AUstRALIA
AUstRALIA
UnIVERsItIEs ARE not nECEssARILY EntItLED to
RIGHts foR InVEntIons DEVELoPED BY ACADEMICs
therefore likely to remain with the patent owner, which would no doubt have Th e appeal outcome underlines the need for universities to ensure
to provide substantial security for any seizures. If an importer challenged a that their employment contracts include express provisions regarding
seizure, the issue would end up in court in any event.
inventions and ownership of relevant IP rights. Commercial collaborators
should ensure that universities are in a position to assign or license IP
IP ownership
developed by academics.
University of Western Australia v. Gray
Th e Federal Court decided in 2008 that universities are not necessarily
Richard Gough is a partner at Baker & McKenzie. He can be contacted at:
richard.gough@bakernet.com
entitled to rights for inventions developed by academics, even if the
research was conducted during employment hours, using university
Elisabeth White is a partner at Baker & McKenzie. She can be contacted at:
resources. Th e case was appealed to the Full Federal Court unsuccessfully elisabeth.white@bakernet.com
in 2009 and is now the subject of a special leave application to the
High Court.
Professor Gray invented several cancer treatments while he was employed
Richard Gough is a partner at Baker & McKenzie in sydney. He
has worked with market-leading companies across a wide range
by the University of Western Australia and transferred relevant intellectual
of sectors for more than 20 years, handling their trademark,
property to his start-up company, Sirtex. His employment contract had no
patent, copyright and trade secrets litigation, disputes,
express provisions regarding IP rights for inventions, and the university
enforcement and related issues.
asserted ownership rights.
Elisabeth White is a partner at Baker & McKenzie in sydney.
Th e appeal decision establishes that the contract, rather than university
she has extensive experience advising on brand protection
regulations or policies, determines such issues. It also means that and IP enforcement, assisting companies protect their crown
universities will be treated diff erently from commercial entities in implying
jewel intellectual property assets. Her practice involves anti-
terms regarding duties to invent and ownership rights. Th is takes into
counterfeiting, IP protection and risk management strategies as
account incompatibilities between academic freedoms and publication and
well as federal Court litigation work.
commercial imperatives.
36 World Intellectual Property Review Digest 2009 www.worldipreview.com
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