What is IP?

Intellectual property (IP) is an essential tool to protect your ideas and the work you generate as a designer in the clothing and fashion industry. It’s also one of the essential building blocks of Australia’s economy, because it helps foster creativity and reward innovation.

IP is the result of applying your mind or intellect to create something new or original. IP can exist in various forms, such as inventions, trade marks, books, films, a new season’s design or an artistic creation.

Australia’s IP laws provide a legal framework to protect your innovative and creative ideas and designs. Legally enforceable IP rights encourage technological innovation and artistic expression in industries, such as fashion and design, and help to build and expand businesses, create new jobs and stimulate the sector both in Australia and overseas.

The legal protection of IP rights provides designers, artists, business people, entrepreneurs and inventors with the exclusive right to use and control, and therefore profit from, their intellectual and creative work.

When most people consider the assets of a business, they tend to think only about physical products, such as equipment, facilities, buildings and people. But IP is a very valuable asset for those in the design industry and an important differentiating factor between one designer and the next. For example, while two designers may each produce a new season’s handbag, each bag will have a different design, production technique and brand name, reflecting different types of IP.

About IP Australia

IP Australia is the Australian Government agency responsible for administering patent, design, trade mark and plant breeder’s rights. By granting these rights, and contributing to the improvement of Australian and international IP systems, IP Australia is supporting Australia’s economic development.

For more information about IP Australia visit www.ipaustralia.gov.au.