Articles and Updates

Regulation No. 2015/2424 which amends the EU’s trade mark system comes into force on 23 March 2016. As a result, some major changes to the system are set to be implemented. Below is a summary of some of these changes: Name Change for the Office of Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) The OHIM will […]

What is a notary public? A notary public is a solicitor of at least 5 years standing who has been admitted by the Supreme Court as a Public Notary. Unlike Justices of the Peace (a JP), a notary public’s signature and official seal is recognised not only in Australia but also internationally. A notary public

On 7 December 2015 the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) acceded to the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (Madrid Protocol). The Madrid Protocol will enter into force, with respect to Lao PDR on 7 March 2016. Accession to the Madrid Protocol by Lao PDR brings the number

With the number of startups increasing each year, many new business owners are wondering how they can make their product or service stand out in a growing sea of competition. How do successful businesses get their products into the hands of consumers year in year out? And what are they doing with their branding that

As Australia prepares to ratify the new Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in coming weeks, many are wondering what to expect. How will it alter Australia’s existing trade mark laws?  How will it benefit trademark holders? And what will it mean for your business? On 5 October 2015, five years of negotiations culminated in the finalisation of

A distinctive trademark is the footing for a stellar reputation and the foundation of every successful business. But what exactly is a trademark? What is the relationship between trademarks, company names, business names and domain names?  And why should you register your mark, even if you have been using it for decades? With online activity

In 2014, the Canadian government began a push towards a number of changes to the Canadian intellectual property framework designed to modernise the current practice and to align with international best practices. These changes include: Use of the Nice Classification system – the Nice Classification is the international trade mark classification standard of goods which

Most of you will be aware of the goods and services classification system under the Nice Classification which is applied for the registration of trade marks. There are currently 45 classes of goods and services (34 goods classes and 11 services classes) in the Nice Classification. Each class provides a “class heading” which is a representative

In April 2015, a Chinese court handed down a US$15.8 million dollar judgement against the US shoe manufacturer, New Balance for infringing a third party Chinese character mark. It was held that New Balance has used, knowingly and without authorisation the mark “新百伦” (pronounced as Xin Ba Lun meaning “New Balance” in English) in connection

The Peoples Republic of China Trade Marks Office (TMO) has recently adopted changes in the handling of non-standard descriptions of trade mark goods and services. Direct Filing with the TMO, including priority applications As a result of amendments to the PRC Trade Mark Law, the TMO is required to complete examination of a new application