The Freedom of Information Act 1982 means we must publish certain information as part of the Information Publication Scheme (IPS). This includes the agency’s:
- structure
- functions
- appointments
- annual reports
- consultation arrangements
- details of how to contact the agency’s FOI Officers.
Information released through FOI requests and routinely provided to parliament must also be published online.
We aim to be proactive in publishing information. Our IPS Agency Plan describes how we will implement the IPS and what we will publish.
See Freedom of information to learn how to request access to other information we hold which is not published through the IPS or elsewhere on our website. Information we have released in response to FOI requests is available on our FOI disclosure log.
Required information
IPS Agency Plan
We are required under section 8(2)(a) of the FOI Act to publish our IPS Agency Plan.
We aim to publish information proactively. Our IPS Agency Plan explains how we meet our obligations and what we publish under the scheme.
Who we are
We are required under section 8(2)(b) of the FOI Act to publish information about the organisation and structure of the agency.
Information about the agency including its organisational structure can be found at Our organisational structure.
What we do
We are required under section 8(2)(c) and 8(2)(j) of the FOI Act to publish details of the functions and powers of the agency, and operational information.
We are responsible for the administration of IP legislation in Australia. For more about our role and functions, see:
Statutory appointments
We are required under section 8(2)(d) of the FOI Act to publish details of appointments of Designated Officers of the agency that are made under Acts, other than the appointment of APS employees within the meaning of the Public Service Act 1999.
Within our agency the following statutory roles exist:
- Commissioner of Patents (section 207 of the Patents Act 1990)
- Deputy Commissioner of Patents (section 208 of the Patents Act)
- Designated Manager of Patents (section 200A Patents Act 1990)
- Registrar of Trade Marks (section 201 of the Trade Marks Act 1995)
- Deputy Registrar of Trade Marks (section 205 of the Trade Marks Act 1995)
- Registrar of Designs (section 122 of the Designs Act 2003)
- Deputy Registrars of Designs (section 123 of the Designs Act 2003)
- Registrar of Plant Breeder's Rights (section 58 of the Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994).
The Commissioner of Patents and the Registrar of Trade Marks also exercise powers and functions under two international arrangements:
- the Patent Cooperation Treaty
- the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks.
Our reports and responses to parliament
We are required under ss 8(2)(e) and 8(2)(h) of the FOI Act to publish Annual Reports laid before the Parliament, and other information routinely provided to the Parliament.
We produce our Annual Report at the end of each financial year. Our reports and responses to parliament can be found at Accountability and reporting.
Consultation arrangements
We are required under s 8(2)(f) of the FOI Act to publish information about consultation arrangements that enable members of the public to comment on specific policy proposal for which our agency is responsible.
We publish information about:
- Open consultations, including discussion papers and ways to provide feedback.
- Outcomes of past consultations, including summaries of submissions and final reports.
Find out more:
- Public consultations.
- For current public consultations visit our Consultation Hub.
- Consultation groups.
Routinely requested information and FOI disclosure log
We are required under ss 8(2)(g) and 11C of the FOI Act to publish information to which the agency routinely gives access in response to FOI requests and the disclosure log of information that has been released under the FOI Act.
This information can be found on our FOI disclosure log.
Contact details
We are required under s 8(2)(i) of the FOI Act to publish contact details of an officer (or officers) who can be contacted about access to the agency’s information under the FOI Act. You can contact us about access to information or documents under the FOI Act by sending an email to FOIrequests@ipaustralia.gov.au.
Information about making a freedom of information request can be found at Freedom of information.
Information about other ways you can make contact with us can be found by visiting Contact us.
Other information
Under s 8(4) of the FOI Act, we publish the following information.
Our priorities
IP Australia’s strategic objectives focus on maintaining a high-quality IP rights system, enhancing customer experience, and fostering innovation. Our priorities include:
- increasing trust and confidence in the IP system
- improving access to IP rights and customer services
- strengthening our role in the global IP ecosystem
- innovating digital services for customers and staff.
For full details on our strategic direction, please see our Corporate Plan 2024–25.
Our policies
We develop and maintain a range of policies that guide our operations and ensure transparency and consistency in the delivery of our services. These policies cover areas such as IP rights, customer service, and operational procedures. Below are links to key policy documents that outline our approach and practices.
- Quality management
- Our customer promise
- Doing business with us
- Environmental management
- Intellectual property policy
- Policy register
- Privacy
Official Journals
The Official Patent, Trade Mark, Designs and Plant Varieties Journals are produced by IP Australia on a regular basis and contain a range of information including material on new trade mark, design and patent applications/registrations, as well as new plant varieties. The online versions of the journals are searchable, and PDF copies are available to download.
Search databases
Data, research and reports
We conduct regular research into all aspects of intellectual property and share what we discover through reports and publications.
Feedback
Any complaints about our handling of information under the IPS can be sent to us. You may submit feedback using our customer feedback form to make an IPS complaint.
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request, you can submit a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) who may investigate our actions.
More information is available on the OAIC website.