IP Australia has released draft legislation for the proposed Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill (Productivity Commission Response Part 2 and Other Measures) Bill 2018.
Schedule 1 of the proposed bill includes measures to:
- amend inventive step requirements for Australian patents (to bring them into line with the imagined approach of the EPO;
- introduce an objects clause into the Patents Act 1990
- phase out the
abominationinnovation patent system.
Well, 1 out of 3 is not so bad.
Schedules 2 – 4 propose the mooted amendments to the Crown use provisions (both patents and designs) and the compulsory licensing provisions.
There are also streamlining measures and “technical improvements” in schedules 5 to 7.
Download the draft bill, the draft EM and consultation questions from here.
Written submissions are due by 31 August 2018.