Welcome
Business Content
The business subdomain of the Australian Women Online website was set up to provide women general information about all aspects of doing business in Australia. Whether you are starting up a business, expanding an existing business, or exiting a business, you will find all the answers to your questions in this section of our website.
Contents
If you are looking for something specific, or you just want to browse through the business content, click on the "contents" tab located at the top of each page to be taken to the table of contents.
This information is brought to you by business.gov.au
Intellectual property
Intellectual property covers a range of laws that give individuals and businesses exclusive rights over their creative and inventive projects.
- Patents
A patent is a right granted for any device, substance, method or process, which is new, inventive and useful. - Trade marks
A registered trade mark gives you the exclusive legal right to use, license or sell your goods or services in Australia. - Copyright
Copyright provides legal protection for people who express ideas and information in certain forms. - Trade secrets/confidentiality
Common law protects you from people stealing your trade secrets, breaching confidentiality agreements and passing off trade marks. - Registered designs
If you are the owner of a product then you can register its design to protect the visual appearance. - Circuit layout rights
Circuit layout rights automatically protect original layout designs for integrated circuits and computer chips. - Plant Breeder's Rights
Plant Breeder's Rights (PBR) are exclusive commercial rights to a registered variety of plant.