When a business runs into a potential intellectual property (IP) issue — whether they believe they’ve been infringed (having someone copy or use their logo or brand or invention without permission) or they’ve just received a cease-and-desist letter — the moment can feel confusing, urgent, and isolating. 

IP First Response is an exploratory initiative from IP Australia designed to meet people in that moment.  

We’re working to develop a practical, plain-language, and accessible platform to help small businesses better understand their options when they’re faced with IP infringement or enforcement challenges. 

What we’re aiming to do 

We want users to have greater confidence about how to engage with IP enforcement. IP First Response does not provide expert advice – that’s the role of IP professionals such as IP attorneys and lawyers. Instead, we want to help demystify what can be a complex and sometimes bewildering area, helping users to understand: 

  • what options exist
  • what those options might entail (including the risks and trade-offs). 

We know that the world of IP can seem confusing, especially when you are suddenly dealing with unexpected issues. That’s why we’re focused on early, accessible guidance and explanations — not legal advice, but informed, clear-headed support that helps people move from confusion to a way forward. 

An exploration and an invitation 

IP enforcement is usually left to the affected parties or the courts.  IP Australia has not traditionally played an active role in this area, and so we want to understand whether we should be helping more – and if so, what form that might take. 

So IP First Response is an experiment at present and is currently in ‘alpha’, which just means it’s an early-stage prototype that we’re testing so that we can learn more about what users might need and what works. 

As part of this exploration we’re looking to hear from and learn more about the experiences of small businesses that have or are currently facing IP infringement and enforcement concerns. If that’s you, and you’d be willing to talk with our team about your experiences, then we would love to hear from you [email link]. 

Why this blog? 

This is the first in a series of posts where we’ll share what we’re learning as we develop the IP First Response initiative. We’ll talk about the questions we’re hearing, the choices we’re making, and the feedback we’re getting — all with the aim of making the system work better for real people. 

We’ll also be upfront about the things we’re trying that don’t work, the assumptions we’re testing, and the improvements we’re making as we go. 

If you have any feedback about IP First Response, we have a feedback form(Opens in a new tab/window) to capture your views.