From a hand sanitiser called Covidfighter to delivery services branded The Quarantine Concierge, the coronavirus pandemic has led to numerous trade mark applications to IP Australia seeking to capitalise on the outbreak. And while some applications will be expensive failures, others have good prospects for success, say Spruson & Ferguson’s Blake Knowles and Rhiannan Solomon.
The path has been cleared for US university to patent its rare cancer detection invention, defeating opposition from an Australian medical technology company.
Kraft has lost an appeal in its high-stakes legal battle against Bega over the right to use its distinctive peanut butter trade dress in Australia.
A judge has dismissed an opposition by tech company Vehicle Management Systems to a patent application by rival SARB Management Group for an integrated magnetic parking overstay detector.
The Dutch coffee company behind the popular Moccona brand has successfully opposed a coffee capsule patent sought by coffee machine maker K-fee.
The international company behind the Vagisil feminine hygiene brand has lost its bid to stop a European competitor from registering Vagisan as a trade mark in Australia.
The company behind the ubiquitous bubble wrap has won a consumer case against Visy Packaging, with the Federal Court awarding almost $3 million in damages after finding a spoon-lid combination supplied to yoghurt maker Chobani breached an exclusive licence agreement.
Aldi Foods’ trade mark for one of its clothing brands has been revoked, with an IP Australia delegate finding the mark is “wholly descriptive” and incapable of distinguishing its goods.
American professional baseball organisation Major League Baseball is taking Philip Morris to court over the tobacco giant’s bid to extend protection for an international trade mark on the acronym ‘MLB’.
Kraft Foods can amend its patent application for a chocolate that doesn’t melt in the summer months, after a delegate found many of the claims of the patent lacked clarity and support.