Category:
Branding, Trade Marks, Designs & Patents

17/10/16

Update to trade mark fees

IP Australia has made changes to fees for the trade mark application process. Before 10 October 2016, it cost $200 per class per trade mark to file a trade mark application, and if the trade mark was accepted, $300 per class per trade mark for registration. From 10 October 2016, under the new fee structure...

13/10/16

Blog: Marvin Gaye & Co. to ‘Get it on’ in Court against Ed Sheeran

After their huge US$7.4 million win against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copyright infringement over the hit single “Blurred Lines,” Marvin Gaye’s extended musical family are in court again. This time they have British musician Ed Sheeran in their sights, alleging Sheeran copied core elements of Marvin Gaye’s 1973 hit ‘Let’s Get It...

08/09/16

The sting in the tail: New Zealanders push to trade mark “Manuka” in relation to honey products

A rift has emerged between the Australian and New Zealand honey industries, resulting from a trade mark application lodged by New Zealand producers to trade mark the term ‘Manuka’, as a way of gaining exclusive rights over the word. Manuka honey is produced solely from the Leptospermum scoparium plant, which in turn is...

29/08/16

Qantas Grounded: Federal Court Rejects Airline’s Action to Oppose Kangaroo T-shirt Logo

A recent Federal Court decision has given some clarity to how two key grounds of opposition to trade mark registration – the “prior mark” and “prior reputation” grounds – will be interpreted. Back in 2010, Qantas opposed the registration by Edwards, an online apparel and electronics retailer. Edwards had filed a trade mark application for...

25/08/16

Dick Smith’s “Ozemite” trade mark win redefined what it means to “use” a trade mark!

On 12 August 2016, the Federal Court handed down its decision in the long running battle between Dick Smith and Roger Ramsey over the registration as trade marks of the homophones (or sound-alikes)- OZEMITE and AUSSE MITE. Dick Smith, renowned Australian businessman and philanthropist, applied to register “OZEMITE” as a trade mark on 28 October...