The Number 1 Patent Tip for Business: Keep it Secret!!

By Rhys Munzel, Patent Attorney & Senior Associate It is very common for businesses introducing a new product to the market to consider intellectual property protection after the product has successfully launched. A business may say, “this is selling well, how do I stop my competitors from copying my product?” Business are then surprised to learn … Read more

There is no AI in Copyright, r-AI-ght?

By Maddison Reznik, Lawyer and Trade Mark Attorney It is a commercial reality that businesses want to improve efficiencies whilst retaining the best quality output. For some businesses, this means investing in artificially intelligent technology (“AI”). However, questions arise as to whether businesses will be giving up some benefits when recruiting AI to do their … Read more

An Overdue Refreshment of the Australian Designs Act

Designs amendments

Designs Amendments (Advisory Council on Intellectual Property Response) Bill 2020 passed by Parliament. On 30 August 2021, the Federal Parliament passed the Designs Amendments (Advisory Council on Intellectual Property Response) Bill 2020 (Cth) (“the Bill”). This sets out a number of amendments to the Designs Act 2003 (Cth) (“the Act”). Other than various technical changes, the Bill will most … Read more

Australia’s p-AI-tent System: the Artificially Intelligent Inventor

Australia’s p-AI-tent System: the Artificially Intelligent Inventor

The Federal Court of Australia handed down its decision in Thaler v Commissioner of Patents [2021] FCA 879 on 30 July 2021. As a result, The Honourable Justice Beach over-turned the decision of the Australian Patent Office. Hence, they found that an artificial intelligence (AI) system named DABUS could be the inventor of an Australian patent. Subsequently, … Read more

Secret use – can you profit while developing your invention?

So, you’ve concocted an invention that you’re thinking of patenting, what next? Keeping your invention secret is an important start, since any public disclosure may invalidate your later patent application. But what can you do while your invention remains secret? Can you conduct experiments? Can you make money? Can you make money while conducting experiments? … Read more

TikTok, Parkinson’s Disease and a good-news story of Collaborative Innovation

A story of design innovation and ingenuity emerging from the video sharing app TikTok™ should not be as surprising as it first appears. Jimmy Choi, an American marathon runner and Ninja Warrior competitor, posted a video to social media site TikTok™ in late December 2020. Choi was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003 and demonstrated … Read more