News & Resources

The Australian Patent Office on computer implemented inventions – 3 March 2016 This article has been archived. For the most up to date information, please contact our software patent attorney. Following a string of court decisions on the Australian patentable subject matter requirement (formally the ‘manner of manufacture’ requirement), the Australian Patent Office (APO) has […]

Construction materials patent application collapses – 26 February 2016 A patent is in a sense a contract with the general public. A recent Australian Patent Office decision demonstrates what happens if the person applying for the patent does not comply with the contract. A patent is a temporary monopoly granted on a new technology in […]

Australian patent disclosure and support requirements – 11 February 2016 In 2013, significant changes to Australia’s disclosure and support requirements were introduced by the ‘Raising the Bar’ Act. The new requirements apply to patents and patent applications in relation to which examination was not requested prior to 15 April 2013, and are intended to accord […]

Australian patent disclosure requirements (sufficiency) – 11 February 2016 In 2013, significant changes to Australia’s patent disclosure requirements were introduced by the ‘Raising the Bar’ Act. The new requirements apply to patents and patent applications in relation to which examination was not requested prior to 15 April 2013, and are intended to accord with analogous […]

Australian patent support requirements – 11 February 2016 In 2013, significant changes to Australia’s patent support requirements were introduced by the ‘Raising the Bar’ Act. The new requirements apply to patents and patent applications in relation to which examination was not requested prior to 15 April 2013, and are intended to accord with analogous requirements […]

Should ‘between’ ever appear in a patent claim? – 2 February 2016 In our office, ‘between’ is flagged as a word to be wary of when drafting patent claims. Whilst undoubtedly the answer to our rhetorical question is ‘yes’, we pose the question because there is so often reasonable scope to argue as to the […]

Engineering patent law 101 – 2 February 2016 A recent decision [1] of the Full Federal Court [2] provides a lucid tutorial on various oft-debated aspects of Australian patent law pertinent to engineering inventions. Two innovation patents were in issue. Both claimed a garden hose that increased in length under the influence of the water […]

Australian Court adopts a non-literal patent claim interpretation – 2 February 2016 The Full Federal Court [1] recently considered [2] two patents that were exceptional in that a non-literal interpretation of the patent claims was called for. Both patents were to garden hoses that increased in length under the influence of the water pressure within. […]

Patent attorney takes a swing for charity – 2 February 2016 We are again proudly supporting the South East Business Networks’ Take a Swing for Charity golf day. Funds raised will go to the State Schools’ Relief fund. In 2015 the State Schools’ Relief fund clothed over 1,000 students in the Greater Dandenong region alone. […]