Back her brilliance

Women are driving innovation across Australia, bringing fresh ideas and diverse perspectives to every industry. Despite this momentum, female entrepreneurs remain underrepresented in the intellectual property (IP) system.

Registered IP rights can be a powerful tool for turning your unique ideas into valuable assets. Whether it’s a brand, design, invention, or plant variety, IP rights give you an edge in the marketplace – creating pathways to investment, growth, and long-term success. By understanding and leveraging IP, you are better positioned to shape your part in the future of Australian innovation.

What is registered Intellectual Property (IP)? 

IP refers to creations of the mind – everything from inventions and designs to brand names, logos, and plant varieties.

At IP Australia, we administer registered IP rights. These include patents, trade marks, design rights, and plant breeder's rights. Each plays a unique role.

• Trade marks protect the identity of your brand. A business name, logo, or tagline registered as a trade mark gives you the exclusive right to use it in your industry. This builds customer trust and recognition for the products and/or services of your businesses.
• Patents protect how something works. If you’ve developed a new product, process or technology that’s innovative and useful, a patent can give you exclusive rights to commercialise it.
• Design rights protect a product’s unique visual appearance - its shape, configuration, or ornamentation. In industries like fashion, product design, or homewares, design registration can deter others from copying your original look and feel.
• Plant breeder’s rights protect new plant varieties – including fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, and fungi. These rights can help to securely commercialise unique varieties and prevent competitors from copying your work. 

Identifying your IP 

The first step in protecting and leveraging your creations is identifying your IP. Consider conducting an IP audit.

• What are your business’s key products or services?
• Are there any unique methods or techniques you use?
• Do your products have distinct designs or features?
• Do you use unique product or service names?  

For further assistance identifying your IP, try our free online tool Choosing the right IP. It’s designed to help you identify the most suitable type of IP protection for your business.

From ideas to action 

Once you’ve identified your IP, the next step is to consider registering your rights. Applications for patents, trade marks, design rights, and plant breeder’s rights can be lodged online through IP Australia. Costs vary depending on the type and complexity of your application. Detailed guidance is available at each step to help you decide what’s best for your business.

Tip – if you’re considering applying for a patent or design right, it’s important to keep your invention or design confidential, as public disclosure can affect your ability to protect it.

If your business has the potential to expand internationally, it may be worth considering protection overseas. IP rights only provide protection in the country or jurisdiction they are filed in. Even if you have registered IP rights in Australia, you’ll also need to register these in each country where you want protection. You can find guidance on applying for IP overseas on our website.

If you're unsure which IP rights apply to your business - or you're managing a more complex portfolio - seeking advice from a registered trade marks or patent attorney might be worth exploring.

Tools and resources that can help

Whether you're just starting out or already in business, we offer business resourcesincluding fact sheets, tools, research, and professional support. The TM Checkertool is a great first step for small businesses to check the suitability of a trade mark for registration and access helpful tips.

To help you identify other government support available for your business, we teamed up with other government partners to create the Small Business, Big Dreams fact sheet. It outlines a typical business journey, providing links to relevant programs and resources to help you at each stage.

We have also published a range of articles to help female entrepreneurs to navigate the IP system:

• Trade mark, business name and domain name: What’s the difference? – Understand how to protect your brand across different channels
• Deterring Dupes– Learn how to protect your products from being copied
• Count Her In – Explore how investing in women accelerates progress and innovation.

Explore real‑world examples of how female founders are putting these ideas into practice with our series of case studies.

• Heiych – Designer and founder Laura King (pictured) shares how protecting her bag brand with trade marks and design rights supported creative confidence and sustainable growth.
• PerkyPod – An innovator in plant care, Louise Burr explains how trade marks, a design right and a patent supported her brand's journey from idea to award‑winning product.
• Soap de Villa – Rebecca Di Noia reflects on how trade mark protection helped build recognition and reputation for her skincare brand.

Support for women in business 

IP Australia is committed to making the IP system more accessible and inclusive, so that all women and girls can participate fully in Australia’s innovation ecosystem. Read our ‘IP resources for women in business’ fact sheet for more information, tools and support.