Intellectual Property
Trusted Legal Advice in Copyright and Intellectual Property Law on the Sunshine Coast
Intellectual Property (IP) is a term used to describe a bundle of intangible rights designed to protect the outcome of intellectual activity, endeavour or innovation.
It includes copyright, trademarks, patents, designs, circuit layouts, business names, plant breeder’s rights, confidential information and in some cases reputational issues. Different laws apply to different forms of IP, however the goal is always the same – to grant protections to any party who creates these rights, who comes to own them, or who acquires the right to use them. The legal services needed when IP issues arise varies. They generally include services connected with:
- the registration and protection of IP (e.g. trademark or patent registration);
- commercialisation (e.g. joint venture and collaborative agreements, research and development agreements, funding agreements, licences and distribution agreements); or
- infringement (e.g. cease and desist letters, dispute resolution or litigation).
Argon Law offers many of the above services, talk to us to find out more.
Copyright
Copyright is one of the most common forms of IP. It does not exist in ideas alone, but rather the expression of detailed and original ideas reduced to a material form. These expressions are called ‘works’. The Copyright Act protects different kinds of works - the most common being literary, artistic, visual and dramatic works. Films, television broadcasts, sound recordings and computer programs are also protected.
Please call us if you need help in respect to the protection or breach of copyright.
Business Names
Are you confused by the differences between business names, trademarks and domain names? If you carry on a business under a name which is not your own, it is your legal obligation to register that business name, however, such registration does not stop others from others from registering a similar name and does not give you the exclusive right to use that name or any similar names and it certainly does not protect any brand you may want to use.
Call and speak to us to learn more about how you can protect your brand.