Welcome!
Intellectual property is a critical aspect of most businesses. However, many business leaders fail to appreciate why IP is so important.
One of the goals of this website is to address that problem. That the problem exists is really a function of the difficulty to understand what IP really is. That's because it's intangible.
There's nothing intangible about having your shipping container of widgets impounded, though. Proper identification and registration of your IP can have you doing the impounding instead of being impounded.
And this kind of action happens more often than you might think. It's the kind of news you don't get to hear about. In my 20 years of practice, it has been common for clients only to "get it" once they've blundered ahead, only to crash into some piece of registered IP.
Inadvertent infringement can have devastating consequences. Can you imagine what it's like to have to tell your customers that you can no longer supply them because there's an IP issue? Not pleasant. And certainly not good for business.
No one wants to go to court. So there's almost always a concession made. The holder of the registered IP is usually not the one making the concessions.
The registration of IP involves the government granting the registrant a monopoly. In the case of patents, it's a 20 year monopoly on a particular invention. In the case of registered designs, it's a 10 year monopoly in the visual appearance of a particular product. In the case of a registered trade mark, it can be a perpetual monopoly in a sign applied to a product or service.
Registering IP in Australia gives the right to exclude the entire Australian population from exploiting that IP. It's worrying that in around 2006, less than 20 percent of all patents in Australia were owned by Australians.
The laws dealing with IP are complex. But understanding them should not just be an academic exercise. It is critical that your IP attorney understand the practical implications of these laws.
I'm passionate about IP. One of my specialties is interpreting cases and distilling out the practical implications of those cases. That passion has produced my blog, Bazpat. In there, I try to extract lessons for best dealing with IP related conflicts and complications.
There is no doubt that registered IP can be extremely valuable. But that doesn't mean that you should be paying a fortune, often for institutionalised and impersonal service. At the end of the day, one person will be working on your case. In larger firms that will often be a junior trying to meet a billing target. I have been in the profession since 1990 and would be delighted personally to attend to your intellectual property needs.
To put it bluntly, the more skilled your patent or trade mark attorney is, the more effective your protection will be. It is for that reason that I believe in working directly with my clients, rather than having a junior interface. I am proud to join the growing group of smaller operators who think this way.
I really enjoy hearing about how my clients cope and overcome many of the business challenges we face on a daily basis. That interest allows me to make strategic registration decisions that are tailored to help my clients, rather than leaving them even more confused than before.
I believe that the future of Australia is heavily dependent on how we treat intellectual property. It is therefore exciting for me to be involved in a profession that specialises in the registration of intellectual property.
I partake enthusiastically in online social networking, as can be seen from the links in the side bar, which is just another side-effect of our growing knowledge-based society. In addition, when I get the chance, I post on my blog (see sidebar), which deals with Australian patent practice. Unfortunately, I don't get to do that enough, but my dream is to build a useful resource for clients and practitioners alike.
I would really appreciate hearing your comments about this website together with any criticism, whether constructive or not. Drop me an email - barry@beagar.com.au - or give me a call - +61 7 5529 9396.
Thank you for visiting!
Feedback
"Barry has helped a number of our members through the development of effective patent strategies. I have worked directly with Barry on various occasions and have found him to be friendly, efficient and cost-effective. He clearly has a passion for intellectual property and takes the time to ensure that clients understand the complexities of patent and trade mark practice in Australia. Barry has assisted our members in positioning so as to best leverage their intellectual capital."
Andrew Loch - CEO - Gold Coast Innovation Centre
Latest News & Articles
I now have an office at the Gold Coast Innovation Centre, Griffith University. I am offering free patent information sessions there. So please contact me if you are interested. Or just pop in and say hello.
I am honoured and delighted to announce that CCH Australia has appointed me as a consultant. CCH is one of Australia's leading business publishers.
2 October 2011 - Raising the Patent Bar - Part II - (The Innovation Patent) - Read more...
22 September 2011 - Computer Implemented Purchase of Domain Names - Not Patentable - Read more...
17 August 2011 - A Rough Guide to Patent Searching - Read more...
28 July 2011 - Raising the Patent Bar - Part I - Read more...
28 July 2011 - Technical Disclosure - E-Commerce and Software - Read More
23 February 2011 - Codifying Patentable Subject Matter - Read more...
10 February 2011 - Early Patent Enforcement - Read more...
15 January 2011 - Filing and Prosecution Best Practices - ABA Webinar - Read more...
12 January 2011 - Psychological Analysis and Therapy not a "Manner of Manufacture" - Read more...
11 January 2011 - IP and Business Consultants - beware! - Read More...
1 December 2010 - IP Australia Enhances Access to Patent Data - Try it out!
25 November 2010 - Due Diligence Failure Costs CSL - Read more...
4 November 2010 - Mud Company's Patent Valid but not Infringed - Read more...
27 October 2010 - Aspirating Claims Lack Novelty and Inventive Step. Read more...
10 October 2010 - Luscious Lips still not distinctive. Read more...
7 October 2010 - IP Australia to enhance access to patent data. Read more...
8 June 2010 - Full Court - Food Channel - Opponent Fails to Discharge Onus. Read more...
21 May 2010 - Trade Marks - High Court - Ignorance is Bliss for Registered Owners. Read more...
12 May 2010 - Trade Marks - Jockey's Reputation Wins Out - Read more...
21 April 2010 - Trade Marks - Australian High Court defines "Aggrieved". Read more..
8 February 2010 - Commercialisation Australia to cover IP costs. Read more...
3 February 2010 - Delegate rules on the filing of further evidence during oppositions. Read more...
20 January 2010 - I'm presenting at the American Bar Association's Annual IP conference. Read more...
10 November 2009 - Don't Forget Patent Infringement. Read more...
3 November 2009 - The Value of Patent Searching. Read more...
26 October 2009 - Full Federal Court affirms that a "mere collocation" is not patentable. Read more...
26 October 2009 - Trade Marks Office finds "Skypal" deceptively similar to "Skypol". Read more...
11 October 2009 - Decisions from the Australian Patent Office. Read more....
14 September 2009 - A reminder to make use of the innovation patent system before it's closed down. Read more...
12 September 2009 - Thinking of a software patent? Who are the inventors? Read more...
2 September 2009 - Will the ACIP proposals really speed up patent enforcement? Read more ...
11 August 2009 - Get written agreement on IP Ownership. Read More...
6 August 2009 - Austrade Offers Grant for Registration and/or Insurance of Intellectual Property. Read more...
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