s agricultural sector with technologies such as machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics improving crop output, yield predictions, disease control, and farm management. The newest edition of The Gatherer examines some of the big changes happening in food production …
Canada’s Trade Mark law is changing
On 17 June 2019, Canada’s trade mark law will be overhauled. One of the biggest changes is the adoption of the Nice Classification – an international classification system of goods and services. Up to now, Canada has not used any classification system when filing trade marks, which allowed owners to register their marks across a wide range of goods and …
The IP Perspective with Chris Juhasz
‘You go out into that ring and you give it absolutely everything you’ve got! After all, second place is the first loser!’ Dale Earnhardt, Race Car Driver The life of an entrepreneur is both exciting and mildly terrifying at the same time. When developing their latest innovation as stealthily as possible, entrepreneurs are sure in their conviction that it is …
Three IP tips to write into the opening act of your startup journey
As a startup, you’ve probably got a lot on your to-do list, from completing your MVP to refining your business model and planning your strategy. So where does intellectual property (IP) fit in to all of this? Do I have time? Do I have the budget? And why should I make IP a priority over all the other important stuff …
Is your ship at risk of sinking due to Trade Mark pirates?
Counterfeiting is a widespread issue that involves the manufacture and distribution of goods using another person’s name or trade mark without their permission. The implication of such practices has the potential to affect brand owners across many industries – from manufacturers of traditional branded luxury goods items, to those across the automotive, pharmaceuticals, software, entertainment, toys, food and wine industries. …