We are receiving an increasing number of emails purporting to be from clients or associates, which when investigated further are illegitimate and likely malicious.  

 The New Zealand Assistant Commissioner of Patents has given short shrift to the bid of Dr Stephen Thaler to have an artificial intelligence (AI) listed as the inventor for patent application number 776029 in Stephen L. Thaler [2022] NZIPOPAT 2.

The Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia has updated the test for assessing the patentability of computer-implemented inventions, ruling an invention regarding an electronic gaming machine with a particular feature game as not patentable subject matter.

 The NZ Plant Variety Rights Bill has been referred back to Parliament for its second reading. 

 On 21 October 2021 it was announced that New Zealand and United Kingdom have come to an agreement in principle on the key elements of a free trade deal. We highlight the commitments in relation to intellectual property which are included in the agreement.

 Copyright in artist’s paintings created during marriage have been found to be relationship property, to be divided equally by value between the parties upon separation.

 The Designs Amendment (Advisory Council on Intellectual Property Response) Act 2021 (“the Act”) received Royal Assent on 11 September 2021.

The new Fijian Trademarks Act was gazetted on 20 August 2021 and replaces the Trade-Marks Act 1933

We are pleased to congratulate Elena Szentiványi on being named president of New Zealand Intellectual Property Attorneys Inc (NZIPA).