Author name: Natalie Murray-Jones

In the realm of intellectual property, copyright and trademarks are two distinct legal concepts that serve different purposes and offer unique protections to creators and businesses. In this article, we explore the differences between the two. Copyright: Protecting Creative Works Copyright law primarily pertains to creative works such as literary, artistic, musical, and dramatic creations. […]

In the dynamic landscape of global commerce, trade marks serve as invaluable assets, distinguishing products and services while safeguarding brand identities. However, amidst the benefits of trade mark protection lies a significant challenge known as “trade mark squatting”. Trade mark squatting occurs when individuals or entities register trade marks that rightfully belong to others, often

On 24 May 2024, member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) unanimously approved a groundbreaking new treaty concerning intellectual property (IP), genetic resources, and associated traditional knowledge. This landmark achievement concludes decades of negotiations and marks a significant milestone in international law. Ambassador Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota, the President of the Diplomatic Conference

On 1 January 2024, a new version of the 12th Edition of the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks (Nice Classification) will come into effect. The 45 classes of goods and services have been updated (the updated version can be found on the World Intellectual Property Organisation

This article explores the responsibilities tied to member countries of the Madrid Protocol concerning trademark maintenance. Although the majority of the member countries typically require international registrations to be renewed every 10 years from the initial filing date, some member countries impose additional maintenance criteria. In recent years, the popularity of the Madrid Protocol has

During the 2019 Federal election, Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party (UAP) campaign featured the song “Aussies Not Gonna Cop It”. The song contained the lyrics “Australia ain’t gonna cop it, no Australia’s not gonna cop it, Aussies not gonna cop it any more”. Universal launched copyright infringement proceedings against Mr Palmer in 2019 on the

What is a registered design? A registered design right protects the overall visual appearance of a new and distinctive product such as shape, colour, configuration, pattern and/or ornamentation. However, a registered design does not protect the function of a product – only its visual appearance. The current Designs Act 2003 (Cth) contains a number of

On 27 December 2019, the new Malaysian Trademarks Act 2019 (Act) will be implemented and on the same day, Malaysia will accede to the Madrid Protocol. A number of significant changes have been made under the new Act including: multi-class applications will now be allowed in Malaysia; registration of non-traditional trade marks, including shape trade

On 5 March 2015 the Government of Cambodia deposited with the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) its instrument of accession to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (“the Madrid Protocol”). The Madrid Protocol will enter into force, with respect to Cambodia, on 5 June 2015. The instrument