Contact us

We're here to help. If you have questions, comments, feedback or complaints, you can get in touch with us in a way that suits you.  

Can't find what you're looking for?

Check our frequently asked questions

Live chat

Chat online with a member of our team. We're here Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm your local time, across Australia (excluding national Australian public holidays).

Chat with us online

Call us

We'll answer your questions and capture your feedback or suggestions. We're here Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm your local time, across Australia (excluding national Australian public holidays).

Calls within Australia 1300 651 010
Calls from outside Australia +61 2 6283 2999
Translating and interpreting service 13 14 50
Support for hearing or speech impairment If you're deaf, hard of hearing and/or have a speech impairment, contact us through the National Relay Service. Select your call option and ask the interpreter to call us on 1300 651 010.

 

Email us

Submit an enquiry or provide feedback anytime through our online form.

Email us

 

Visit us

If you have an in-person appointment, you can find us at:
Discovery House
47 Bowes Street
Phillip ACT 2606

 

Post to us

Write to us at:

Mail

IP Australia
PO Box 200
Woden ACT 2606

Couriered parcels

IP Australia
Converga
Level 1, Lakeview House
236-242 Cowlishaw Street
Tuggeranong ACT 2900

 

Fax us

If our online services is unavailable, you can fax us in an emergency on (02) 6285 4731. You'll need to include a declaration form with your submission.

 

Media enquiries

Our Media team are available to assist journalists with media enquiries relating to the agency. We don't accept customer enquiries through these channels.

Phone

02 6283 2038 (journalists only)

Email

media@ipaustralia.gov.au (journalists only)

 

Engagement requests

You can organise an intellectual property (IP) session with our expert team, invite us to join your next event, and request educational resources for your organisation.

Make a request

 

Frequently asked questions

We've answered the top questions we receive about IP, so you can spend less time wondering and more time doing.

This depends on what you're trying to protect.

  • A trade mark legally protects your brand and can be used for a logo, word, phrase, letter and more.
  • A patent legally protects your invention or how something works, such as new technology, devices, or methods.
  • A design right legally protects the overall appearance of your new and distinctive product, including its shape and colour.
  • A plant breeder's right (PBR) legally protects the new plant variety you have developed.

Depending on your business, you may need to protect it with multiple types of IP.

If you'd like specialist advice, speak to an IP attorney or IP professional for assistance.

Types of IP

You'll need to search for your idea to make sure it's new and unique to the market.
If your idea covers multiple right types, e.g. trade mark and design, you'll need to search for it across all relevant registers.

If you want to register your IP in Australia, you search the:

If applying for rights overseas, you'll need to search existing registrations in relevant countries:

There are two ways to apply for a trade mark:

  1. Standard application — ideal if you're familiar with the application process
  2. Pre-application service (TM Headstart) — perfect if you've haven't applied for a trade mark before.

How to apply for a trade mark

This depends on a number of things like the type of IP you apply for and what application service you use. Application fees start from:

Trade mark: $200
Patent: (provisional application) $110
Design right: $250
Plant breeder's right: $345

We'll let you know via online services when it's time to renew your IP.

You can also use online services to:

  • Renew your IP rights
  • Make payments
  • Check the status of your application
  • Manage your IP rights
  • Review your correspondence
  • Keep your details up to date.

Log in to online services

Protection starts from your original filing date. How long it's valid for varies depending on the type of IP:

  • A trade mark registration lasts for 10 years
  • Patent registration lasts for up to 20 years (or up to 25 years for pharmaceutical substances)
  • Design right registration lasts for five years but can be renewed for another five years. The maximum length of protection for a design right is 10 years
  • Plant breeder's rights lasts for 20 years (or up to 25 years for vines and trees).

Once your IP has been protected, it's your responsibility to manage and maintain it.

Manage your IP

Minor changes can be done via online services, including:

  • Changing your name and address
  • Changing the name or address of your lawyer or IP professional
  • Narrowing down the scope of your protection, such as deleting a class of goods and services from a trade mark application, or refining the product name from 'container' to 'egg container' for a design right
  • Replacing documents if you've accidentally submitted the wrong ones.

You'll need to submit a new application if you want to make major changes, including:

  • Increasing the scope of your protection to include another IP right type, e.g. adding trade mark protection to your existing design right
  • Adding a new class of goods and services to a trade mark.

How to make an update

First, check if their actions are actually considered infringement — this will depend on the type of IP you own.

Once you've confirmed their actions are considered infringement, there are several things you can do before taking legal action. This includes sending a letter of demand and considering mediation with the other party.

If you'd like specialist advice, speak to an IP attorney or IP professional for assistance.

Fees are non-refundable, regardless of the application outcome. This is because when you pay the application fee, you're paying for us to review your application — not to guarantee its success.

View our refund guidelines

If your deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, it will be pushed to the next business day.

For example, if your deadline is on Saturday, it will be pushed to the following Monday.