Chris Ross | Special counsel

Chris assists clients in securing and protecting their brands with registered trade marks.

Expertise

Chris specialises in trade mark clearance searches, as well as trade mark prosecution, opposition, revocation and invalidity proceedings. He is also an expert in protecting trade marks in overseas jurisdictions and provides strategic trade mark portfolio advice.

Experience

Before joining Baldwins (now AJ Park) in 2000, Chris’ career included time as a trade mark and design examiner with the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) and eight years specialising in trade marks in the United Kingdom. During this time, Chris worked as an in-house trade mark specialist with a major UK multi-national corporation and spent five years with a London patent and trade mark attorney firm.

Chris is also an editorial author on Pacific Island IP information for Wolters Kluwer.

Working style

Chris particularly enjoys the one-to-one contact he has with clients and takes great satisfaction from seeing his clients’ products on shelves and succeeding in the marketplace.

Recent accolades

Chris was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Best Lawyers in New Zealand™ in the field of IP law.

Services

Expertise

New Zealand

Qualifications

BSc, University of Canterbury (1988)
LLB, Victoria University of Wellington (2011)
Admitted as a Barrister & Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand

Chris Ross's insights

Article \ 6 Apr 2023

Korean and Japanese Trade Marks Offices now allow letters of…

The Korean and Japanese Trade Marks Offices have recently decided to amend their legislation to allow letters of consent from existing trade mark owners to add more flexibility in the registration of trade marks. This decision can potentially streamline the trade mark registration process where a trade mark application may have similarities to an existing trade mark.

Article \ 9 Mar 2023

Brexit and Pacific Island trade mark protection

Following the United Kingdom’s (UK) exit from the European Union (EU), this now provides a new opportunity for trade mark owners to extend protection to Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

Article \ 13 Jun 2022

Delays in processing New Zealand Trade Mark IR Designations

The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) is experiencing continued delays with examination of International registrations (IR) designating New Zealand. The ongoing effects of Covid-19 and tight labour market has undoubtedly contributed to the delays.

Article \ 10 Nov 2021

A new trade mark regime in Nauru

The Nauruan Trademark Act 2019 (the Act) was certified on 12 July 2019 and came into force on 10 November 2020 with the publication of the Trademarks (Forms and Fees) Regulations 2020. The Act provides a framework in which trademarks can be registered and protected.

Article \ 7 Oct 2021

Welcomed updates for Fiji’s new Trade Marks Act, Patents Act…

The new Fijian Trade Marks Act 2021, Patents Act 2021 and Designs Act 2021 introduces some welcomed updates. It has been some time since these acts were updated, in fact 88 years for the Trade Marks Act, and these changes are expected to modernise the way trade marks, patents and designs are treated in Fiji.

Fijis new Trade Marks Act Patents Act Designs Act Tile

Client story \ 1 Oct 2020

CC’s corn chips – saving a Kiwi favourite

The CC’s corn chips brand has been a Kiwi icon since the 1980s. When production of Bluebird’s CC’s was suspended for a few years, a competitor attempted to acquire the brand on the basis of non-use. Baldwins (now AJ Park) helped Bluebird retain its trade mark registrations and CC’s are once again part of the Kiwi summer.

Article \ 13 Dec 2019

Upcoming changes to New Zealand trade mark law

From 13 January 2020, a number of changes will take place.

Article \ 20 Nov 2012

The International Trade Mark System – What is in it…

On 10 December 2012 New Zealand implemented the long awaited International Trade Mark (ITM) registration system, also known as the Madrid Protocol, heralding the most significant development on the trade mark scene for years. New Zealand finally joins 86 other member countries in the ITM system, including most major trading partners, and no doubt membership will continue to grow.

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