The Equator Principles Association unveiled the finalised fourth version of the Equator Principles (EP4) on 18 November 2019. Set for an effective date of 1 July 2020, EP4 heightens requirements for designated OECD countries and tightens due diligence assessments with a greater focus on human rights, climate change and biodiversity. While there are many improvements and refinements from the draft we reviewed in June, the only potentially material change is a compromise on the 'free prior and informed consent' requirement for affected Indigenous communities. ...

Trade mark registration is intended to protect the brand of one trader's goods or services from that of another trader. Despite this, businesses in the food industry have increasingly sought trade mark registration for signs that inherently describe the food for which trade mark registration is sought. ...

The demand for plant-based 'meat' alternatives is predicted to grow. As with any new industry, there is a series of regulatory issues that businesses should carefully navigate at the early planning phase. This is to avoid encountering issues down the track that may affect the marketing and supply of such products in Australia. ...

The healthcare team at Allens reports on some key trends and sectors to look out for in 2020. ...

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has recently published two reports identifying key hotspots for innovation, and key markets for patent, trade mark and design filing. ...

A pending trade mark application concerning the Indigenous term 'gumby gumby' highlights the controversies that arise at the intersection of intellectual property rights and Indigenous culture. ...

They're both pirates! At least, that is video production company Nautilus Production's allegation before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), which has been asked to ponder the copyright in materials relating to Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship belonging to infamous pirate Blackbeard. ...

For a celebrity, your name is your business. It is no surprise then that celebrities will go to great lengths to protect their brand. This is clear from a recent flurry of A-list trade mark activity including by the likes of Kim Kardashian West, Kylie Jenner and Beyoncé. ...

In this report, teams from 16 countries including Australia have summarised legal and commercial developments in the fintech space for 2019 and looked forward in predicting likely themes in 2020. ...

In response to the rapid growth of the e-payment market in Vietnam, the State Bank of Vietnam (the SBV) has reviewed the legal framework regulating the sector and proposed some important changes. In this Insight, we set out the key amendments the SBV has already issued – as well as those in the pipeline – and their potential impact on the intermediary payment services market. ...