Agreement with Australia heralds full trade deal with ambitious IP provisions

The Agreement in Principle (AiP) with Australia, announced by the Government, is an important step towards a landmark trade deal with one of the UK’s strongest allies.

CIPA fully supports the Government’s global trade ambitions and looks forward to a full trade agreement with Australia.

We welcome the commitment to ambitious intellectual property (IP) provisions that will support the economy by encouraging innovation and creativity.

We are also pleased to see the commitment to protect UK brands and trade marks in the form of a commitment to an equitable and correspondent approach to Geographical Indications (GIs). GIs are IP rights for products with qualities or characteristics attributable to a specific geographical origin. If Australia introduces bespoke GI schemes for spirits and agri-foods, the UK will be able to put forward GIs for potential protection subject to Australia’s legal procedures.

The Government has said that it will respect the UK’s important, existing international obligations on intellectual property in its trade negotiations. We look forward to future trade announcements which will further strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader in IP.

Date published: 18 June 2021