Intellectual Property and Innovation Law program

We are leading research in intellectual property in the Pacific Rim. We've charted copyright, trademarks, consumer rights, and competition policy.

We've analysed how copyright affects creativity and investigated improvements the patents system, to deal with new technologies and innovation.

Trademarks have expanded to include colours, scents and sounds. Our research explores the conflicts between new forms of trademark and consumer rights, competition policy and artistic expression.

We explore the regulation of emerging technologies such as information technology, 3D printing, clean technology, medicine, biotechnology, neuroscience, and robotics. Areas of interest include:

• robotics and the law: when robots make decisions about people
• democratising energy: encouraging individual and community energy generation
• regulating life sciences: how patents restrict public access to benefits
• creative commons: co-operative approaches to creating knowledge goods and cultural works.

Our research considers free speech, privacy and the regulation of media content.

We're interested in internet access as a right. A lack of access can be socially isolating and adversely effect individuals and communities. We review policies and regulatory models from the perspective of people.

We're also examining the liability of internet intermediaries for online content and how to safeguard due process, freedom of speech and innovation.

We research the global governance of intellectual property and innovation law, with particular interests in:

• how the Trans-Pacific Partnership will transform intellectual property in our region
• the effect of 3D printing in copyright, patents, trademark, design law and trade secrets
• the influence of the Australian plain tobacco packaging scheme on other jurisdictions and world organisations.