Australian Technology and IP Business

Law, blogs and technology...and grapes

Australian academic Peter Black (Freedom to Differ) hosts Blawg Review #178 for One Web Day 2008.

The review features a range of law blogs discussing the economy, society, politics, technology and education.

Most interesting was the post on the shrink-wrap licence surrounding a packet of grapes! Read it here.

ICANN approves new domain names

The Board of ICANN has approved a recommendation that could see a whole range of new names introduced to the Internet's addressing system. A final version of the implementation plan must be approved by the ICANN Board before the new process is launched. It is intended that the final version will be published in early 2009.

Presently, users have a limited range of 21 top level domains to choose from — like .com, .org, .info.

This proposal allows applicants for new names to self-select their domain name so that choices are most appropriate for their customers or potentially the most marketable. It is expected that applicants will apply for targeted community strings such as (the existing) .travel for the travel industry and .cat for the Catalan community (as well as generic strings like .brandname or .yournamehere). There are already interested consortiums wanting to establish city-based top level domain, like .nyc (for New York City), .berlin and .paris.

Top 100 Australian Web 2.0 Applications list

Ross Dawson has published 55 of the Top 100 Australian Web 2.0 Applications list. There are many applications I had not heard of and shows that Australians are busy working on new projects even without government support.

Facebook US wins Australian domain name dispute

In the WIPO Administrative Panel Decision  Facebook, Inc. v. Callverse Pty Ltd Case No. DAU2008-0007 Callverse which had registered <facebook.com.au> was ordered to transfer the name to Facebook US.

The decision analyses the 3 grounds required to be satisfied in a domain name dispute.

Worldwide patent searches

Try PriorSmart.com for worldwide patent searches.

AusPat: Australia's new patents search engine

IP Australia has launched AusPat, the new search system for Australian patents.

Its coverage goes back to 1904.

Australian search engines and directories

VS Consulting has compiled an extensive report on the local Australian online search and directories market. There are more than 18 players, from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to large corporations trying to get some share of this market.

The main focus of this report is on Sensis and its competitors and how it can reinvent itself in a rapidly changing local market.

Intellectual property for businesses in Australia

Patent attorneys Eagar & Buck have published a White Paper (pdf) on intellectual property for businesses in Australia. It comes with a self-assessment questionnaire (pdf).

The White Paper includes:

• Numerous case studies illustrating the use and misuse of IP.
• Guidelines to implementation of an intellectual asset management program.
• How to identify hostile competitor IP positioning before it causes financial loss.
• IP checklist before launching a new product or brand.
• How to stop employees leaving with critical IP assets.

Domain name disputes 2007 update

WIPO reports that in 2007, a record 2,156 complaints alleging cybersquatting - or the abusive registration of trademarks on the Internet - were filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center (Center), representing an 18% increase over 2006 and a 48% increase over 2005.

WIPO parties have settled a quarter of all cases without a panel decision. Of the remainder, 85% of panel decisions have ordered transfer of the domain names in question to the complainant and 15% of the complaints were denied, leaving the names in the possession of the registration holder.

The top five sectors for complainant business activity were Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals, Banking and Finance, Internet and IT, Retail, and Entertainment.

Domain Name Tasting

Domain name tasting exploits the fact that someone registering a domain can keep it for up to five days and then return it for free. Some operators are using that grace period to test domain names for marketability. Visitors find an empty site.

A proposal has been put to ICANN, which oversees the grace period, to limit the number of refunds any registrar can claim on behalf of customers.

It wants the operators of generic top level domains (gTLDs) such as .com or .org to be restricted in the refunds they can offer. It has proposed that they only be allowed to offer refunds to 10% of the newly registered domain names in any given month. If that number is under 50 they will be allowed to refund up to 50 fees.