Australian IP laws are set for another shake up. Key changes originally proposed by the Productivity Commission have been supported by the government in a response released 25 August 2017. These changes include, abolishing the innovation patent, raising the standard of inventive step for patents, and altering the plant breeder’s rights system amongst others.

As of 7 November 2017, Thailand joins Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Singapore and Viet Nam as a member of the Madrid System for the International Registration of trade marks.

New Zealand has joined the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) pilot program. As a result it is now possible to request accelerated examination of a New Zealand patent application based on the allowance of at least one claim of a corresponding application in another GPPH office.

A review of the Copyright Act has been commenced by the New Zealand Government. The review has been long-signalled by the Government, and long-awaited in some quarters. It is the first major review of substantive provisions of the Act since the Copyright (New Technologies) Amendment Act 2008.

 World IP Day celebrates the role that intellectual property rights (patents, trade marks, designs, copyright) play in encouraging innovation and creativity. 

 

Intellectual property in New Zealand is often low on the legislative priority. However, 2016 and the beginning of 2017 has seen an extraordinarily large number of intellectual property bills and orders passed.

 Changes to European patent law to establish a Unified Patent Court (“UPC”) may take effect as early as this year, with a “sunrise period” of three months set to begin in September.

 A recent decision of the Federal Court of Australia has highlighted the importance of including Swiss claims in Australian patent applications.  Although a decision of the Federal Court of Australia, the decision also highlights the importance of Swiss claims in New Zealand and importantly, how these may be deemed infringed.

2016 was a year of change in the patent attorney profession in Australia and New Zealand. In this article we examine two significant changes - the establishment of a single Trans-Tasman Patent Register and the public listing of patent attorney firms on the Australian Stock Exchange.