The number of patent submissions exclusively indicates that the gaming and alcohol sectors were the most influential pioneers, outperforming other private firms and research facilities across the country. According to IP Australia, the statistics are likely indicative of companies safeguarding their intellectual properties, underlining the significance of these sectors in the national market.
Gaming and Alcohol Giants Exemplify Domestic Listings
The report from IP Australia also divulged that, despite the country being a net technology importer, its domestic creative pursuits remained heavily focused on the alcohol and gambling industries. Endeavour Group Limited, a premier retailer of alcoholic beverages, hotel, and poker machine operator, topped the list with 116 trademark filings, closely followed by casino game manufacturer and slot machine producer, Aristocrat with 112 filings.
Pharmacor, an Australian pharmaceutical corporation, was uniquely the only entity in the top 4 not related to alcohol or gambling, submitting 63 applications. Sportsbet trailed with a total of 44 new trademarks. It is remarkable to say that it was Aristocrat who majored in the most patent submissions, surpassing the national scientific research agency CSIRO and other firms across the energy and software sectors.
IP Protection: The Lifecycle of a Competitive Industry
The surge in patent filings for the gambling sector can be attributed to the escalating popularity of online gambling, including sports betting, in Australia. Several submissions relate to fresh machines and gambling tech advancements, such as online gaming platforms and mobile betting applications. Alcohol companies, on the other hand, primarily pioneer new alcoholic drinks and brewing methodologies.
Professor Andrew Christie, Chair of Intellectual Property at the Melbourne Law School in the University of Melbourne, highlighted the importance of these sectors in the national marketplace. He further extrapolated on their continuous efforts to stay innovative and competitive. He noted that while patent and trademark filings represent an intention to protect the company’s brands, it doesn’t necessarily signify innovation.
They can either be a genuinely innovative company, or they may just be ‘evergreening,’ extending the sphere of protection on their existing IP.
Professor Andrew Christie
Through his examination for tech-focused media distributor InnovationAus, Christie opined that gambling firms might be simply manufacturing gaming machines with albeit minimal variations in gameplay and presentation. Nonetheless, the cut-throat industry circumstances necessitate that every product is safeguarded against potential copyright infringements, leading to an impressive tally of trademark filings.
Given the all-time high in Australia’s gambling industry, escalating competition indicates that the sector will perpetuate the growth in patent filings. It might be that many Australians would tilt towards seeing health care and educational institutions taking the lead. Nonetheless, formidable gaming firms, loaded with resources to patent their innovations, continue to maintain supremacy.
