Meghan Markle & the Trade Mark ‘Archetypes’
As part of her contract with Spotify, Meghan Markle’s (Mrs. Markle) upcoming podcast has been highly anticipated. In preparation for its release, Mrs. Markle’s podcast company, Archewell Audio LLC, has filed an application in the United States to trade mark the title, ‘ARCHETYPES’. If this application [...]
New ‘.AU’ domain name – Australian companies need to secure their online real-estate before 20 September 2022
The Priority Allocation Period (‘PAP’) commenced on 24 March and ends on 24 September 2022. As such, all Australian companies should be looking to secure their ‘.au’ domain name, by taking advantage of the six-month PAP for existing owners of domain names ending with ‘.com.au’, [...]
WHAT MAKES A CERTIFICATION TRADE MARK AND WHY IS IT DIFFERENT TO A STANDARD TRADE MARK? What
One of the most important aspects of a consumer buying a product or engaging a service is knowing that it meets a certain standard. One way that can assist brands to communicate that their products or services are of a high standard is potentially by [...]
NFT’s and your Intellectual Property Rights
NFT’s are all the rage right now. These three letters are virtually inescapable and the monetary value being attached to some are eye watering, to say the least. However, with the rise of this new wave token also comes the need to consider the issues that [...]
Artificial Intelligence – An Inventor?
In a sign of the times, the Federal Court of Australia (“FCA”) has recently considered whether an artificial intelligence machine is capable of being an “inventor” for the purposes of the Australian Patents Act 1990 (Cth) (“Act”) and corresponding Regulations. On 30 July 2021 in the [...]
Kim Kardashian-West in Trade Mark Dispute over “SKKN”
The ‘KK’ moniker is one that is very well known, especially with the rise of social media. Mrs. Kim Kardashian-West (‘Mrs. Kardashian-West’) has dominated the world over, and it would seem that everything Mrs. Kardashian-West touches, turns to gold – whether that be tech, cosmetics, or [...]
The importance of making sure you are using your registered trade marks
It is a cornerstone of trade mark law that the owner of a registered trade mark must use the mark as registered, in relation to the relevant goods and/or services the mark is registered for. That being said, it is too often the case that a [...]
Changes to the R&D Tax Incentive as at July 2021
The Research and Development Tax Incentive (R&DTI) has been in operation since 1 July 2011. The purpose of this initiative is to encourage innovation entities to grow and elevate their creative projects in Australia. The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (AusIndustry) and the Australian [...]
When your name is the Brand – the benefits of trade mark protection
In today’s highly digital and connected world, protecting the brand name of your business is important. The impact and influence of social media has increased the scale of brand promotion and broadened the reach of businesses and in particular, celebrities and influencers to millions of [...]
Brexit and your EU and UK trade marks
As has been reported on, the United Kingdom (“UK”) voted to leave the European Union (“EU”) in 2016, with this exit officially occurring on 31 January 2020. "Brexit” as the exit of the UK from the EU has become known, has affected businesses and citizens [...]