News

Trade mark and patent registers from 1895-1983 available at the National Library of New Zealand

A collection of twenty-six trade mark and patent registers from Baldwins Intellectual Property, from the period 1895 to 1983, are now available at the National Library of New Zealand. Photo by Clarisse Meyer on Unsplash The registers were created from 1895 onwards, in the Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch offices, trading initially as Higgs & O’Donnell of Wellington,... Read more

Announcing the launch of our updated website

Baldwins is proud to announce the launch of our updated website. Our new website has been updated to be easier to navigate and more user friendly. We have improved our landing pages to be optimised for wide screen displays, as well as various mobile devices. The update also includes streamlined drop-down menus, providing our visitors with a simplified way... Read more

Using the names of deceased celebrities as trade marks: Touching tribute or tantamount to theft?

What ability do commercial enterprises have to use the names of well-known, deceased individuals who are otherwise unconnected with that enterprise as brand names? Two recent examples have highlighted that, surprisingly to some, there are relatively few legal limits on this practice in New Zealand. In this modern era of celebrity endorsements and social media influencers, consumers are quite used... Read more

Baldwins proudly recognises our top talent and welcomes experienced hires

We’re pleased to announce the recent promotions of our trade mark specialist, Nadia Ormiston and our patent expert, Matthieu Mouscardes. We have also welcomed Sarah Harrison, and Victoria Watts to our trade marks team and Bojun Zhou to our patents team. “We are delighted to recognise the hard work and commitment of our IP specialists. Collectively, they... Read more

Fee increases for New Zealand patents but good news for trade marks

The official fees (note fees below are shown exclusive of GST) charged by the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) are revised from time to time, with changes made following a ‘cost recovery’ model. New official fees come into force on 13 February 2020, and there is good news for trade mark owners, but a range of increases and... Read more

New Zealand and Australia not always similar

A recent New Zealand High Court decision (Pharmazen Limited v. Anagenix IP Limited [2019] NZHC 1520 (1 July 2019)) serves as a reminder of the subjective nature of the comparison of trade marks, with the Court finding the marks “ACTAZIN” and “ActiPhen” too similar, while on the same facts and evidence an Australian hearings officer had decided the opposite. Read more

Changes afoot for the innovation patent system in Australia

The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Productivity Commission Response Part 2 and Other Measures) Bill 2019 was introduced to the Australian Senate in late July 2019. This Bill follows on from Part 1, which addressed the trade mark and plant breeder’s rights systems. The focus of the current Bill is mainly on the patent system. A change introduced by this Bill that has... Read more

Grace period for patents in New Zealand

New Zealand recently enacted a 12-month grace period for patents. Adding a grace period for patents in New Zealand is valuable and may allow you to protect your invention when previously you could not. However, the grace period does come with some warnings. Read more

This “Dark Horse” decision is anything but “Joyful Noise” for Katy Perry

In July 2014, Marcus Gray, the rapper better known by his stage name “Flame” filed proceedings against Katy Perry. Gray alleged that Perry’s song Dark Horse infringed copyright in his original work, Joyful Noise. To many, it seemed like just another allegation against a famous artist, based on the vibe of a lesser known song. Five years... Read more

Shining the Spotlight on Trade Marks in China

For some Kiwi businesses, exporting to China and beyond presents huge opportunities for growth. China is one of the fastest growing markets in the world and has a high regard for New Zealand goods and services. However, exporting to China can add layers of complexity and comes with additional risk if you don’t protect your business properly. If... Read more