Madderns

Can you help the Federal Government solve challenges which relate to agriculture, energy and fishing? Funding is available as part of the government’s $12 million fund for eligible Australian start-ups and SMEs to bring their big ideas to market under its Business Research and Innovation Initiative (BRII).

BRII is looking for solutions to the following problems:

1. Revolutionising agricultural spray applications;
2. Turning farm crops into a renewable hydrogen source;
3. Turning office trash into “energy treasure”; and
4. Counting fish using advanced technologies.

The BRII application process involves three phases.

First, if accepted for feasibility, an eligible applicant can receive up to $100,000 to demonstrate that their solution can work.

Second, if a feasibility study is accepted, up to $1 million is available to create a proof of concept.

Successful applicants will then have the chance to work closely with sector experts and government to create a product that could be commercialised.

Applicants retain intellectual property rights and the right to sell their product in domestic and global markets.

Applications close 10 September 2020.

To find out more, click here: https://www.business.gov.au/Grants-and-Programs/Business-Research-and-Innovation-Initiative

Having left the European Union, the UK is now in a transition period which is scheduled to end on 31 December 2020.

What does this mean for European Union trade marks registered prior to 31 December 2020?

After the transition period ends on 31 December 2020, European Union (EU) trade mark registrations will no longer extend to the UK; however, all existing EU registrations will be automatically cloned by the Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom into equivalent UK registrations. The cloned UK registration will retain the same filing and registration details as the original EU registration, as well as any priority and seniority claims. This will ensure that the trade mark registrations will continue to be protected in the UK.

What does this mean for European Union trade mark applications that remain pending after 31 December 2020?

EU trade mark applications that remain pending after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020 will cease to have effect in the UK and will not be automatically cloned into an equivalent UK application.

Action will therefore need to be taken by the trade mark applicant to formally re-file a UK trade mark application. The UK application will need to be re-filed within nine months after 31 December 2020 in order to retain the same filing date as the original EU application.

If you have any questions in regards to what the “Brexit” means for your business and your EU trade marks, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss in further detail.

The South Australian Productivity Commission has released an issues paper on Health and Medical Research and Development as part of an inquiry into its impacts on the state’s economy.

Many of our clients are heavily focused on research and development, and we play a role in protecting their interests in South Australia, nationally and overseas.

At the Productivity Commission’s request, Madderns provided assistance on the intellectual property aspects of the inquiry. The discussions related to the trends in research and development and the factors that influence the extent to which it contributes to long term productivity gains and economic growth in South Australia.

The commission has released an issues paper and submissions and responses have now closed. The SAPC is due to publish its draft report shortly.

Further information can be found at https://www.sapc.sa.gov.au/inquiries/inquiries/health-and-medical-research.

The staff at Madderns who donated blood as part of the Legal Services Blood Challenge in 2020 deserve a pat on the back, after the firm finished second for having the highest number of donors in South Australia.

A team of 10 from Madderns donated blood as part of the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood drive, including two new donors in 2020. Many others supported the team.

Nationally, 983 donations were made during the challenge, saving up to 2,949 lives. Without ambassadors such as Madderns, seriously ill patients would miss out on the life-saving blood treatments they need.

While the Legal Services Challenge has finished for the year, the Red Cross still needs help to encourage anyone who is feeling well to come forward and donate blood, with thousands of donors needed over the coming weeks to prevent a shortage. Each donation can save up to three lives.

There are several donation centres across South Australia, including eight in the city. To find out more, click here https://www.donateblood.com.au/

Madderns will be looking forward to continuing its long association with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), after being appointed to the panel of preferred providers of intellectual property (IP) services.

CSIRO was founded in 1916 as the Advisory Council of Science and Industry. Since then, it has undergone several iterations to become the federally-funded CSIRO. The highly-respected organisation has advanced Australia with a range of inventions and innovations that have also had a significant positive impact on the lives of people worldwide. Some of their inventions include household products and technologies that have become an intrinsic part of our daily lives, such as plastic banknotes and WiFi – yes, we can thank CSIRO for it – and even Aerogard^® and Softly^®.

CSIRO’s research interests are very broad and Madderns’ appointment to the panel of preferred IP service providers requires the firm to provide services in areas including biological sciences such as biotechnology, genomics and vaccines; chemistry and chemical engineering; electronics and ICT; mechanical engineering; physics; and trade marks.

The appointment recognises that the Madderns team has the technical knowledge, expertise and experience to work with the nation’s top scientists and researchers to protect their IP.

Some info on CSIRO’s history and key innovations can be found at: https://www.csiro.au/en/About/History-achievements