IP Australia

IP Australia exercises its authority under a number of Commonwealth laws:

• Patents Act 1990{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04014|title=Patents Act 1990 |publisher=Australian Government|website=Federal Register of Legislation |access-date=2017-08-31 }}
• Patents Regulations 1991{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F1996B02697|title=Patents Regulations 1991|publisher=Australian Government|website=Federal Register of Legislation|access-date=2017-08-31 }}
• Trade Marks Act 1995 (except Part 13 which the Australian Border Force administers){{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04969|title=Trade Marks Act 1995 |publisher=Australian Government|website=Federal Register of Legislation|access-date=2017-08-31 }}
• Trade Marks Regulations 1995{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F1996B00084|title=Trade Marks Regulations 1995 |publisher=Australian Government|website=Federal Register of Legislation|access-date=2017-08-31}}
• Designs Act 2003{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A01232|title=Designs Act 2003 |publisher=Australian Government|website=Federal Register of Legislation|access-date=2017-08-31 }}
• Designs Regulations 2004{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2004B00136|title=Designs Regulations 2004|publisher=Australian Government|website=Federal Register of Legislation|access-date=2017-08-31 }}
• Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04783|title=Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994 |publisher=Australian Government|website=Federal Register of Legislation|access-date=2017-08-31 }}
• Plant Breeder's Rights Regulations 1994{{Cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F1996B02512|title=Plant Breeder's Rights Regulations 1994 |publisher=Australian Government|website=Federal Register of Legislation |access-date=2017-08-31 }}

Patent examiners are generally scientists and engineers who do not necessarily hold law degrees but have received legal training in patent law. "A patent examiner is hired based on their technical expertise, their professional qualifications and possibly their industry experience. They then undergo training within the office, and we use competency based training. An examiner will take somewhere between 12 to possibly 18 months to become what is called an acceptance delegate. That means they are assessed to be competent to assess a patent application and make a decision about it qualifying or satisfying all of the legislative provisions."{{cite web|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/estimate/12051/toc_pdf/6820-3.pdf|title=Senate Economics Legislation Committee Estimates, 2009-06-01, page E80, Deputy Director General Beattie|publisher=Australian Government|access-date=1 June 2009}} [June 2009].

"If you have not attained the Commissioner of Patents Acceptance Delegation within two years of the date on which you commence duties, you may have failed to meet a condition of your engagement, failed to complete your entry-level training courses and you may lack an essential qualification for the performance of your duties. Consequently, it is likely that immediate action will be taken to terminate your employment."{{cite web|url=http://ipaustralia.nga.net.au/mjs_customer_data/ipaustralia/job_files/660/Job%20Docs%20-%20October%202010%20Final.doc|title=Examiner of Patents Employment Advertisement|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=1 October 2010}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} [October 2010]

"APO is pursuing a medium-term strategy of continuing to engage patent examiners so that we can reduce that backlog during a time when our work is a little bit quieter, so that when economic activity picks up again we will be well placed. That is adding to our costs for patent examiners, in particular where we have continued to recruit."{{cite web|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/committees/estimate/12051/toc_pdf/6820-3.pdf|title=Senate Economics Legislation Committee Estimates, 2009-06-01, page E90, Director General Noonan|publisher=Australian Government|access-date=1 June 2009}} [June 2009]

To be an ISA, APO must have "at least 100 full-time employees with sufficient technical qualifications to carry out searches." [PCT Reg. 36.1 (i)]{{cite web|url=http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/pct/en/texts/pdf/pct_regs.pdf|title=Regulations under the PCT, page 80|publisher=WIPO|access-date=1 June 2009}}

{{Importance section|date=April 2023}}

• On 4 August 1868, Thomas Sutcliffe Mort and Eugene Nicolle filed Victorian Patent 1139{{cite web|url=http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/patents/_img/fridge1.jpe|title=Refrigeration|format=jpe|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "Refrigeration".
• On 25 March 1885 Hugh Victor McKay filed Victorian Patent 4006{{cite web|url=http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/patents/_img/sun1.jpe|title=Sunshine Stripper Harvester|format=jpe|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for a "Sunshine Stripper Harvester".
• On 13 February 1904 the first Federal Australian Patent Application was filed by Andrew Brown McKenzie for "Improvements in air leak preventative for Westinghouse and like brakes.".
• On 21 December 1914 George Julius filed Australian Patent 15133/14{{cite web|url=http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/patents/_img/total1.jpe|title=Automatic Totalizator|format=jpe|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for an "Automatic Totalizator".
• On 22 November 1926 Hume filed Australian Patent 4843/26 for the "Spun Concrete Pipe".
• On 10 September 1947 George Shepherd filed Australian Patent 136548 [Application 15008/47]{{cite web|url=http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/patents/_img/shep.jpe|title=Furniture Castors|format=jpe|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for Furniture Castors.
• On 2 May 1955 Mervyn Victor Richardson filed Australian Patent 212130 [Application 8770/55]{{cite web|url=http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/patents/_img/victa.jpe|title=Lawn Mower|format=jpe|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for the Victa lawn mower.
• On 22 March 1956 Lance Hill filed Australian Patent 215772 [Application 16938/56]{{cite web|url=http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/patents/_img/hills.jpe|title=Rotary Clothes Hoist|format=jpe|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for a fold-away handle design for the Hills rotary clothes hoist.
• On 6 July 1970 Ralph Sarich filed Australian Patent 467415 [Application 30650/71]{{cite web|url=http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=AU&NR=467415B2&KC=B2&FT=D&date=19730111&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP|title=An Improved Rotary Motor|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "An Improved Rotary Motor", which later became known as the "Sarich orbital engine".
• On 3 November 1977 The University of Melbourne filed Australian Patent 519851 [Application 41061/78]{{cite web|url=http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=AU&NR=519851B2&KC=B2&FT=D&date=19811224&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP|title=A Prothesis to Simulate Neural Endings|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "A Prothesis to Simulate Neural Endings", invented by I. C. Forster. This became known as the "Cochlear Bionic Ear".
• On 7 May 1982 Arthur Ernest Bishop filed Australian Patent 552975 [Application 15178/83]{{cite web|url=http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=AU&NR=552975B2&KC=B2&FT=D&date=19860626&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP|title=Rack and Pinion Steering Gear|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "Rack and pinion Steering Gear". This became known as the "Bishop Steering Gear".
• On 6 July 1982 Norport Pty. Ltd filed Australian Patent Application 85668/82{{cite web|url=http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=19830811&CC=AU&NR=8566882A&KC=A|title=Yacht Keel With Fins Near Tip|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "Yacht Keel With Fins Near Tip", invented by Ben Lexcen. This became known as the "Winged keel" and was used on Alan Bond's Australia II yacht during its successful challenge to the America's Cup in 1983.
• On 13 October 1986 Norman Thomas Jennings filed Australian Patent Application 35064/71{{cite web|url=http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=AU&NR=3506471A&KC=A&FT=D&date=19730503&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP|title=Pelletted Poultry Manure Fertilizer|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "Pelletted Poultry Manure Fertilizer" that later became more commonly known as "Dynamic Lifter".
• On 19 July 1991, CSL Limited and The University of Queensland filed Australian Patent 651727 [Application 23666/92]{{cite web|url=http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=AU&NR=651727B2&KC=B2&FT=D&date=19940728&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP|title=Papilloma Virus Vaccine|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "Papilloma Virus Vaccine", invented by Ian Frazer and Jian Zhou. This vaccine for cervical cancer is known as "Gardasil" or "Cervarix".
• On 27 November 1992, the CSIRO filed Australian Patent 666411 [Application 51806/93]{{cite web|url=http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=AU&NR=666411B2&KC=B2&FT=D&date=19960208&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP|title=A Wireless LAN|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "A Wireless LAN", invented by John David O'Sullivan, Graham Ross Daniels, Terence Michael Paul Percival, Diethelm Ironi Ostry and John Fraser Deane.
• On 11 August 1995, Myriad Genetics, Inc. filed Australian Patent 686004 [Application 1995033212]{{cite web|url=http://v3.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/originalDocument?CC=AU&NR=686004B2&KC=B2&FT=D&date=19980129&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP|title=In vivo mutations and polymorphisms in the 17q-linked breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=17 October 2009}} for "In vivo mutations and polymorphisms in the 17q-linked breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene", invented by Donna M Shattuck-Eidens, Jacques Simard, Mitsuru Emi, Francine Durocher and Yusuke Nakamura. The patent claims the human BRCA1 gene. This patent provided the opportunity to test the legal validity of gene patents in the US. The US court held that composition patents were invalid, essentially because they are products of nature.{{cite web|url=http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/blackford20100413/|title=The Gene Patents Case|publisher=Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies|access-date=13 April 2010}} This patent has yet to be tested in Australia.
• On 24 May 2001, John Michael Keogh filed Australian Patent 2001100012 for "Circular Transportation Facilitation Device". This was, in simple fact, the wheel.{{cite web|url=http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/auspat/pdfSource.do?fileQuery=%AC%C0%B5%CE%CD%91%B8%C3%BBz%BA%BD%C0%B9%C2%B5%C1%B9%91%95%A9%86%84%84%85%85%84%84%84%85%86%95%88%86%84%84%86%84%8C%84%8C%82%C4%B8%BAz%BE%C9%C1%C4%B9%B8%91%B8%C3%BB|title=Circular transportation facilitation device|type=Patent|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=21 September 2014|author=John Michael Keogh|date=2 August 2001}} IP Australia was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize in 2001 for granting this patent for one of the world's oldest known inventions. The patent was thereafter revoked on 30 August 2001.{{cite web|url=http://pericles.ipaustralia.gov.au/ols/auspat/eRegister.do?c3wvh94gbo81=a5456HmCSTf11BB111BfF9c5lqpIMi|title=Register of Patents|publisher=IP Australia|access-date=21 September 2014}}

In 2001, the Australian Patent Office within IP Australia introduced a system that immediately granted "innovation patents" for applications which pass a formalities test. Innovation patents are aimed at providing protection for short market life products. To demonstrate the absurdity of the system, an innovation patent application was filed for the wheel and granted automatically by IP Australia.{{cite web |author=Scott |first=Iain |date=8 October 2001 |title=Honouring the IgNobel |url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s384876.htm |access-date=13 April 2023 |website=ABC News in Science |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} The applicant, lawyer John Keogh, was awarded an Ig Nobel Prize (a satirical award within the fields of STEM for things that are unusual, imaginative or goofy) for his patent of the wheel.

• Australian patent law
• Patent office

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Category:1998 establishments in Australia

Category:Government of Australia

Australia

Category:Ig Nobel laureates

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