General

Send us an email if you have a trade mark question not answered below. The information below is general in nature. If you have a question concerning your specific circumstances or require any other assistance with your brand, please get in touch. Do I need to register a trade mark to protect my brand? In […]

On 24 February 2023, the Government of Belize became the 113th member to join the Madrid Protocol. Brand owners will be able to file new international registrations designating Belize from this date and for those brand owners with existing international registrations, subsequent designations for Belize will also be available. If you require assistance with registering

On 7 December 2022, Saudi Arabia became the 122nd member to accede to the Convention Abolishing the Requirements of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, commonly referred to as the “Apostille Convention”. The accession allows documents originating in Saudi Arabia, including education certificates and birth certificates, as well as documents which have been legalised according to

On 6 February 2023, the Government of Mauritius acceded to the Madrid Protocol. This makes it the 114th member of the Madrid System. The Madrid Protocol will enter into force for Mauritius on 6 May 2023. Australian brand owners will be able to file new international registrations designating Mauritius from this date and for those

In October 2022, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) announced that the 12th edition of the Nice Classification will come into force on 1 January 2023. For those of you who are not aware of the Nice Classification, this is the international system for classifying goods and services for registering trade marks. What are the main

A trade mark licence is an agreement between the owner of a trade mark (licensor) and a person wishing to use the trade mark (the licensee) in a territory. The agreement will grant permission to the licensee to use the trade mark on mutually agreed terms and conditions contained in the agreement. There are many

Trade marks are a valuable business asset and although they are intangible they can add significant value to a business. It is therefore important that you treat trade marks in the same way you would any other asset of your business. Trade mark records should be regularly audited to ensure existing trade marks are up

On 4 April 2022, the Government of Republic of Chile acceded to the Madrid Protocol. This makes it the 111th member of the Madrid System. The Madrid Protocol will enter into force for the Republic of Chile on 4 July 2022. Australian brand owners will be able to file new international registrations designating Chile from

On 28 December 2021, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) acceded to the Madrid Protocol. This makes it the 109th member of the Madrid System. The UAE’s accession further strengthens the Madrid System’s status as a critical component of protecting marks globally, offering a convenient and cost-effective solution for brand owners worldwide and in the Middle

Very little use of a trade mark is required to defeat a non-use application in Australia. In fact, a single, genuine sale of the relevant goods or services during the relevant period is usually enough to defend a non-use application. Furthermore, there’s no requirement for the use to be continuous across the relevant period. That