Australia – Page 15 – IP Law Watch

Sports Data’s Injuction Refused

Jul 07 2014

Sports Data used to be the official supplier of statistics to the National Rugby League (NRL), the peak competition for the sport in Australia. In 2013 its contract was terminated and a new supplier Prozone was appointed.

In order to provide useful statistics relating to sporting events it is necessary for the statistics provider to have a template or set of criteria which identifies the events that will be captured or entered into the statistics database. Read More

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Jul 07 2014

BP’s Application for Registration of the Colour Green as a Trade Mark Rejected by IP Australia

IP Australia has again made it clear that the assessment of a colour trade mark under section 41 of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) should be no different from the assessment of any other trade mark.

However in rejecting BP’s application for registration of the colour green, the Office noted that while most objects have to be some colour, the act of applying a colour to a product will not act as an identifier for that product. Read More

That’s “a Lot of Kebab”!

Jun 23 2014

Additional Damages Awarded for Trade Mark Infringement

Trade mark owners can take encouragement from the Federal Court of Australia’s readiness to award additional damages as a deterrent from further infringement. The Court made its first award of additional damages for trade mark infringement in a case about kebabs, where a claim for actual loss from an infringement could not be made. Additional damages are a useful weapon in a brand owner’s arsenal. Read More

Local Directories Wins in Telstra Dispute Over Yellow

Jun 20 2014

It is very difficult for companies to effectively own colour, as was enforced in Local Directories’ Federal Court victory in its long running dispute against Telstra. Telstra claimed that by its use of the colour yellow for phone directories, Local Directories had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and passing off. The Court dismissed these claims and upheld that Telstra’s advertisements published in certain Yellow Pages directories were in fact misleading. Read More

Dick Smith Loses OZEMITE Trade Mark – Appeal Pending!

May 01 2014

Australian entrepreneur Dick Smith is famous for supporting Australian businesses that grow and produce products. One of the products he is associated with is ‘OZEMITE’, which was supposed to be a yeast based product similar to the Australian icon ‘Vegemite‘ (for our U.S. based readers, it is said that no Australian will travel anywhere in the world without a jar of Vegemite in their luggage – it is a national icon, like the kangaroo). Read More

Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival Proudly Sponsored by K&L Gates

Mar 31 2014

K&L Gates hosted a panel of experts, featuring David Briskin (Executive Chairman, sass & bide and Director, VAMFF), Rachel Smith (Partner, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu) and Jol Rogers (Partner, K&L Gates), at its annual Fashion Law Breakfast held as part of Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. Read More

Australia Joins the Global Patent Prosecution Highway

Jan 17 2014

What is the Global Patent Prosecution Highway?

The Australian Patent Office is one of 13 patent offices from around the globe that have joined forces to create a Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) pilot program, which commenced on 6 January 2014.

Under the GPPH pilot program – where an applicant receives a ruling from a participating patent office that at least one claim in a patent application is allowable – the applicant may request that another participating patent office accelerate examination of a corresponding patent application. Read More

Breaking News – High Court of Australia Confirms That Methods of Medical Treatment are Patentable

Dec 05 2013

Apotex Pty Ltd v Sanofi-Aventis Australia Pty Ltd & Ors [2013] HCA 50

The High Court of Australia yesterday issued its long awaited decision in a dispute between Apotex Pty Ltd (Apotex) and Sanofi-Aventis Australia Pty Ltd and related entities (collectively, Sanofi) concerning Sanofi’s Australian patent entitled “Pharmaceutical for the treatment of skin disorders” (Patent). In summary:

The majority (French CJ, Crennan, Keifel and Gageler JJ, Hayne J dissenting) held that assuming all other requirements for patentability are met, a method (or process) for medical treatment of the human body can be a “manner of manufacture” and therefore patentable for the purposes of section 18 of the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) (Act). Read More

That’s My Name, Don’t Wear it Out!

Nov 26 2013

The recent announcement that leading Australian fashion designer Alannah Hill has separated from the label that bears her name (while seeking to continue to work in the fashion industry), is yet another recent example of a ‘name’ and a company parting ways. Another example of ‘brand separation’ that has received a lot of media attention in recent times is the dispute between former racing car driver and tyre salesman Bob Jane, and the company that bears his name, Bob Jane T-Marts. Read More

Tag:Australia