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Intellectual Property

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Being a very old problem, counterfeit goods still pose a significant threat to intellectual property rights and legitimate businesses across various industries and countries. These imitations not only destroy brand reputation but also result in substantial economic losses. However, the emergence of blockchain technology has provided a powerful tool for enhancing intellectual property (IP) verification and authentication, offering a promising solution to the ongoing battle against counterfeit products. Counterfeit goods have permeated markets worldwide, from…

In this article, Ruth Burstall and Birgit Clark of Baker McKenzie, London explore the various opportunities created by blockchain to enhance the supply chain control of pharmaceutical companies.  Blockchain cannot only help with monitoring a pharmaceutical product’s progress through various stages, from sourcing the raw materials to manufacturing and supply chain, but it can also help with meeting regulatory traceability requirements, such as those under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) in the United…

It may be the moment for the IP profession to get to grips with the use of blockchain technology in its practice. Blockchain has, of course, risen to its current fame as the technology underpinning cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, but how relevant is it to IP professionals and trademark law and practice?  In their Article, Time to Get Smart?, Birgit Clark and Rachel Wilkinson-Duffy, Baker McKenzie, London, explore the idea of “smart IP rights” and…

A new initiative from the Australian Government, the Smart Trade Mark, provides Australian businesses with a  new technology to help protect their products from counterfeiting risks and imitation products in overseas markets. IP Australia (an agency of Australia’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science which administers intellectual property rights) developed the Smart Trade Mark using blockchain and the Australian Trade Mark Register.  IP Australia, alongside start-up Agile Digital, successfully piloted the Smart Trade Mark.  They…