“HEY, ITS TAYLOR SWIFT” ™ Taylor Swift lodges a Trade Mark application for her voice in Australia On 12 October 2026, IP Australia accepted an application to register Taylor Swift saying "Hey, it's Taylor Swift" as a sound trade mark.[1] The applicant is TAS Rights Management, LLC, the company...

Is Your Franchise Agreement Fair? The ACCC’s Latest Enforcement Action Is a Warning to Franchisors A recent outcome from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is a timely reminder to Franchisors that clauses which have sat in franchise agreements for years can still attract r...

A recent ruling from the Suzhou Intermediate People's Court serves as a stark reminder to emerging brands that even "common" symbols can lead to massive legal headaches. In a high-profile trademark dispute, the French luxury giant Louis Vuitton Malletier successfully sued the popular Chinese milk...

A recent ruling from the Full Court of the Federal Court in Australia is another reminder to Franchisors they can be held liable when franchisees underpay their employees. In Bakers Delight Holdings Ltd v Fair Work Ombudsman [2025] FCAFC 144, the Court confirmed franchisors can and will face lia...

Ever been to the supermarket and noticed that a product is packaged in a way that looks suspiciously similar to a product you’ve bought before? Well, thanks to a recent Federal court ruling, there will likely be less and less products on the shelves with copycat packaging. In Hampden Holdings I....