In order to register a .au domain name, there are a number of requirements that applicants must meet. Some of these rules are about to change. In particular, the rules surrounding what constitutes an ‘Australian presence’ for the purposes of registering a domain name are set to change. On 17 June 2019, the .au Domain […]
Brazil is the latest country to join the Madrid Protocol – its accession came into force on 2 October 2019. This is good news for businesses that operate in the Americas, making it possible to more easily obtain trade mark registration in this region by way of the international system for trade mark registration known […]
China currently operates a first-to-file trade mark system, meaning that the first person to file a trade mark application in China is considered the owner. As a result, foreign and domestic brand owners have long suffered the problem of trade mark squatters filing for their own brands in China, preventing their registration and use of […]
The innovation patent is a second-tier patent system which was introduced in Australia in 2001. It requires that inventions have an innovative step, rather than the higher threshold of an inventive step that is required for standard patents. An innovation patent has a maximum term of protection of 8 years rather than the 20 years […]
With the uncertainties surrounding Brexit, you may be wondering what will happen to your EU trade mark if the UK does leave the European Union. The current position is that holders of registered EU trade marks will automatically gain a UK trade mark registration, at no cost. The UK registration will be given the same […]
The Madrid Protocol is the international convention for registering trade marks across multiple jurisdictions with a single application. It provides a cost-effective method for trade mark owners seeking to protect their brand globally. The Madrid Protocol commenced operation in 1996 and Australia joined in 2001. There are now more than 100 member countries party to […]
Colin Cheung, Principal and Lawyer at Actuate IP, was recently recognised in the individual rankings for Australia of the 2019 edition of “World Trademark Review – The World’s Leading Trade mark Professionals” (WTR 1000) as a recommended expert. The WTR 1000 is a leading global survey. Inclusion involves exhaustive qualitative research by WTR 1000 in […]