Australia and New Zealand: Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand relating to Trans-Tasman Regulation of Patent Attorneys

February 24, 2017

Australia and New Zealand: The single patent attorney regulatory regime between Australia and New Zealand came into force on February 24, 2017, in order to implement the 2013 Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand relating to Trans-Tasman Regulation of Patent Attorneys.

This new Trans-Tasman patent attorney regime is provided in Schedule 4 of the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Act 2015 of Australia, and Part 2 of the New Zealand Patents (Trans-Tasman Patent Attorneys and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2016.

The key features of the new regime include, inter alia: (i) creating a single register, set of requirements for registration, code of conduct, and disciplinary process for Australian and New Zealand patent attorneys; (ii) renaming of the Professional Standards Board to the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board, with an expanded membership; and (iii) changing knowledge requirements for registration as a patent attorney requiring candidates to have sufficient knowledge of both Australia and New Zealand IP law and practice.