The High Court’s recent decision in Realestate.com.au v Hardingham[1] has reversed the Full Court’s majority decision[2] and, in doing so, highlighted the importance of ensuring agreements are reflected in writing. BackgroundHardingham and his company Real Estate Marketing Australia Pty Ltd (Hardingham) were engaged by real estate agencies over the phone to take photographs and produce …
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Steinlager markets itself as New Zealand’s finest beer, but its foray into a Japanese style frothie fell a little flat after a trade mark challenge from Asahi Beverages. Lion NZ Ltd launched TOKYO DRY, as part of its Steinlager range in NZ in November 2016. For those beer lovers among us, the brew was described …
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A recent Australian Designs Office decision highlights the potential importance of including a Statement of Newness and Distinctiveness (SoND) in an Australian design registration, as well as the extent to which an SoND can influence the scope of protection. Griffith Hack v Clipex[1] concerned 22 design registrations owned by Clipex, with each design in respect …
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The recent decision in Zoetis Services LLC v Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH [2022] APO 72 highlights the importance of strict adherence to procedural matters in patent oppositions. In Australian patent oppositions there is a strict procedure for the filing of evidence by the parties. The patent opponent firstly files evidence-in-support of the case as outlined in …
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The High Court of Australia has refused Stephen Thaler’s application for special leave to appeal the Full Court decision[1] that a device characterised as an artificial intelligence machine cannot be considered an ‘inventor’ within the meaning of the Patents Act 1990. Our analysis of the Full Court decision can be found here. As the High …
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A recent decision by the Australian Designs Office highlights an important issue for any third party considering filing a request for revocation of an Australian design registration on grounds relating to entitled persons under s 51 of the Australian Designs Act. In Lyons Airconditioning Services v Kedron Caravans[1], Lyons sought to have design registration no. …
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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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Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick is pleased to announce the strengthening of its Trade Marks practice team with the acquisition of NSW-based IP firm, Brand Haven. Brand Haven will be fully integrated into Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick. Director and Principal of Brand Haven, Philip Macken, will be joining Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick on 1 November as Special Counsel. Phil …
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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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