Rob Clark

A Treasury Wine Estates unit has lost its bid to trade mark a red wine bottle with a red screw top, an embossed crest and white label, with a delegate finding it lacked distinctiveness.

"Quite unsatisfactory", is how a judge has described a revived intellectual property dispute between German drug maker Merck KGaA and US drug company Merck Sharp & Dohme over the alleged use of the ‘Merck’ mark in Australia.

Australian designer Katie Taylor has won her High Court appeal in a fight with pop star Katy Perry over the right to trade mark her name, with the court saying a Full Court ruling in Perry's favour "rewarded the wrongdoers".

The director of a documentary about a US narcotics officer during the 1990s 'war on drugs' has won his copyright suit against the film's producers, with a judge finding his moral rights under the Copyright Act were infringed by their failure to credit him as the director.

Class action settlements hit major milestones last year, with the year’s largest settlements totalling $1.6 billion and one case resolving for a historic $548.5 million.

German drug maker Merck KGaA is fighting US drug company Merck Sharp & Dohme over the alleged use of the ‘Merck’ mark in Australia, five years after their intellectual property spat was settled. 

CBA-backed venture capital firm Wollemi has reached an agreement to resolve a trade mark dispute with the family office of Tesla chairwoman Robyn Denholm.

Construction giant Lendlease has retained its rights to the 'Civil & Civic' name despite the brand falling into disuse, with IP Australia accepting the company retained a reputation in the valuable legacy trade mark.

Lendlease has defeated a challenge to its 'Civil & Civic' trade mark despite lack of use, successfully arguing it retained a residual reputation in the name under which it built the Sydney Opera House podium.

The operator of a gym previously inside a Bankstown RSL club has scored a partial win on appeal against its new landlord, but has only received nominal damages of $10.