IP Australia

IP Australia
Agency overview
Formed25 February 1998; 26 years ago (1998-02-25)[1]
JurisdictionAustralian Government
Employees1,053 (FY21–22)[2]
Minister responsible
Agency executives
  • Michael Schwager, Director-General[4]
  • Paula Adamson, Deputy Director-General[4]
  • Margaret Tregurtha, Deputy Director-General[4]
Websiteipaustralia.gov.au
Discovery House, the headquarters of IP Australia in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

IP Australia is an Australian Government agency, responsible for administering intellectual property law in Australia. The agency manages the registration of patents, trade marks, registered designs and plant breeder's rights in Australia. The agency sits under the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. From 1904 until 1998, the responsible government agency was called the Australian Patent Office (APO), which is now a division within IP Australia. The headquarters are located at Discovery House in Canberra, Australia, with offices in some capital cities. IP Australia has been an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) for patent applications filed in accordance with the Patent Co-operation Treaty since 31 March 1980.[5] Australia is also a member of the Madrid system for trade marks, the Paris Convention for designs and the UPOV for plant breeder's rights.

  1. ^ CA 8551: Intellectual Property Australia, Central Office, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 9 December 2013[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "IP Australia Annual Report 2022" (PDF). IP Australia. 14 October 2022. p. 75.
  3. ^ "Organisational chart" (PDF). IP Australia. 1 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Our Senior Executive". IP Australia. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Joint Standing Committee On Treaties, 2007-06-22, page TR43, Deputy Director General Beattie" (PDF). Australian Government. Retrieved 22 June 2007.