Patent tax cuts put back in the box

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The future looks grim for Australia’s patent box tax regime. The previous Liberal government announced a patent box regime for Australia in the May 2021 budget, to provide concessional tax treatment for income derived from exploiting a medical or biotechnology patent (and subsequently agricultural and low emissions patents).  Following industry consultation, The Treasury Laws Amendment …
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Click Chemistry wins 2022 Nobel Prize

By Dr James Burnley and Dr Annabella Newton The 2022 Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been awarded to Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless “for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry”. The ethos of this chemistry was summarized in a seminal publication in the early noughties.  It is fair to say …
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Do you want to register a .au domain name?

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The Priority Allocation period for registering .au domain names will soon be closing, with existing holders of .com.au or .net.au domain names having until 20 September 2022 to apply for their corresponding .au domain name. Post 20 September 2022, .au domains will be available for anyone to register provided they meet the eligibility criteria. What …
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Golfing body lands in the rough

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The United States Golf Association (USGA) has been left to green and bear a decision from the Australian Trade Marks Office. The Office ruled that its Australian trade mark application for HANDICAP INDEX was not up to par, with the term found not to be capable of distinguishing USGA’s claimed services, “handicapping for sporting events, …
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A Cliffhanger with No Sequel – Australia’s Apex Court Divided on Patentable Subject Matter

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In a surprising turn of events, the High Court has handed down an evenly split decision in the highly anticipated case Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Patents[1]. This was the first time that Australia’s apex court has considered the issue of patentable subject matter for computer implemented inventions. In 2010, the Australian …
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Kanye bites back

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A Melbourne restaurant owner recently found out the fine line between inspiration and copying or passing off. You may have recently read about Kanye West writing a cease and desist letter to a suburban Melbourne hamburger restaurant called “College Dropout Burgers”. Mark Elkhouri had been inspired by Kanye and his music when setting up his …
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