About Baldwins
Established in 1896, we are one of Australasia’s leading intellectual property law firms. Our clients are based in New Zealand, Australia and throughout the world. Our mission is to help you achieve and maintain a commercial advantage by protecting, developing, commercialising and enforcing your intellectual property assets. We will work with you to understand your wider commercial objectives and provide pragmatic, cost-effective advice specific to your needs. Baldwins intellectual property lawyers and patent attorneys offer a consolidated approach to managing your intellectual property throughout Australasia.Patents
Create a competitive advantage and protect your R&D investment. A patent gives its owner the power to prevent others from making commercial use of an invention for up to 20 years.
Why patent?
Patents are valuable business assets that may be used strategically to protect or expand market share and competitive advantage, increase the value of a business, and provide additional revenue streams.When can something be called an invention?
The range of what can be considered an invention is vast. It includes mechanical and electrical devices and circuits, chemical compositions and biotechnology, as well as methods or processes relating to these fields and others.The importance of keeping an invention confidential
In most countries, to obtain a patent the invention must be new, so it’s important the invention remains confidential until a patent application has been filed.Baldwins’ expertise
Baldwins’ patent services include:- searches to determine the ability to use and patent an invention;
- filing and examination of patent applications;
- patent portfolio management;
- patent audit and intellectual property reviews;
- oppositions to and revocations of patents;
- infringement and enforcement of patents; and
- licensing and transfer agreements.
Trade marks
A trade mark is a sign or brand that distinguishes your goods and/or services from those of others. It can be a word, image, logo, slogan, sound, shape, smell or a combination of these. The process of mark registration with the trademarks office (or "trademarks registry") of a particular jurisdiction is called trade mark registration.
The importance of a well-managed trade mark
A trade mark is a ‘badge of origin’ by which customers will recognise the source and quality of your goods and/or services. It’s also a valuable tool for advertising, promoting and developing your business identity. When they recognise your trade mark, customers are likely to make repeat purchases or recommend your goods and/or services to others. A well-managed trade mark portfolio is therefore a valuable business asset.Expertise and experience in brand protection
Whether you have long-established trade marks or you’re just starting out and wondering how best to protect your brand, Baldwins can help. Being one of the top filers of trade mark applications in New Zealand, we have the expertise and experience to advise you on developing, protecting and maximising the potential of your trade mark portfolio. Our trade mark services include:- searches to ascertain the ability to use and register a trade mark;
- filing and examination of trade mark application
- trade mark portfolio management
- trade mark audit and intellectual property reviews;
- oppositions and revocations of trade marks
- infringement and enforcement of your trade mark
- domain names; and
- licensing arrangements and transfer agreements.
Copyright
Assert your rights as the author of an original work and prevent competitors from copying your products, brand or creative works.
What is copyright?
In New Zealand, copyright arises automatically under the Copyright Act 1994 upon the creation of various original works. These include literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, as well as sound recordings, films, communication works and the typographical arrangement of published editions. The range of works protected as ‘artistic works’ is very broad and can include virtually any original graphic works, such as industrial designs and logos. Copyright in New Zealand does not need to be (and cannot be) registered, unlike other intellectual property rights such as trade marks, patents, and designs. Many other countries do have a copyright registration system. While New Zealand law does not require that copyright owners use the © symbol to identify their work, if used prominently it creates an additional layer of protection by putting the public on notice that the work is subject to copyright.Copyright owners’ rights
Copyright is a long-lived right, in many cases lasting for well over 50 years. The owner of copyright generally has the exclusive right to copy and distribute protected works and to authorise others to do so, although there are various exceptions to this. Authors of copyright works can also assert their moral rights, for example, to insist that they are identified as the author of a work or to object to derogatory treatment of it.How Baldwins can help
Copyright is a complex area and we provide a wide range of advice on copyright related matters. Commercialisation: We have an experienced team that specialises in helping clients commercialise products they have protected by copyright. Ownership: We advise on the existence and ownership of copyright, particularly where there may be more than one author of a copyright work or where a work has been commissioned or arisen in the course of an employee’s employment. To give effect to ownership rights, we often prepare deeds of assignment of rights in copyright works. We also provide advice on Crown copyright. Enforcement: We specialise in copyright enforcement. Depending on our clients’ objectives, this may involve merely seeking recognition of authorship, requesting removal of copyright material from websites, requiring a licence to use copyright material, sending cease and desist letters, or pursuing copyright infringement proceedings before the Courts.Registered Designs
Protect the unique appearance of your products and create a competitive advantage.