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IP Australia has released its annual Australian IP Report (Report), analysing 2025 filing data for patents, trade marks, design rights and plant breeder’s rights and identifying trends in Australia’s intellectual property (IP) landscape and economy more broadly.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs has implemented Ministerial Direction 119, fundamentally restructuring how skilled visa applications are prioritised based on occupation type and applicant location. This five-tier priority system now places offshore applicants in the lowest category unless they work in law enforcement or defence, creating processing delays measured in months for temporary visas and years for permanent residency.

The Australian Government has unveiled comprehensive reforms targeting consumer protections across superannuation and financial services, introducing stricter oversight of APRA-regulated funds, SMSFs, and managed investment schemes. These changes respond to recent high-profile investment failures and include enhanced trustee obligations, strengthened anti-hawking provisions, and modifications to the financial advice framework that could significantly impact compliance requirements for industry participants.