Birkenstock has succeeded in securing trade mark protection for the shape of four of its shoes, a boon to the German shoe maker as it fights knock-offs of its popular sandals.
Elanco Australasia has lost its bid to appeal a finding by IP Australia that a patent acquired from Bayer covering a lice treatment for livestock lacked an inventive step.
The Iconic has defeated a challenge to the online fashion retailer’s application to trade mark ‘Considered’ for sustainable or ethically sourced products, with IP Australia rejecting Net-a-Porter’s argument that the label has not been used in the sense required under the Trade Marks Act.
IP services giant IPH Limited, which owns IP boutiques Spruson & Ferguson and Griffith Hack, has made an offer worth $265 million to acquire its rival QANTM Limited, after failing to woo its main competitor with a takeover bid in 2018.
An IP Australia delegate has shot down Kraft’s opposition to a Mars patent for a less costly method for producing the distinct creaminess and flavour of crumb chocolate.
Intellectual property group IPH has revealed that a limited set of data originating from Spruson & Ferguson’s systems, including client information, was downloaded by an unauthorised third party in last month’s cyber attack.
IPH Limited, which owns IP firms Spruson & Ferguson and Griffith Hack, and lender Latitude Financial have become the latest victims of cyberattacks, with the latter revealing the personal data of hundreds of thousands of customers has been stolen.
The reputation of a registered trade mark and its owner is not relevant in assessing the deceptive similarity of a challenged mark, the High Court has found, clarifying the test for infringement under a section of the Trade Marks Act.
Agricultural giant Nufarm has lost its appeal of a decision giving rival Advanta Seeds extra time to pay a renewal fee for its patent for a hybrid plant cell, after an error by its lawyers caused the renewal to fall through the cracks.
Some of Australia’s biggest law firms were targeted by lawsuits in 2022, facing allegations of negligence or bad advice from clients, or else accused by their own partners of misconduct.