This year, POF is celebrating a major milestone few others have reached – we turn 125. POF commenced operations in 1888 and now has offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide and clients across the world.
We will celebrate our anniversary throughout 2013 by looking at the clients and inventions we have worked on throughout our history.
Managing Partner, Graham Cowin, explains, “Our anniversary year is a great opportunity for us to recognise the efforts of the clients, associates and staff who have all helped grow our firm to what it is today. In 1888, the practice began with a handful of staff in the Melbourne office. Now, 125 years on, we have gone on to become a leading, full service intellectual property firm, servicing Australia and the world.”
It is an appropriate year in which we celebrate our anniversary, as 2013 has brought significant changes in intellectual property in Australia. On April 15, the most substantial changes to the patent system in more than 20 years have come into effect with the introduction of The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Act 2011. Under the new laws, inventions which were previously broadly protectable in Australia, might now gain only very narrow protection.
Graham adds, “We have seen many changes in intellectual property law throughout our 125 year history. The introduction of the Raising the Bar Act, is one of many instances where we work with our clients to help them navigate their inventions, products and brands through changes to the law. However, IP is about much more than law. It is about helping clients create and protect intellectual capital and helping Australia to remain a clever country in which intellect has real value.”
POF celebrates 125 years of protecting IP and looks to the next 125 years of innovation and design for clients worldwide.