New Zealand, Australia create unified patent attorney regime

A trans-Tasman patent attorney regime for the joint regulation of patent attorneys in Australia and New Zealand is now in effect, the two governments announced Friday.

Reforms as part of the Single Economic Market agenda, agreed by the two countries' prime ministers in 2009, had created a single body to regulate patent attorneys, helping to create a seamless trans-Tasman business environment.

The trans-Tasman patent attorney regime was designed to increase business confidence in the service provided by patent attorneys, to streamline processes, to minimize the cost of regulating patent attorneys in both countries, and to facilitate competition in the market for patent attorney services.

Patent attorneys in Australia and New Zealand would be on a single register and new attorneys would be registered under a single set of requirements, and be subject to a single code of conduct and single disciplinary process.

Australian Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Arthur Sinodinos said the majority of Australian and New Zealand patent attorneys were already registered in both countries.

"Removing barriers for patent attorneys and encouraging competition are key elements that will help drive productivity, innovation and industry growth for both countries," Sinodinos said in a statement.

New Zealand Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Jacqui Dean said in the statement it was the first time a profession would be truly regulated in a unified way on a trans-Tasman basis. Endit