Our recent articles have summarised the issues surrounding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations relating to pharmaceuticals and patent protection, and trade marks and geographical indications. Another issue which has received attention is the potential impact of any TPP agreement on the patentability of computer software.

Following the latest round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations in Hawaii, there has been a significant public interest in pharmaceutical patents. In this article we attempt to clarify and/or correct some of the information that is available in the draft Intellectual Property (IP) Chapter of the TPP agreement as it applies to pharmaceuticals[1]. In particular we discuss the distinction between patent protection (and patent term extension) for pharmaceuticals, data protection and patent linkage, the proposals for each, and where the current law in New Zealand stands in relation to these proposals.

The Australian House of Representatives and Senate have passed the Copyright Amendment (Online Infringement) Bill 2015. The purpose of the Bill is to reduce online copyright infringement in response to a specific concern raised by copyright owners. 

 Two new scams are doing the rounds relating to the registration of trade marks in Europe and internationally.

Two recent Australian trade mark decisions have considered how well Australian consumers would understand the meaning or pronunciation of foreign language words.

Congratulations to the winners of the Henry Hughes IP awards at the 2014 end of year exhibition held by Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Design.

 An applicant who wishes to protect an invention which is, or relates to a ‘micro-organism’ should be particularly aware that the Patents Act 2013 mandates that, where an invention is a micro-organism, the description requirements can only be met when a micro-organism deposit has been filed.

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation, a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity has now been ratified by 50 states entered into force on 12 October 2014.

The Patents Act 2013, in addition to other substantive changes, introduces annual maintenance fees (for patent applications) and renewal fees (for granted patents) from the fourth anniversary of the filing date. These fees will only be able to be paid up to three months in advance of the due date.