Intangible assets · Australian business guide

Intellectual Property and Trade Marks

Identify what the business owns, what must be assigned or licensed and which names, designs or creations need registration or clearance.

Decision path

  1. 01

    Audit ownership

    Trace employees, contractors, founders, licences and third-party materials.

  2. 02

    Clear the brand

    Search existing marks and identify the goods and services that matter.

  3. 03

    Paper the rights

    Use assignments, licences and contract clauses that match actual use.

Selected reading

Get the facts before choosing the document.

These are the strongest starting points for this topic. Use the official sources for the current rule, then scope legal work against your facts.

Trade mark classesContractor-created IP

Primary sources

Source links checked 20 July 2026. Confirm the current rule before acting.

Legal work that may follow

Turn the decision into usable documents and advice.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. The right path depends on the entity, documents and commercial facts.