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Officers' Biographies
Hearing Officers' Biographies
Karen Ayers:
Karen has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from the ANU in Canberra majoring in
biochemistry, microbiology and genetics and a Master of Science from Melbourne
University in plant cell biology. She has had 7 years research experience in
a wide area of biotechnology including protein chemistry, monoclonal antibodies,
immunochemistry and marine botany.
She joined the Patent Office in 1988 as a patent examiner in Biotechnology.
She became involved a hearing officer 1994 and has since written over 40 decisions
many of which were substantive decisions in the area of biotechnology. She is
also experienced in different aspects of legislation having worked on the initial
Patent Regulations for the 1990 Patents Act and various amendments to the Patents
Act and Regulations since then, including amendments to introduce the Innovation
Patent scheme. She transferred into the Oppositions, Hearings and Legislation
area around 8 years ago as supervising examiner managing the opposition process
and has gained there an extensive knowledge of the opposition and court procedures.
Steven Barker:
Steve has a Bachelor of Science and PhD from the University of Sydney in organic
chemistry and a Bachelor of Law from the Australian National University. He
has also had extensive postdoctoral research experience in positions in the
UK, USA and Australia.
Steve started in IP Australia as a Patent Examiner in a range of Chemical Technologies,
including Organic Chemistry, Protein Chemistry, Pharmaceuticals and Biochemistry.
He has been a Hearing Officer since 1991 and has conducted a broad range of
Substantive and Procedural hearings. He currently manages an examination section
examining cases in the organic chemistry field.
Steve has also worked on the Manual Committee with responsibility for the Examiner's
Manual of Practice and Procedure and has been the main force behind the introduction
and implementation of examination quality standards.
Jagdish Bokil:
Jagdish has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Distinction) from the College
of Engineering, Pune, India and is currently a member of Engineers Australia.
He has had nine years industry experience as a Production Engineer with a truck
manufacturer where his duties included management of engine production lines.
He became an examiner of patents at IP Australia in 1991 and since then has
examined across a wide range of technologies including Mechanical Engineering,
Medical Engineering, Textiles, Building and Physics.
He has recently commenced as a Hearing Officer in 2005.
Mark Cox:
Mark graduated with Bachelor of Science (Bsc) from University of NSW with majors
in Physics and Applied Physics. During his employment with IP Australia, he
obtained a Graduate degree in Legal Studies (Grad Dip Leg Studies) from the
University of Canberra and a Bachelor of Law (LLB(G)) from Australian National
University.
Mark joined IP Australia in the 1970’s and worked in the Electrical and
Mechanical technologies. He remained in IP Australian for about 7 years and
resigned to take on other activities. Mark rejoined in 1983 and has worked mainly
the Mechanical Sections. However, he has managed a diverse group of Sections
from purely Mechanical technologies to Physics orientated.
He has been a Hearing Officer since 1998 and has, in the main, dealt with Substantive
oppositions involving Mechanical orientated inventions.
Jacob Elijah:
Jacob has a Bachelor of Technology (First Class) in Chemical Engineering from
the Indian Institute of Technology (Powai), Bombay, India where he specialised
in alkyd resins, fuels and combustion.
Prior to joining IP Australia he worked as a Chemical Engineer in fertilisers,
petrochemicals and bulk drugs, drug intermediates. His duties there included
process control, process design and design, erection and commissioning of the
bulk drugs plant.
Since joining IP Australia in 1985 he has examined applications in the fields
of Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, Textiles, Medical, Building and Polymers.
He is a current member of the Institute of Engineers, Australia. He is the current
Supervising Examiner of the Chemical Engineering Section, has worked as Supervising
Examiner for the Chemistry/Polymers Section and Biotechnology/Polymers/Insecticides
Section.
Jacob has been a Hearing Officer since 1994 and has extensive experience in
Substantive, Procedural and Voluntary Amendment Hearings. The cases covered
include a range of diverse topics such as insecticides, termite meshes, boat
bulls, metallurgical processes, catalysts, cane crushers and microspheres.
Owen Haggar:
Owen has a Bachelor of Science (Applied Physics) from Deakin University and
one year industrial experience.
He has twenty-seven years experience in IP Australia commencing in the Physics/Electrical
Section before transferred to Mechanical/Civil Engineering Section. He has actually
has two periods of service in the Office – the first one was for approximately
18 months before a period of 3 years with a firm of Patent Attorneys and rejoined
in 1978. He has been involved with formal training and Manual review activities
for over 10 years.
He conducted his first Hearing in 1991 and has issued 55 Decisions in since
then. The Hearings have been predominantly Substantive ones (and includes many
involving Entitlement). His claim to fame is the Iluka v Wimmera Decision.
Gillian Jenkins:
Gill has an honours degree in Chemistry from the University College of Wales,
Aberystwyth and continued her studies in the Chemistry Department at Aberystwyth
where she was awarded a PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry.
She worked for several years in the Chemistry Department of Australian National
University on a number of different research projects. These included numerous
studies of Proteins and Sugars and the Chemotaxonomy of Lichens using various
chromatographic techniques.
On joining IP Australia she examined in the Pharmaceutical and Chemistry/Biotechnology
Sections. She became Supervising Examiner of the Pharmaceutical Section and
is now a Deputy Commissioner of Patents. In this role she has responsibility
for business planning, performance measurement, recruitment, staff development
and is Account Manager for our dealings with a number of Asian countries.
She has also worked in the Oppositions, Hearings and Legislation Section gaining
experience in the opposition and legislative processes. Her Hearings have included
several Substantive and Procedural Hearings.
Ed Knock:
Ed has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Physics awarded by the University
of Western Australia. He joined the Special Examination Section of IP Australia
in 1982 and assisted with numerous Hearings (which included writing draft Decisions).
Since 1987 he has examined in all the Physics and Electrical technologies and
also has experience in examining in the more Mechanical Engineering technologies
(such as packaging and conveyors). He has also been extensively involved in
writing the Manual of Practice and Procedures which is constantly used by all
Patent Examiners. He is now supervising examiner in charge of the Telecommunications
and Physics section.
Since issuing his first Decision in 1991, Ed has issued approximately 60 decisions
covering all types of Hearings. He also has had several Hearings in respect
of Design Registrations.
Matt Kraefft:
Matt has a Bachelor of Science (Physics & Mathematics) from Sydney University.
He joined IP Australia in 1982 and has examined patents in Physics, Electrical
and Mechanical technologies. He presently works in the Computing Technology
Section as a supervising examiner. At various times, Matt has also worked as
an Examiner Training Officer and represented IP Australia at University and
Industry Seminars.
He has conducted hearings since 1996. These have included Substantive, Procedural,
Entitlement and Designs Hearings.
Bill Major:
Bill has a Bachelor of Science (Physics) from the University of Queensland.
He has been with IP Australia for 25 years, primarily in Patent Examination,
and he has spent 15 years in Management positions.
He has several years experience in Substantive and Procedural Hearings in connection
with Mechanical technologies and Design Registrations and is now the supervising
examiner of a mechanical examination area.
Les McCaffery:
Les has a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Chemistry from Newcastle University
and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the Australian National Univeristy. His
research at University included the development of Regioselective Methylation
techniques, the Chlorosulfination of Aryl Ethers, the Synthesis of Optically
Active Sulfoxides, and the Synthesis of Secondary Metabolites derived from Lichens.
Prior to joining IP Australia Les worked at CSIRO Division of Plant Industry
for 2.5 years on the Synthesis of Novel Pesticides and Herbicides, particularly
Cyanoacrylates and Acrylonitrile derivatives. He had also previously worked
at BHP Newcastle as a contract Analytical Chemist.
Les has been a Patent Examiner since 1990, and has worked in the Organic Chemistry
area and the Strategic Directions Task Force. He worked in Oppositions, Hearings
& Legislation in 2005-2006 and has recently become a Hearing Officer in
the chemical areas.
Greg Powell:
Greg has a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) from the University of Southern
Queensland (formerly the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education). He
joined IP Australia in 1990 and has examined a broad range of technologies including
Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Biomedical applications, Physics, Printing
and Weaponry. He was also extensively involved in the introduction of the Innovation
Patent legislation. He has conducted training courses for Patent Examiners on
changes to legislation (e.g. balance of probabilities, inventive step) and has
also given talks to Universities, Attorneys and the Inventor’s Associations.
He has been a hearing officer since 2001 has issued a range of Substantive
and Procedural Decisions.
Phil Spann:
Phil has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Physics with a particular focus on
physical methods and apparatus for materials analysis, particularly high energy
spectroscopy.
He joined IP Australia in 1984 as a patent examiner and worked in that role
for a number of years within a range of electrical/physics technologies. He
was a Supervising Examiner for 11 years in project and section management roles
and was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Patents, Patent Examination in 2004.
Phil has extensive experience as a hearing officer, issuing over 60 decisions
since 1992 including substantive oppositions within the Electrical/Mechanical
fields as well as in a wide variety of procedural and entitlement matters. He
is currently the Deputy Commissioner in charge of the Opposition, Hearings and
Legislation section.
In his current and previous positions Phil has taken a keen interest in international
developments in the field of patents. He represented Australia at the Diplomatic
Conference that concluded the Patent Law Treaty in 2000 and subsequently at
meetings of the WIPO Standing Committee on the Law of Patents in its consideration
of substantive patent law harmonisation. He has also represented IP Australia
at meetings of the International Authorities under the PCT and the PCT Reform
Working Group as well as other international fora on patent law issues.
Leigh Tristram:
Leigh has a Bachelor of Science (Hons), Diploma in Education from the University
of Wollongong specialising in Synthetic Inorganic Chemistry. Prior to joining
IPAustralia, he conducted research in Chemical Physics involving ab initio molecular
orbital calculations and computing and in Zeolite Catalysis of Petroleum replacement
fuel.
Leigh joined IP Australia in 1985 and has experience as a Patent Examiner in
a wide range of Chemical technologies. He was a Supervising Examiner in the
Biotechnology Section for 5 years and is now Supervising Examiner in the Applied/Industrial
Chemistry Section.
He has conducted a range of Substantive and Procedural Hearings since becoming
a Hearing Officer in 2001.
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