Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gives me a great deal of pleasure to rise today to speak to the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill 2014. Many in this House would know that in the past I have spoken about IP laws and the need to protect our local innovators and entrepreneurs. I am on the record as saying that we need a strong, robust IP framework to support our investors in the future. Currently, the IP system takes applications from Australian businesses for trademarks, patents, designs and plant breeders rights to protect their brands and new ideas from being duplicated by competitors. To keep the framework strong and relevant, we must consistently review and build upon the existing protections afforded through legislation.

That is why I support this amendment bill, which will reduce unnecessary burden on our regulatory authority and strengthen our bilateral processes in an increasingly globalised society, particularly when it comes to intellectual property. We must ensure that Australia remains competitive in a fast-paced global fight in the search for the development of the next new thing emerging in new industries. This bill contains a number of measures that will improve the Australian IP system and makes amendments to the Patents Act 1990, the Trade Marks Act 1995, the Designs Act 2003 and the Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994.

In 2007, the Howard government committed to implementing the protocol amending the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, known as the TRIPS protocol.

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