This IP First Response website has been designed to help IP rights holders navigate IP infringement and enforcement by making it visible, accessible, and to provide information about the factors involved in pursuing different options. It does not provide legal, business or other professional advice, and none of the content should be regarded as recommending a specific course of action. We welcome any feedback via our IP First Response feedback form and by emailing us.
What is it?
If you're starting or growing a business in Australia we know that there’s a lot to keep track of. If you’ve got a logo, there’s a chance you’ve come across us, a government agency called IP Australia.
But how are we different from all the other government services out there?
| Agency | Main Focus | How It Helps You |
| IP Australia | Intellectual property rights that can be registered (patents, trade marks, designs and plant breeders’ rights) | Helps you protect many of the things that make your business unique. |
| ATO (Australian Tax Office) | Tax & Super | Helps with tax returns, superannuation, and small business deductions. |
| ASBFEO (Small Business Ombudsman) | Advocacy & Disputes | Helps if you're in a dispute with another business or the government. |
| Austrade | Exporting | Supports businesses trying to sell overseas. |
| AusIndustry | Innovation & Funding | Gives advice and support to help you grow and innovate. |
| Fair Work Ombudsman | Hiring Staff | Helps you follow the rules when employing people. |
| Business.gov.au | All-round help | Connects you to programs, grants, and advice across all departments. |
| Services Australia | Benefits & Reporting | Offers tools for things like paid parental leave and employer reporting. |
| ABF (Border Force) | Imports/Exports | Helps with customs and border rules. |
| ASIC | Business Names & Companies | Helps you register and manage your business name or company. |
| Safe Work Australia | Workplace Safety | Gives advice and templates to keep workers safe. |
Protect your uniqueness
Your name, logo, invention, or product design can be some of your most valuable assets. But they don’t automatically get legal protection — you often need to register them. While some forms of IP rights are automatically created (e.g. copyright), many other forms of IP rights require registration for legal protection and enforcement.
We make it easier to:
- Own your brand (by holding it as an intellectual property and a legal basis to enforce your right to the IP)
- Stop copycats (by minimising confusion between your product, brand, ideas and those of others)
- Get funding or partners (because your IP proves you have something valuable)
Use the right service at the right time
You don’t have to know everything all at once. But knowing that IP Australia helps you protect your ideas — and that other agencies support your growth, staff, taxes, exports and more — is a great starting point.