A consideration of plausibility, and other questions raised by s40 of the Patents Act (23 Apr 2026)

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:15:00 GMT

Please join us for a special AIPPI seminar with the Hon. John Nicholas SC and Christian Dimitriadis SC, kindly hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer.

The presentation will consider the law of plausibility, and the extent to which it applies under Australian law, and other questions raised by the application of section 40 of the Patents Act.

Registration is free for members and $40 for non-members

In-person attendees should arrive from 5pm for a 5.15pm start. Light refreshments will be served for in-person attendees following the conclusion of the presentation.

The Hon. John Nicholas SC was a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia for over 15 years until his retirement on 30 April 2025. During his time on the Court, he was one of the leading judges in the Intellectual Property NPA. As a Judge, he sat on cases at first instance and on appeal across the Court’s broad jurisdiction, with a particular focus on intellectual property law. He is celebrated for his expertise in patent law, and authored many of the leading judgments in this area, including in relation to the requirements imposed by s 40.

Prior to his appointment to the Federal Court, John practised as a barrister from 1987 and was appointed senior counsel in 2001. At the Bar, he practised broadly, including in intellectual property law. He now practises as a mediator, referee and arbitrator. He is an honorary member of Nigel Bowen Chambers.

Christian Dimitriadis SC is one of Australia’s leading practitioners of intellectual property law. He commenced his practice at the Bar in 2001 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2014.

Christian specialises in intellectual property law, including patent, copyright and trade mark matters. He regularly appears in the Federal Court of Australia, both at first instance and on appeal, and has appeared in a number of leading intellectual property cases in the High Court of Australia. He also appears in the Australian Patent Office, the Copyright Tribunal of Australia, the Australian Trade Marks Office and other relevant administrative tribunals. Christian is a member of Nigel Bowen Chambers.

AIPPI Australia upcoming events

A consideration of plausibility, and other questions raised by s40 of the Patents Act (23 Apr 2026)