A Florida-based company that issued misleading invoices to patent and trade mark applicants was recently found to have violated the state’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

This serves as a timely reminder that there are several organisations that issue official-looking documents to owners of recently granted (or due for renewal) patents and trade marks. The documents usually look like invoices and solicit payment for a service of no value at all.

Further information on this problem, including a list of organisations engaged in the practice, is here.

IP Australia will be closed from 25 December 2009 to 1 January 2010 (inclusive).

The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand will be closed from 25 December 2009 to 4 January 2010 (inclusive).

Any deadlines occurring on those dates will be accepted on the next business day.

Only a single copy or instance of a “statement of novelty” is required to accompany an application and representations to register a design. The statement need not be signed.

The former practice requiring three copies of the statement of novelty and that they be signed has been discontinued.

The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, Dr Francis Gurry, will present a public lecture at the Melbourne Law School on 3 August.

Gurry is the highest-ranking Australian official in a United Nations agency, and only the third to ever head a UN agency. He is making his first official visit to Australia since his election as Director General last year.

He will speak on the subject of “Intellectual Property, Innovation and Creativity - Future Global Directions”.

Decisions of the Commissioner (Hearings Decisions) are now available online and can be accessed via the IPONZ website. Search facilities include:

• The ability to search for key words across multiple decisions
• Ability to download the decisions in document (RTF) format
• Improved indexing of decisions by year and descriptions of opposition and parties
• Links where applicable to relevant Acts, other hearings and court decisions

IP Australia will be closed from 25 December 2008 to 1 January 2009 (inclusive).

The Intellectual Property Office of NZ will be closed from 25 December 2008 to 2 January 2009 (inclusive).

Any deadlines occurring on those dates will be accepted on the next business day.

The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand website has now improved its navigation, search and online transactions.

For more information about the changes click here