Inspired - The POF blog

An exhibition of client talent

Art can breathe life into any space, whether it’s in the home or in the office. POF has a history of displaying the artwork and talents of both our clients and staff members; when one of our valued clients, Stuart Bradshaw from Nufarm Limited, kindly offered us the opportunity to display some of his work, …
>> Read more

Confidential information, know-how and trade secrets: which one is which?

Often the terms ‘confidential information’, ‘trade secret’ and ‘know-how’ are used interchangeably. However, each has a specific meaning which can affect the way an organisation controls and exploits that information. ‘Confidential Information’ is the overarching term for information which is confidential to an organisation. ‘Know-how’ is the knowledge of how to do something, and is …
>> Read more

Be aware – IP owners targeted by scammers

by

Owners of patents, trade marks and registered designs are increasingly being targeted by unscrupulous organisations with fake invoices and unethical business practices. It is important that you and your accounting teams are alert to this. Check that invoice! Being an IP owner means that you will be required to pay annuities. These are payable every …
>> Read more

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018!

We’d like to wish all of our readers a happy and prosperous new year as we begin 2018. 2017 was an eventful year in the Australian intellectual property (IP) industry. We saw the results of Productivity Commission’s inquiry into Australia’s IP system which has led to the phasing out of the innovation patent, and there’s …
>> Read more

Full Court rejects registration of PRIMARY HEALTH CARE

by

In Primary Health Care Limited v Commonwealth of Australia [2017] FCAFC 174, the Full Federal Court found the applicant’s trade marks were incapable of distinguishing the services of the subject of the application, in part because the target audience for those services included patients and the public health sector generally – not merely medical practitioners …
>> Read more

Australia’s grace period provisions apply to whole of contents documents published after the end of the grace period

David Longmuir of Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick Lawyers and Mark Wickham of Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick recently acted for Rozenberg & Co in successfully opposing the grant of Australian Patent Application 2010294197 for a “method for the preparation of micro-RNA and its therapeutic application” in the name of Velin-Pharma A/S – see Rozenberg & Co Pty Ltd …
>> Read more

Evolva hits sweet spot for ‘sufficiency’ under new Act

by

On 15 April 2013 the ‘bar was raised’ on the Patents Act 1990.  While the law relating to sufficiency changed, there has been very little guidance as to how this change would be applied. Evolva SA [2017] APO 57 now provides some clarity as to the level of detail required in a specification. Background Evolva …
>> Read more