28 October 2026 · Elise Steegstra

How do you protect a new brand without spoiling the launch

You have chosen the name, approved the design and planned the campaign. Then a preview image on YouTube gives everyone an early look. That is what happened when the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic...

2 October 2026 · Elise Steegstra

Know when to enforce

A luxury handbag and a cup of bubble tea might seem to have little in common. But the Louis Vuitton and Molly Tea dispute shows why a visual identity needs careful consideration, even when the businesses...

26 August 2026 · Elise Steegstra

Can India Trade Mark Basmati in Australia?

Can a country protect the name of a famous regional product when that product is also legitimately made somewhere else? That was the challenge facing India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products...

1 July 2026 · Elise Steegstra

Can Peru Trade Mark PISCO?

Can a country effectively claim rights over the name of a drink? That was the question at the heart of the recent Federal Court decision in Republic of Peru (Peruvian State) v Registrar of Trade Marks...

6 May 2026 · Elise Steegstra

Why Expanding Overseas Can Put Your Trade Mark at Risk

I’m writing this from London, where I’m attending INTA 2026 alongside trade mark professionals and brand owners from around the world. And between the conference sessions, meetings and receptions, one...