Are you a Start-Up? Start by protecting your IP

Do you have: a logo for your business? a colour or graphic used for your packaging, website or brochures? unique technology that you have developed to sell or use in your business? a unique method or plan for how you do business? a recipe you use to make material you work with? If the answer …
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Do you tick all the boxes when it comes to protecting your IP?

If you own or manage a business you may be surprised by how much valuable intellectual property (IP) you have. Protecting your IP is critical when establishing your product or service in the market. It provides a competitive advantage for your business and can be the key difference between success and failure. Failure to secure …
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Death of the Trans-Tasman patent application

Implementation of the single trans-Tasman patent application (Australia and New Zealand) appears to have been terminated through the surprise recommendations of the New Zealand government’s Commerce Committee issued on 13 July 2016. New Zealand government’s Commerce Committee published an updated Patents (Trans-Tasman Patent Attorneys and Other Matters) Amendment Bill  on 13 July 2016 which recommended …
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Omnibus claims confined to essential features

Omnibus claims are now effectively prohibited following the Raising the Bar amendments, however a great many patents including such claims have been granted. The Full Federal Court decision,GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Ltd v Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare (UK) Ltd [2016] FCAFC 90, provides some welcome guidance on how such claims should be construed. At trial, it had …
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Meet our new Managing Partner

We are delighted to announce the appointment of our new Managing Partner, Ross McFarlane. Ross will take up his new role on 1 July 2016. Ross has been a Partner since 2006, and was elected to the POF Group Board in 2011. He is a member of the Electronics, Physics and IT practice group, and …
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Impact of BREXIT on your intellectual property

Following a referendum vote on 23 June 2016, the British electorate has decided to leave the European Union (EU). However, it is likely to be at least 2 years before legislation is enacted to enable the United Kingdom (UK) to exit the EU. During that time, EU legislation remains in effect. Key messages relating to …
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Software patents in Australia: where to from here?

In May 2016, The High Court of Australia dismissed an application for special leave to appeal the RPL Central decision1 of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia. The Full Federal Court found that RPL Central’s invention was not patentable as it was simply a scheme or idea implemented on a generic computer, …
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