Spruson & Ferguson

It was Christmas in July in our Australian offices last month as our CSR Committee partnered with food rescue charity, OzHarvest, once again to help fellow Australians in need this winter. Each of our offices held morning teas, online donations and non-perishable food collections throughout the month. At our Sydney morning tea, leader of the CSR Committee, Principal Sylvie Tso spoke about our involvement. "As we drive the world forward by protecting innovations and securing brands for our clients, we remember those who are in need and struggling or sleeping rough this winter," Sylvie said. Now in it's 20th year, OzHarvest is well known in Australia for its work to 'Nourish our Country' and has tireless teams working to fulfil its mission to stop food waste, feed people in need and protect our planet. We thank the teams working with us on the drive and collecting our donations! Our CSR Committee wouldn't work without the drive, dedication and energy our its team members, so major thanks go to: Penelope Stavrou, Taryn Francis, Candice Noring, Michelle Calder, Michael Christie, Serena White, Tanja Kovacevic, Katie Rose-MacLeod and Michael Rayner! #Ozharvest #nourishourcountry #foodinsecurity #CSR #corporatesocialresponsibility

We're excited to confirm that our trade marks expert, Fabiola Dos Santos will be attending the International Trademark Association (INTA) TMAP Conference in Philadelphia next month! Each year, this event brings together a huge range of intellectual property professionals from around the globe. Our little birds say it might just be Fabiola's favourite conference...   "TMAP is unique in that it brings young professionals, administrators, and attorneys handling global portfolios together to collaborate and connect. The information sessions are fantastic, and there's a real sense of camaraderie there," Fabiola said.   If you're attending TMAP, please feel free to reach out to Fabiola directly to set up a time to connect and share insights! E: [email protected] See you in Philadelphia!  #TMAP2024 #Trademarks #Philadelphia #ProfessionalDevelopment #intellectualproperty #360degconnection

Finalists in seven categories for the Managing IP Asia Pacific Awards 2024! Thank you to all of our clients and peers who may have contributed to the Awards research, and of course to all of our teams for providing the highest level of service to secure and defend our clients' IP rights. This is an outstanding recognition which demonstrates the truly regional expertise and quality of our advice and services. We are looking forward to the Awards results on 26 September! Simon Potter, Kristian Robinson, Maik Brinkmann, Michael Zammit, PhD, Chiou Yu Choo, Amy Chan, Roseanne Mannion, Le Hong Minh, Serene Ong, Katrina Crooks #intellectualproperty #recognition #gratitude #360degprotection

Infringement is a fine line for brands looking to promote themselves during the Olympic Games. Asia IP Magazine recently reached out to our trade mark experts, our Asia Trade Mark Group Leader, Amy Chan and Senior Associate Nicollette Liu, for some key Do’s and Don’ts.   “Obviously if you are not an official sponsor or partner, you can’t use any official or unofficial logos associated with the event, but there are a range of other rules as well. Brands cannot use imagery of the host city in their marketing, and none of the official hashtags, trade marked words or phrases,” Amy says. “Nor can you congratulate or support athletes or teams by mentioning them in connection with the Games.”   “Following various ambush marketing campaigns and brands using loopholes in the rules in previous years, the International Olympic Committee has tightened the rules on acceptable marketing during the event, and brands need to be aware of these” Nicollette added. “The Committee has prepared various pamphlets explaining in details of what is acceptable and what is not, including various examples of social media posts.” Find a link to these in the comments.   Read more in the linked AsiaIP article and reach out to the Spruson & Ferguson Trade Mark teams for further guidance. https://lnkd.in/gF7WRXhD Thanks for reaching out Excel Dyquiangco   #trademarks #brands #360degexpertise #sportingeventrules

Why are trade secrets so critical to enterprises? "Especially in the digital age, so much information is generated by the activities and operations of an enterprise...and this is fundamental to the competitiveness of the enterprise, because that's what gives them their advantage over others." The latest podcast series from IPH Limited, 'From Idea to Intellectual Property', kicks off with ABC Radio host Lisa Leong in discussion with former Director-General of WIPO, Dr Francis Gurry. Dr Gurry unpacks in the ins and outs of trade secrets, how Coke has kept its formula under wraps, and how trade secrets have influenced global markets. Tune in to this episode and Follow the podcast on Apple or Spotify to catch up on the first two series' for invaluable business insights for protecting your innovations. https://lnkd.in/gx7n3yz4 #tradesecret #intellectualproperty #innovation #360degprotection

IP Week is coming to Singapore, and we will be there - providing complimentary IP consultations at the Connect@GoBusiness IP Grow event in the IP Marketplace. Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and IPOS International have assembled a fantastic lineup of speakers on 27 & 28 August for innovators and business leaders. Reach out at https://lnkd.in/gzgcXcER to book your session with our IP experts. We're looking forward to helping you navigate the way forward to protect and commercialise your brand, inventions and designs! #IPWeek2024 #ForwardTogetherWithIP #Entrepreneurs #Singapore #360degProtection Serene Ong, Chiou Yu Choo, Maik Brinkmann, Le Hong Minh, HanChun Kua, Adelia Lin, Wei Yang LIM, Zhandra Pataueg, Amy Chan

Thank you, Japan! Our Australia and Asia patent Principals, Paul Massey and Natsuho Yamamoto, spent a productive time in Osaka and Tokyo last week, treated as always to outstanding hospitality from clients and new contacts alike. In addition to connecting with clients, Paul and Natsuho were invited to present on intellectual property and regional APAC insights at several seminars by our contacts at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. The opportunity to collaborate with clients and contacts is always welcomed, and we appreciate the invitation, Dr Janice Logan. The events were well-run and well-attended, and generated many interesting discussions. We have Japanese speaking attorneys and can assist across all sciences and technologies, so please don’t hesitate to reach out with your IP enquiry! #IntellectualProperty #Patents #Japan #engineering #ICT

Is your invention a 'sausage machine'?! Even great ideas may not be patentable. Principal, Michael Zammit, PhD and Patent Scientist Sam Walker look at the requirements to meet the inventive step threshold and what is considered a "mere collocation of integers", such as the sausage machine case. From novelty requirements to policy perspectives and interactions between integers - read more at the link. https://lnkd.in/g2pi2efD #patentability #patents #novelty #360knowledge

We are excited to celebrate the appointment of two new Principals, and a further 19 promotions across our Australia and Asia businesses! Congratulations to our two new Principals, Jason Manakis in Australia and HanChun Kua in Asia, and all of our promoted team members. These individuals have shown outstanding technical and professional excellence, and 360° commitment to our clients and their Spruson & Ferguson teams. Managing Directors Simon Potter and Kristian Robinson, and leaders across the firm, are delighted for the opportunity to recognise their contribution, and support their professional success and continued development. Read more at the link, and please join us in wishing everyone well in their new roles: 🌟 Australia Stuart Hughes – Special Counsel David Hvasanov (王大卫) – Special Counsel Ken Johnstone – Special Counsel Matthew Stewart – Special Counsel Dr Jon Wright – Special Counsel Chelsea Peters – Senior Associate Lan Pham – Senior Associate Chi (浦迟) Pu – Senior Associate Danielle Spath – Senior Associate Steven Banos – Associate Dr James Beckett – Associate Madeline Connolly – Associate Peter Matalanis – Associate Dr Yuchen Yao– Associate 🌟 Asia Dr Vivian Wang – Special Counsel Dr Michael Huang – Special Counsel Patsita I. Issareeworatit – Senior Associate Thanchanok Pankrai – Associate Piyamin Sepacha – Associate https://lnkd.in/gBZ5vZ_W Chiou Yu Choo, Maik Brinkmann, Le Hong Minh, Serene Ong, Amy Chan, Paul Massey, Michael Zammit, PhD, Roseanne Mannion, Katrina Crooks, Siqi Wang, Robert Jackson #360opportunity #celebratesuccess #IPpromotions

As we head toward the end of our financial year, our dedicated team in Singapore took a quick, well earned break for ice cream treats this last week! Servicing our clients’ needs is top priority, but we all know how important it is to stop every now and then. Stepping away from the computer screen to cool off and share some laughter with each other created a buzz around the office and helps to build the essential connections that are so important for #teamwork! We constantly strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, and we are delighted to be an integral part of their journey. #Teamwork #EmployeeAppreciation #SuccessStories #WorkCulture #IceCreamTime #IP #IntellectualProperty Kristian Robinson Chiou Yu Choo Le Hong Minh Maik Brinkmann Serene Ong Jonathan Loh