AIP course on intellectual property, packaging and labelling

Legal packaging, labelling and intellectual property (IP) issues affect all stages of the production process from initial ‘brainstorming’ through to the retailer. To aid those in the packaging industry, the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) is offering a half-day training course on intellectual property, packaging and labelling (legal).

To be held in St Kilda on 10 October, the course will be conducted by experience intellectual property lawyer Sharon Givoni, General Editor of the Intellectual Property Law Bulletin. According to the AIP, Givoni has a reputation for “bringing the law alive in a language that people can understand”.

IP lawyer Sharon Givoni will present the course.

The interactive course will provide an overview of packaging, labelling and intellectual property laws and is an opportunity for attendees to discuss legal packaging and IP concerns that arise in their own businesses.

Labelling laws in Australia can be confusing: there are mandatory and voluntary labelling laws, as well as voluntary codes and best practice guidelines in place. The AIP says the course aims to ‘unravel’ and ‘unwrap’ these rules to make it easier to understand.

Topics to be covered include:

• Mandatory product-specific labelling standards
• Protecting the visual appearance of your packing including shape and configuration
• Trademark and brand protection
• Copyright: how close is too close?
• Misleading and deceptive labelling and how to avoid it
• ‘Green’ and recyclable claims

It will also provide overviews on a range of subjects, such as: labelling for food, cosmetic goods, clothes and care; country of origin claims; weights and measurements labelling; name and address labelling; warnings required on packaging; plain packaging laws for cigarettes; and parallel imported items.

Case studies based on real-life scenarios will be covered, outlining the potential legal implications arising from inadvertently breaching the law.

The course is relevant to those in the packaging industry, ranging from manufacturers of packages to brand managers, marketers and product developers. Importers and retailers will also benefit from the course.

To register for the course, email the AIP or click here.