Talk:Australian trade mark law

Reference to Trade Marks Office Manual of Practice and Procedure
I propose that this page include a reference to IP Australia’s Trade Marks Office Manual of Practice and Procedure. The Manual is an official publication produced by IP_Australia, and intended as a reference guide for trade mark examiners within IP Australia (Part 1, Section 1, of the Manual.)

I contend that there is merit in publishing a hyperlinked reference to the Manual on this page, as a link to it is not apparently advertised on the IP Australia web site on the pages pertaining to the trade mark application process (i.e. it is available via the ‘About Us’ navigation link here, but not on the ‘Before You Apply’ page here).

In its Overview, the Manual states that it is publicly published as part of IP Australia’s ongoing commitment to customer service. Given that the Manual “contains detailed information on practices and procedures relating to aspects of the filing, examination, and registration of a trade mark” (ibid.), it seems that it would best serve existing and prospective trade mark applicants if it were made more visible as an explanatory resource. By including an explicit reference and link to the Manual on this page, it may help economize the trademarking process, by allowing applicants to make more informed decisions about the substance and form of their application before submission and payment of an application fee.

The direct link to the Manual can be found at: http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/pdfs/trademarkmanual/trade_marks_examiners_manual.htm The page on which this link is located is: http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/about-us/publications-listing/examination-manuals/MikeAa (talk) 06:57, 8 November 2011 (UTC)