The Global Patent Prosecution Highway: the Australian experience six months in

The growth in the filing of patent applications throughout the world has placed considerable strain on a number of patent offices to process patent applications in a timely and efficient manner. This strain has increased the residence time between filing and grant of a patent and has impeded the ability of patent applicants throughout the world to enforce their rights. In most countries, a …
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Planning for profitable medtech

Australia has a world class history of medical device innovation. From the bionic ear to ultrasound, leave-in contact lenses to spray on skin, Australian innovators have enjoyed great success as world leaders in advancing medical technology (medtech). The Australian government predicts growth in the Australian medical devices and diagnostics sector of more than five per cent per annum …
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High Court Case on the distinctiveness of foreign word marks- Cantarella Bros Pty Ltd v Modena Trading Pty Limited [2014] HCA 48

On 3 December 2014, the High Court of Australia allowed an appeal against the Full Federal Court’s decision in Modena Trading Pty Ltd v Cantarella Bros Pty Ltd and found that Cantarella’s trade marks CINQUE STELLE and ORO are inherently adapted to distinguish the goods for which they were registered from the goods of other …
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Courts to have power to block piracy websites

The Government has announced that it intends to introduce legislation to enable courts to order the blocking of overseas hosted websites that can be shown to be primarily for the purpose of facilitating online copyright infringement.  However, it is possible that this may be circumvented if a piracy website sets up under a new URL. …
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