Process of applying for an Australian trademark

1. Formal review: The applicant submits the trademark application documents to the Australian Trademark Registration Office, and the trademark registrar will review the submitted application documents, trademark drawings, Legality review of documents such as power of attorney; if the regulations are met, the application date and application number will be awarded.

2. Search report: The Trademark Registry will conduct a search on its own for previously registered or applied Australian trademarks and issue a search report. The applicant will receive the above search report before the trademark is approved for publication and decide whether to arrange for trademark publication.

3. Substantive examination: When the Trademark Registry examines an Australian trademark application, it only examines its registrability (i.e. distinctiveness), also known as absolute grounds, and does not examine relative grounds, that is, Prior rights will not be cited to reject the application.

4. Trademark Notice: After review, if the Trademark Registrar considers that the trademark application is acceptable, it will publish an announcement on the Australian Official Trademark Notice. The objection period is 3 months from the date of announcement.

5. Approved registration: Trademarks that are ruled to be registered after objections, or trademarks that are announced as having no objections will be approved for registration and a registration certificate will be issued.