Tips to produce good quality evidence for the Trade Marks Office
When filing a trade mark application, protection is not automatic. The application is “examined” to see if the mark is registrable. There are various reasons why a trade marks examiner may raise objections to an application. The two most common are: The mark is descriptive of the goods or services or “laudatory” – praising of […]
What if someone is infringing my IP rights?
I have blogged about what to do if you receive a cease and desist letter (also called a “letter of demand”) here. But what if you own an IP right (eg a registered trade mark, copyright, patent, design or an unregistered trade mark) and you believe that someone is infringing your rights? What do you […]
$100 million penalties for misreprentations
Penalties for making false or misleading statements about goods and services are now very substantial. Since 28 March 2026 maximum penalties have doubled from $50 million for companies to a maximum of the greater of: $100 million; or 3 times the value of the benefit received by the company from the breach; or if […]
How not to promote price discounts
The recent case of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Emma Sleep GmbH (Penalty) shows how not to promote price discounts (and how not to act when you suspect you may be breaching the Australian Consumer Law (ACL)). Facts Emma Sleep Southeast Asia Inc (Emma Sleep SEA) and Emma Sleep Pty Ltd (Emma Sleep AU) […]
What if I have received a cease and desist letter?
What is a “cease and desist” letter? A “cease and desist” letter (also called a “letter of demand”) is a letter, usually although not always, sent by a law firm on behalf of their client, that claims that you are breaching some right of the sender. The letter will demand that you stop or you […]
Trade mark application – what to do if the Examiner raises issues
Trade mark registration provides an important benefit to trade mark owners. It gives the owner the right to take action against another business using a similar mark for similar goods and services. Application process Once an application is filed, registration is not automatic. Instead, a trade mark application goes through a process of “examination”, where […]
Comparative advertising – the risks
Comparative advertising is a form of advertising where a supplier compares its product favourably against the product of a competitor. It is not that common as it can be risky because: The comparison has to be absolutely accurate – many examples of comparative advertising that come to Court fail to do this; and Your competitor […]
$3 million penalty for Google ad campaign
In 2021 the Federal Court found that Employsure, in its Google ads, misrepresented that it had associations with various Government agencies. I reported on this case here. The Trial Judge imposed a fine of $1 million for these breaches of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) appealed this penalty […]
The problem for users of Google’s dynamic keyword insertion
Is it a good idea to use someone else’s name as a Google keyword and Google headline? The Full Court of the Federal Court has recently said “no”. Google keywords on a website are not visible but they are used to attract consumers to the site when that keyword is typed into the Google search […]
Fearless Girl meets Australian Intellectual Property Law
Fearless Girl is the name of a bronze statue of a strong and confident girl created by Kristen Visbal and installed in New York City in 2017. The statue was funded by financial company State Street US and its unveiling was timed to coincide with a marketing campaign by State Street US that sought to […]
NSW disclosure requirements apply to suppliers outside NSW
Suppliers outside New South Wales New South Wales has introduced a new law that requires suppliers, before they supply goods or services, to take reasonable steps to ensure that the consumer is aware of the substance and effect of any term or condition relating to the supply that may substantially prejudice the interests of the […]
Important changes to labelling of hand sanitiser
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic many companies have been making hand sanitiser. But issues have arisen about their effectiveness, alcohol content and the risk of ingestion. New rules commenced on 25 November 2020 to address these issues. The rules apply to hand sanitiser that is regulated under cosmetics regulations. From 25 May 2021 […]
High penalties for misrepresentations
Penalties for making false or misleading statements about goods and services can be substantial. Maximum penalties have dramatically increased from $1.1 million for companies to a maximum of the greater of: $10 million; or 3 times the value of the benefit received by the company from the breach; or if the value of the benefit […]
Appeal court flushes away ACCC claims on flushable wipes
The Full Court of the Federal Court has rejected the appeal by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (“ACCC”) in its unsuccessful case against Kimberly-Clark (“K C”), where the ACCC claimed that K-C had made misrepresentations about its “flushable” wipes. FactsK-C made wipes (moist towelettes) from fibres that were hydroentangled, or blasted by fine jets […]
The Curious Case of Pinnacle and the Bikinis – Part 2
Pinnacle Runway Pty Ltd v Triangl Limited [2019] FCA 1662 (10 October 2019) is a curious case in more ways than one. I have previously blogged about the relevance of the case to trade marks law – here. The case is also a cautionary tale about the risks of litigation. FactsThe applicant, Pinnacle, sent Triangl […]
The Curious Case of Pinnacle and the Bikinis
FactsThe case of Pinnacle Runway Pty Ltd v Triangl Limited [2019] FCA 1662 (10 October 2019) considered whether Pinnacle’s trade mark DELPHINE, which was registered in class 25 for clothing, headwear and swimwear, was infringed by use of the word DELPHINE as a style of one of Triangl’s bikinis. Triangl sold a range of approximately […]
Unity of purpose – new test for control of trade mark use
The Full Court of the Federal Court has overturned a finding that a trade mark owner did not control the use by its parent company of its marks: Trident Seafoods Corporation v Trident Foods Pty Ltd [2019] FCAFC 100 (20 June 2019). This decision is significant because it provides a more flexible, less legalistic, approach […]
Do you give warranties against defects about your services?
Do you say eg “All repairs are guaranteed for 12 months”? If so, are you ready for the change in the law that starts on 8 June 2019? This requires you to give consumers a document about your warranty that sets out detailed information including: How the warranty is to be claimed; Who bears […]