Most of you will have heard Ed Sheeran's blockbuster song 'Shape of You', the most streamed song in Spotify's history with over 3 billion streams. You may also have heard about the copyright case in which Sheeran and his co-writers were accused of plagiarising the 2015 song 'Oh Why' by Sami Chokri...
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An ongoing legal dispute between clothing designer, Katie Jane Taylor and American singer-songwriter, Katy Perry, continues to make headlines. Taylor, owner of the registered trade mark 'Katie Perry', claims that Katy Perry's use of the mark 'Katy Perry' for her products is deceptively similar. In response to Taylor's claim, Katy Perry...
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When seeking out answers, we all reach for Google, the most commonly used platform for information searches. Often, we assume that our search results are accurate. Accuracy is very important when businesses market their products and services on the internet. It is for this reason that they should ensure they do not...
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Businessman and former politician Clive Palmer was defeated in a copyright infringement case following unauthorised use of a popular Twisted Sister song in a political campaign. Palmer, founder and chairman of the United Australia Party (UAP), authorised the recording and broadcast of the song 'Aussies Not Gonna Cop It'. The song...
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EU trade marks application filed before 1 January 2021 can claim the EU filing date in UK applications. However to be eligible, the UK trade mark application must be: filed on or before 30 September 2021; for the same trade mark; and for the same goods and services. Impact of Brexit: In our recent blog post, we discussed the impact of Brexit in relation to...
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One of the most novel occupations created by the rise of social media is that of the influencer. Influencers earn a living by advertising and promoting brands and connecting them with their own social media followers. An industry code is helping ensure influencers disclose the commercial arrangements that sit behind sponsored posts. In our recent blog post...
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On 1 February 2021, the new advertising Code of Ethics (Code), adopted by the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), came into effect. The AANA has published an accompanying Practice Note to in order to assist...
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In part 1 of our series, we focus on the importance of clearly defining the parties’ primary responsibilities in every IT project. A well drafted IT services agreement will accurately define the scope of services. Fine tuning of the following key...
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IP Australia is increasing its filing fees for applications to register trade marks. The changes commence on 1 October 2020. How will this affect me? If you are planning to file an application to register a trade mark without using IP Australia's approved...
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The past few months has shown us how important an online presence can be for any business, both from growth and business continuity perspectives. In our previous post, we talked about what ‘cybersquatting’ is...
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