Meyer West IP

03/06/2026

A recent Delhi High Court decision in Hindware v Google has caught attention internationally in trade mark and intellectual property circles.

Based on the published findings, the Court considered whether Google could be held liable when competitors bid on a brand's trade mark as an advertising keyword.

While the decision applies in India, the underlying questions about how platforms handle trade marks in digital advertising are being discussed globally.

This post is general information only and not legal advice.

27/05/2026

Last month the High Court of Australia handed down its decision in Zip Co v Firstmac.

Based on the published findings, the Court clarified an aspect of trade mark law known as "honest concurrent use."

A notable development in Australian intellectual property law.

This post is general information only and not legal advice.

18/05/2026

If you started your business with a co-founder, partner or spouse, this Federal Court case is worth knowing about:

In Black Star Pastry Pty Ltd v Richards (No 2) FCA 383, one of two trade mark registrations was cancelled because it had been filed in only one owner’s name - when the mark was actually jointly owned.

The result: no valid trade mark, and an eight-year infringement dispute collapsed.

Joint owners need to file together. Consent from the other owner doesn’t fix it later. If your brand was built with someone else before the company existed, this is worth checking.

This post is general information only and not legal advice.

11/05/2026

If you bought a Mother’s Day gift this weekend, there’s a good chance it was protected by IP.
The clasp on a necklace. The blade in a vegetable chopper. The shape of a perfume bottle. The packaging keeping flowers fresh.

Patents protect how products work, registered designs protect how they look - and most thoughtful gifts involve both.

Our latest blog walks through a few examples worth knowing about: meyerwestip.com.au/how-patents-protect-popular-mothers-day-gifts/

This post is general information only and not legal advice.

Discover the hidden intellectual property behind popular Mother’s Day gifts. From jewellery clasps to beauty tech and kitchen gadgets, learn how patents and design protections shape everyday products.

04/05/2026

Taylor Swift's company filed three trademark applications with the US Patent and Trademark Office last week - two covering her voice, one covering her image on stage.

The move comes as AI tools make it increasingly easy to generate content depicting a person doing or saying things they never did.

This post is general information only and not legal advice.

20/04/2026

Did you know it takes at least seven months to register a trademark in Australia?

Most people assume it's much faster. But there's an examination process, a two-month opposition period, and then registration - and that's assuming no complications.

The good news: your protection dates back to the day you filed, not the day you're registered. So the earlier you lodge, the earlier your rights kick in.

If you've got a brand name or logo worth protecting, don't wait until launch day to start thinking about it.

📜This post is general information only and not legal advice.

13/04/2026

A couple of useful reminders from the Australian courts this year.

Bed Bath N' Table took House to court after they launched a sub-brand with "Bed & Bath" in the name - deemed too similar. And Aldi ended up on the wrong side of a copyright finding over packaging that looked too much like a competitor's Baby Bellies product range.

You don't have to copy something deliberately to find yourself in a dispute. And trademark protection alone doesn't always cover you - sometimes it's copyright, sometimes it's both.

A quick check before you launch a new brand or product is a lot cheaper than dealing with it after the fact.

📜This post is general information only and not legal advice.

06/04/2026

There's a big debate happening in Canberra right now about AI and copyright - and it affects more people than you'd think.

The short version: AI companies train their models by scraping huge amounts of content from the internet. A lot of that content belongs to someone. The question is whether they need permission - and whether they need to pay for it.

Australia has so far said no to a free pass for AI companies. But the pressure to change that is real, and the rules are still being worked out.

If you run a business and you produce anything original - blog posts, photos, product designs, marketing copy — your work is part of this conversation. Worth keeping an eye on.

📜This post is general information only and not legal advice.

30/03/2026

This case [Jacksons Drawing Supplies Pty Ltd v Jackson's Art Supplies Ltd] is a good reminder of why registering your trade mark matters - even when you've been trading under a name for decades:

An Aussie art supplies business that's been around since 1955 had to fight a lengthy Federal Court battle against a UK competitor using a nearly identical name - because they'd never registered their trade mark. They won, but the legal road was long, expensive, and the remedy was limited to a website disclaimer.

If you've built a brand worth protecting, register it. It's genuinely one of the best investments a small business can make.

📜This post is general information only and not legal advice. Contact us to discuss your specific circumstances.

23/03/2026

Big news for Aussie tech businesses 💻

The High Court has just settled a decade-long debate - software and computer-implemented inventions are now on much stronger footing for patent protection in Australia.

If you've ever had an idea for a tech product, app, or software system and wondered whether you could protect it - the answer just got a lot more encouraging.

Reach out and let's have a chat about what this means for your business.

📜This information does not constitute legal advice.