7. Global implications

International rights

There is worldwide protection for IP rights but laws can vary from country to country. IP Australia provides:

• Links to learn about IP protection by country
• Access to legal information around the world via WIPO Lex.

Descriptive term or brand name?

It can get complicated across international markets.

One example:

Companies in Australia can sell sheepskin boots labelled as “ugg” boots. However, if they sell the boots outside of Australia to countries, where the term “UGG” is trade marked, they can get into legal trouble. An Australian company argued that in Australia “ugg” is a generic term used to describe sheepskin boots but the international company maintained that ugg is considered a brand.

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