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IPA manuals logo Designs Examiners' Manual of Practice and Procedure
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  • Introduction
    • Disclaimer
    • History
    • Quality
      • Quality Management at IP Australia
      • Monitoring and Measuring Quality at IP Australia
      • Designs Quality Standards
  • Part 1 - Formalities
    • 1. Classification
    • 2. Entitlement
    • 3. Applicant Name
    • 4. Applicant Address
    • 5. Address for Service
    • 6. (reserved)
    • 7. Product Name
    • 8. Section 43
    • 9. Statement of Newness and Distinctiveness
    • 10. Convention Details
    • 11. Excluded Design Details
    • 12. Registration / Publication Request
    • 13. Designer Name
    • 14. Representations
    • 15. Further Designs
    • 16. Amendments
    • 17. Formalities Checking Procedure
  • Part 2 - Examination
    • D01 Citation Index
    • D02 (reserved)
    • D03 Examination Process
      • D03.1 Overview
      • D03.2 Requesting examination - requirements
      • D03.3 Who may request examination?
      • D03.4 Which Designs may be examined?
      • D03.5 Court proceedings
      • D03.6 Handling concurrent requests for examination
      • D03.7 Handling requests for examination when a Certificate of Examination has previously issued
      • D03.8 Further reports
      • D03.9 Being 'satisfied'
      • D03.10 Period for completion of examination
      • D03.11 Withdrawal of request for examination
      • D03.12 Interface with Court Proceedings
      • D03.13 Intention to Certify
      • D03.14 Material provided by a 3rd party
      • D03.15 3rd Party Initiated Examinations
      • D03.16 Revocation during Examination
      • D03.17 Expedited Examination
    • D04 Identifying the Design
      • D04.1 Introduction
      • D04.2 Design in relation to a product
      • D04.3 What is a product?
      • D04.4 Overall appearance, and visual features
      • D04.5 Interpretation of representations
      • D04.6 Role of a Statement of Newness and Distinctiveness
    • D05 Designs which must not be registered
      • D05 Designs which must not be registered - s.43, Reg 4.06
      • D05.1 s.18 of the Olympic Insignia Protection Act 1987 s.43(1)(b)
      • D05.2 Integrated circuits [s.43(1)(c)]
      • D05.3 Medals [reg 4.06(a)]
      • D05.4 Protection of Word 'Anzac' Regulations
      • D05.5 Paper money, securities [reg 4.05(c)]
      • D05.6 Scandalous designs
      • D05.7 Arms, flag or seal of Australia, state, territory, city or town, public authority or institution, or another country [reg 4.06 (e), (f) and (g)]
    • D06 Priority Dates
      • D06.1 Background, general issues
      • D06.2 Priority date - Convention Applications
      • D06.3 Priority date - Excluded Designs
      • D06.4 Priority date - Applications by an entitled person (s.52, 53 or 54)
      • D06.5 Priority date - Converted Applications
    • D07 Prior Art Base
      • D07.1 General Information/Background
      • D07.2 Publicly used in Australia
      • D07.3 Published in a document within or outside Australia
      • D07.4 Designs disclosed in applications
      • D07.5 Exhibitions, Unauthorised disclosures
      • D07.6 Copyright overlap - s.19
      • Appendix - Examiner's Worksheet
    • D08 Searching
      • D08 Searching
    • D09 Assessing Newness and Distinctiveness
      • D09.1 Overview
      • D09.2 Test for Newness
      • D09.3 Test for Distinctiveness
      • D09.4 The s.19 requirements
    • D10 Amendments
      • D10.1 Overview
      • D10.2 Ambit of s 28 amendments
      • D10.3 Ambit of s.66 amendments
      • D10.4 Allowabililty - inclusion of matter not in substance disclosed
      • D10.5 Allowability - increasing scope of the Design Registration
      • D10.6 Amendments of Statement of Newness and Distinctiveness
    • D11 Extension of Time - s.137
      • D11.1 Introduction
      • D11.2 s.137(1) - Error or Omission by the Registrar
      • D11.3 s.137(2) - Summary of the Principles of Law
      • D11.4 Making the Application - s.137(2)
      • D11.5 Registrar's Discretion - s.137(2)
      • D11.6 Advertisement of Extension - Subsection 137(4)
      • D11.7 Period of Extension to be Granted
      • D11.8 Common Deficiencies
      • D11.9 Protection and Compensation Arrangements
    • D12 Assignment etc of Designs, the Registrar
      • D12.1 Introduction
      • D12.2 Registering Assignments
      • D12.3 Registering other interests
      • D12.4 Correction of the Register - Regulation 9.05
      • D12.5 Rectification of the Register by a court
      • D12.6 Trusts, Bankruptcy, Insolvency
    • D13 Ownership Disputes
      • D13.1 Overview of ownership disputes
      • D13.2 S.29 disputes
      • D13.3 S.30 Disputes associated with recording assignments
      • D13.4 S.52 Revocation relating to Entitled Persons
      • D13.5 Application by Entitled persons after revocation
    • D14 Publication, File access
      • D14.1 Background, general issues
      • D14.2 Documents not publicly available
      • D14.3 Interaction with the Freedom of Information Act 1982
      • D14.4 Production of documents under s.61(2)
      • D14.5 Right of Lien
    • D15 Surrender of a Design
      • D15.1 Overview
      • D15.2 Processing an offer to surrender
      • D15.3 Discretionary considerations in Accepting the Offer
      • D15.4 Surrender by consent - and ownership matters
    • D16 Prohibition Orders
      • D16.1 Overview
      • D16.2 Initial processing
      • D16.3 Effect of a prohibition order
      • D16.4 Revocation of a prohibition order
      • D16.5 Appeal rights
  • Part 3 - Classification
    • Introduction
    • Amendments to the Eleventh Edition of the Locarno Classification
    • Amendments to the Tenth Edition of the Locarno Classification
    • Class Heading Summary
    • Class 01 - Foodstuffs
    • Class 02 - Articles of clothing and haberdashery
      • SUB-CLASS 02-01
      • SUB-CLASS 02-02
      • SUB-CLASS 02-04
      • SUB-CLASS 02-07
    • Class 03 - Travel goods, cases, parasols and personal belongings not elsewhere specified
      • SUB-CLASS 03-01
    • Class 04 - Brushware
    • Class 05 - Textile piecegoods, artificial and natural sheet material
      • SUB-CLASS 05-05
      • SUB-CLASS 05-06
    • Class 06 - Furnishings
      • SUB-CLASS 06-01
      • SUB-CLASS 06-03
      • SUB-CLASS 06-04
      • SUB-CLASS 06-06
      • SUB-CLASS 06-13
    • Class 07 - Household goods not elsewhere specified
      • SUB-CLASS 07-01
      • SUB-CLASS 07-02
      • SUB-CLASS 07-05
      • SUB-CLASS 07-06
      • SUB-CLASS 07-07
      • SUB-CLASS 07-99
    • Class 08 - Tools and hardware
      • SUB-CLASS 08-05
      • SUB-CLASS 08-08
    • Class 09 - Packages and containers for the transport or handling of goods
      • SUB-CLASS 09-01
      • SUB-CLASS 09-02
      • SUB-CLASS 09-03
      • SUB-CLASS 09-07
    • Class 10 - Clocks and watches and other measuring instruments, checking and signalling instruments
    • Class 11 - Articles of adornment
      • SUB-CLASS 11-01
      • SUB-CLASS 11-02
    • Class 12 - Means of transport or hoisting
      • SUB-CLASS 12-06
      • SUB-CLASS 12-16
      • SUB-CLASS12-15
    • Class 13 - Equipment for production, distribution or transformation of electricity
      • SUB-CLASS 13-03
    • Class 14 - Recording, communication or information retrieval equipment
      • SUB-CLASS 14-03
    • Class 15 - Machines not elsewhere specified
      • SUB-CLASS 15-03
    • Class 16 - Photographic, cameras, cinematographic and optical apparatus
    • Class 17 - Musical instruments
    • Class 18 - Printing and office machinery
    • Class 19 - Stationery and office equipment, artists and teaching materials
    • Class 20 - Sales and advertising equipment, signs
      • SUB-CLASS 20-02
      • SUB-CLASS 20-03
    • Class 21 - Games, toys, tents and sports goods
      • SUB-CLASS 21-01
      • SUB-CLASS 21-02
    • Class 22 - Arms, pyrotechnic articles, articles for hunting, fishing and pest killing
    • Class 23 - Fluid distribution equipment, sanitary, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment, solid fuel
      • SUB-CLASS 23-01
      • SUB-CLASS 23-03
      • SUB-CLASS23-02
    • Class 24 - Medical and laboratory equipment
    • Class 25 - Building units and construction elements
      • SUB-CLASS 25-01
      • SUB-CLASS 25-02
    • Class 26 - Lighting apparatus
      • SUB-CLASS 26-05
    • Class 27 - Tobacco and smokers supplies
    • Class 28 - Pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, toilet articles and apparatus
      • SUB-CLASS 28-03
    • Class 29 - Devices and equipment against fire hazards, for accident prevention and for rescues
    • Class 30 - Articles for the care and handling of animals
    • Class 31 - Machines and appliances for preparing food or drink, not elsewhere specified
    • Class 32 - Graphic symbols and logos, surface patterns, ornamentation

D03 Examination Process

Date Published 16 Dec 2020


D03.1 Overview

D03.1.1 Certificate of examination, and ‘certified’

D03.2 Requesting examination - requirements

D03.3 Who may request examination?

D03.4 Which Designs may be examined?

D03.5 Court proceedings

D03.6 Handling concurrent requests for examination

D03.7 Handling requests for examination when a Certificate of Examination has previously issued

D03.8 Further reports

D03.9 Being 'satisfied'

D03.9.1 Satisfied

D03.9.2 Not satisfied

D03.10 Period for completion of examination

D03.10.1 Last-minute responses; time for filing a request for hearing

D03.11 Withdrawal of request for examination

D03.12 Interface with Court Proceedings

D03.13 Intention to Certify

D03.14 Material provided by a 3rd party

D03.15 3rd Party Initiated Examinations

D03.16 Revocation during Examination

D03.17 Expedited Examination​​​​​​​

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