Sophie Lees (AU)

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Ok Google, Hey Siri, Hi Alexa – have you renewed my trade mark yet?

By Frances Drummond (AU), Alyson Poole (AU), Sophie Lees (AU) and Rebecca Brenikov (AU) on March 18, 2019 Posted in Trademark

With the ever increasing ubiquity of technologies improving everyday tasks in personal life, it is little wonder that such technologies are also offering efficiencies and advantages in the work context. Phrases such as process automation, data mining, machine learning and actionable intelligence are no longer far-out themes, but instead are being used regularly (and with … Continue reading

Australian Trademarks Law Review – Edition 2

By Frances Drummond (AU), Sophie Lees (AU) and Isobel Taylor (AU) on November 26, 2018 Posted in Trademark

2018 marked the publication of the first Australian Trademarks Law Review from the Law Review series. The Law Review collates cross-border legal insights and analysis across a range of practice areas and is a useful resource for in-house counsel of global organizations. Following the publishing of the first edition of the Australian chapter of 2018 … Continue reading

Career Step – Lessons on joint authorship of copyright

By Sophie Lees (AU) on May 3, 2018 Posted in Copyright

A recent decision of the Federal Court of Australia, Career Step, LLC v TalentMed Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] FCA 132 (Career Step) provides a useful reminder of the principles that apply when determining whether a new copyright work is the result of joint authorship. Joint Authorship – what does the law say? The question … Continue reading

The European Commission has its say: EU trade marks post-Brexit

By Georgina Hey (AU) and Sophie Lees (AU) on March 15, 2018 Posted in Trademark

On 28 February 2018, the European Commission released its draft withdrawal agreement setting out a proposal on the arrangements for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (Withdrawal Agreement). The full text of the Withdrawal Agreement can be viewed here: European Commission’s Draft Withdrawal Agreement dated 28 February 2018 (see Title IV on Intellectual … Continue reading

Back to Basics – Australian Trade Mark Law 101

By Frances Drummond (AU) and Sophie Lees (AU) on February 14, 2018 Posted in Trademark

2018 marks the publication of the first Trademarks Law Review from the Law Review series. … Continue reading

Australian Modern Slavery Act: Why big brands will have nowhere to hide

By Sophie Lees (AU) on August 20, 2017 Posted in Advertising

The Australian Government has just confirmed that new legislation will be introduced requiring large Australian businesses to report annually on their efforts to address modern slavery. The result will be a framework similar to the corporate-focussed legislation enacted in the UK in 2015 and similar initiatives that are under discussion in other jurisdictions including the … Continue reading

Rebranding in the energy market – The issues to consider

By Georgina Hey (AU) and Sophie Lees (AU) on August 1, 2017 Posted in Advertising

A number of energy giants have recently undergone corporate rebranding exercises. The motivations of these powerhouses often vary, from unifying a group after a series of mergers and acquisitions, to repairing reputational damage, to just aligning with a new corporate vision. Tesla dropped “Motors” from its branding in 2016 to promote its clean energy solutions … Continue reading