We are pleased to announce that three of our senior trade mark practitioners have been named among the world's leading trade mark professionals in World Trademark Review's WTR 1000 (2019).

Whether Weetabix was an infringement of the Weet-Bix trade mark framed the issue before the High Court in the recent case of Australasian Conference Association Limited v A Little Bit of Britain Limited [2018] NZHC 2501.

With the deposit of its instrument of accession with WIPO on 4 December 2018, Samoa (previously known as Western Samoa) becomes the 103rd member of the Madrid Union.

Amendments to the Patents Act 2013 mean that from 30 December 2018, a general grace period of 12 months will be provided for in New Zealand. There are some important points to note about this provision.

On 30 December 2018, the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Agreement will come into force. This means that some amendments to intellectual property laws set out in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Amendment Act 2018 will come into force the same day.

 Following the recent decision of the European Court of Justice in Societe des produits Nestle v Mondelez UK Holdings & Services [2018] EUECJ C-84/17P regarding the Kit-kat shape trade mark, we provide an overview, examples and leadings cases for the registrability of shape trade marks in New Zealand.

IPAustralia has released an exposure draft of the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Productivity Commission Response Part 2 and Other Measures) Bill 2018, which is intended to implement recommendations of the Productivity Commission's 2016 report regarding intellectual property, including abolishing the innovation patent.

 Three interlocutory decisions of the Commissioner of Patents have recently issued dealing with the level of detail required in pleadings during opposition proceedings under the Patents Act 1953.

 We are very pleased to announce that as of 29 March 2018, David Moore and David Nowak are now directors of Henry Hughes Intellectual Property.