Read through the ipAustralia (https://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/) website before you go ahead. I studied the website page by page, and called the staff twice to clear any misunderstandings before I made any moves. Once you finish your research, move on to the following steps:
- Prepare your trademark logo (DPI 300). Name your files in English. If your logo contains foreign words itself, prepare a translation of those words. When you apply, IPAustralia will ask for the translation. It doesn’t need to be NAATI certified though. There will be blanks for you to fill in.
- Go to https://portal.ipaustralia.gov.au/ to register an account. You will need an email address to do so.
- Confirm the class/classes of your trademark. Use the picklist to locate your product. (https://tmgns.search.ipaustralia.gov.au/?_gl=1%2a1l23o45%2a_ga%2aMjAzMzczNjc0OS4xNjM2Nzc4NzAx%2a_ga_QX1TTWEZ1L%2aMTY0NDU2MzkyNi4yOC4xLjE2NDQ1Njc4NDUuMA..) Type in your item key words, and compare the pop-up results. If you didn’t see any matches, go to the full list in that category to double check. If you still can’t find it, then your products are probably not on the list and you may need to pay extra fee to own that trade mark. ***When in doubt, reach out to the team to confirm.
- Standard filling service or TM Headstart. Decide if you need an IP officer to pre-access your application. If no, choose standard filling service. If yes, choose TM Headstart. You will need to pay extra $80 for the person checking your application. When you choose this method, the officier will contact you within 5 business days. You can choose a preferred contact method, e.g. phone, email or both. You can also pick a preferred time, such as 9 am-12 noon.
- Info you will when register: a. name of the applied entity (yourself, your business, if your legal consultant takes care of it, then don’t worry about it.) b. Business address and ABN. C. Payment method
- After you pay, you will received a receipt listed with the payment details. I couldn’t download it though. But I can go to my account profile and check the receipts there. I screenshot them as well, just in case.
I choose TM Headstart service and will expect their calls next week. That’s pretty much it. Good luck to you when you register.
Irene Tan 