- Intellectual Property
- Advertising, Marketing and Trade Promotions
- Commercialisation and Licensing
- Confidential Information
- Copyright and Designs
- Domain Name Disputes
- Franchising
- Geographical Indications
- Intellectual Property and Patent Litigation
- Misleading Conduct and Passing Off
- Patents
- Therapeutic Goods Regulation and Advertising
- Trade Marks and Branding
- Food Law
Protecting geographical indications (GIs) is a contentious issue in trade negotiations. One example is the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) within the suite of the WTO treaties, which requires all signatories to protect wine GIs. Negotiations on other GIs continue on a global level.
We are a leader in the GI area, both domestically and internationally. For decades we have worked with, and provided advice to, industry and trade associations as well as government bodies on GI matters. Our expert team has significant experience in registering and protecting GIs in Australia and internationally. These GIs are globally recognised and include Champagne, Cognac, Coonawarra, Basmati, Parma and Roquefort.
In the wine sector, we act for the French Government INAO, the Champagne Committee (the CIVC), the French National Interprofessional Office of Cognac (the BNIC) and others, protecting such high profile geographical indications as Champagne, Burgundy and Cognac. This includes two of the five First Growths of Bordeaux (Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild), for the leading Burgundy producer Domaine de la Romaneé-Conti, one of the leading Rhone producers, Michel Chapoutier and for Moët & Chandon, Krug and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin of the LVMH Group, amongst others.
Other agricultural geographical indications include Parma (for the Italian Parma Consorzio,Basmati (for Apeda, the Indian authority), Roquefort, Cantal and the Bresse Chicken Interprofessional Office.
