We are proud to announce that associates Penny Walsh and Jesse Strafford have qualified as patent attorneys in Australia and New Zealand and are Fellows of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys.

The less popular sibling to registered trade marks and patents had its 'day at the spa' recently as an application for cancellation of a registered design was heard and published. We take a quick look at what happened and what can be taken away.

IP Australia is in the process of reviewing protection for designs. The review and reforms are taking place in two stages, and IP Australia is currently consulting on both stages.

A number of amendments to the Trade Marks Act 2002 will take effect from 13 January 2020.

The policy objective of making the amendments is to improve regulatory systems by ensuring that they are effective, efficient, and accord with best regulatory practice.

Those with inventions in information and communications technology (ICT) were hoping that the Australian Full Federal Court would provide some much-needed guidance for how to assess whether computer-related inventions are patentable in Australia.

The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released a discussion document calling for submissions about changes to the Patents Act 2013, including divisional applications, extensions of time for hearings, utility, poisonous priority and exhaustion of rights.

MBIE has called for submissions regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by IPONZ, including use to make "complex discretionary decisions". In principle, this could include an AI system deciding whether to grant IP rights on New Zealand patent, trade mark, or design applications.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the government agency responsible for New Zealand's IP policy and laws, is proposing a review of New Zealand's IP laws, including the Trade Marks Act 2002.