Viewing post categorized under: Protecting ideas
Feb / 13

The Grace Period and Designs Law – What is it and why does it matter?

Sharon Givoni Consulting Design Law, Protecting ideas

If you are an industrial designer, and create product designs for a range of consumer goods and industrial products, such as appliances, furniture, toys, cars, surface designs, containers, furniture, fashion design and sporting goods, to name few, then you need to read this article. First and foremost, design protection is one of the best ways […]

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protect your book title
May / 29

Can You Protect Your Book Title? Copyright and Trade Mark

Sharon Givoni Consulting Intellectual Property, Protecting ideas

How to Protect Your Book Title In our law firm, we often get asked by authors whether and how they should protect their book title. Sometimes the problem is that two people in the world have the same book title for a different book. Other times authors just wish to exercise caution. In order to […]

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Replica furniture and copyright law
May / 15

Replica furniture – is it legal?

Sharon Givoni Consulting Copyright, Intellectual Property, Protecting ideas, Trade marks

Unsurprisingly, the growth of replica furniture industry has grown over the years. An example of this is the replicas of the Tolix chair, which was designed by Xavier Pauchard, in 1934 in France. In light of this clients often ask us: is it legal to copy a furniture design? We have covered the issue of copycat products here. […]

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Protecting your designs - Furniture Contract terms and conditions
May / 15

Furniture Suppliers Beware! Protecting your designs in Contracts

Sharon Givoni Consulting Arts and design, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Protecting ideas

Beware of hidden traps in trading terms and conditions There is a major industry issue faced by many furniture suppliers. Some larger furniture retailers have snuck some clauses into their trading terms which are disadvantageous to suppliers, particularly when it comes to protecting your designs from being copied. One of these clauses purports to give […]

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Short Guide to Copyright Law in Australia
Sep / 20

A Short Guide to Copyright Law in Australia

Sharon Givoni Consulting Arts and design, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Protecting ideas, Street art

Only one thing is impossible for God: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet.[1] – MARK TWAIN As the famous quote by nineteenth-century author Mark Twain suggests, and this guide will demonstrate, copyright may be a complex area of the law, but the underlying message is quite simple: don’t copy! The […]

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BRANDING LAWS PACKAGED AND GIFT-WRAPPED

Sharon Givoni Consulting Intellectual Property, Packaging, Protecting ideas, Trade marks

Only a century ago, the attraction of consumer products was in their practical application. Soap, for example, was originally packaged in anonymous greyish bars and purchased by consumers purely for its cleaning attributes. Now, soap promises so much more – it exfoliates and softens, refreshes and revitalises (Norsca), doubles up as a “beauty aid” (Dove) […]

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Protecting yoga and dance moves – How far can you stretch copyright law?

Sharon Givoni Consulting Copyright, Intellectual Property, Protecting ideas

Imagine this scenario. You come up with an amazing sequence of 26 yoga poses and an accompanying dialogue so that yoga class could be taught throughout the world. People could go to a class in Australia or LA and know it would pretty much be the same. This is exactly what happened to well-known Indian […]

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Alice in Merchandise-land – the value of character and celebrity merchandising

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Entertainment Law, Food Law, Intellectual Property, Packaging, Protecting ideas

The value of celebrity endorsements on food advertising, packaging and labelling is indisputable, whether it be Jamie Oliver with his range of products, George Clooney for Nespresso or Serena Williams for Gatorade (and Nike… and Berlie… and…) Take-Away Tips for your business The use of images of fictional beings on products, such as cartoon characters, […]

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Close your eyes, and give me the coke bottle

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Food Law, Intellectual Property, Packaging, Protecting ideas, Trade marks

How to avoid legal issues when it comes to packaging Attention all packaging designers, this is for you. Before you launch your new product with shiny new packaging, it is important to consider whether you could be infringing someone else’s trade mark rights, engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct or passing off. In Australia, aspects […]

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Avoid having your ideas ripped off: Be proactive not reactive
Feb / 01

Avoid having your ideas ripped off: Be proactive not reactive

Sharon Givoni Consulting Protecting ideas

Imagine that you have designed a new fabric pattern. You are getting ready to release it to the market. You know it will be a great seller and need to take steps to ensure it is not copied by a competitor. Understanding how intellectual property laws in this area work is critical for you to […]

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