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Mark Metzeling
principal lawyer, commercial
meet Markabout Mark
about Mark
Mark Metzeling is a leader in the IP, AI, and technology landscape. With a Masters in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Melbourne, in addition to his law and science (biochemistry) degrees, he remains at the cutting edge of protection, enforcement, and commercialisation of new developments in the technology, food and beverage, manufacturing, and retail industries.
Mark is a respected and sought after presenter, particularly in relation to intellectual property and emerging technologies, including the adoption of AI by businesses. His knowledge in these fields is internationally recognised & awarded, as is his legal advice to businesses and government organisations. From multi-national corporations through to small businesses, Mark’s IP, trade, and technology expertise cements him in the top echelon of lawyers in Australia.
As a registered trade marks attorney in Australia & NZ, in addition to being a solicitor, Mark is dedicated to securing the registration of Australian, NZ & international trade mark & designs applications and has significant experience in commercialising, policing and enforcing all intellectual property rights, including patents and copyright, both nationally & internationally.
Harnessing his background in technology, Mark advises clients in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (including Generative AI) and Cybersecurity, including data breach reporting and liaising with the Australian Information Commissioner.
“A big thank you for all of your help in our entry to Australia. This was a big deal for us and a transaction that was more than a year in the making. You were great to work with and were invaluable in getting this closed on terms we were very happy with. We particularly appreciated your responsiveness, expertise, practical advice and all of your hard work.”
Jason Bauman, Corporate Counsel, Franchising, Planet Fitness
Areas of Expertise
- Anti-counterfeiting strategies
- Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
- Brand and technology protection
- Consumer Data Rights (CDR)
- Data Breaches
- Freedom to operate advice
- Intellectual Property (copyright, trade marks, design and patent) commercialisation and enforcement
- Intellectual property strategy
- Privacy
- Securing trade mark and design rights
- International trade
- Advertising and labelling law
- Competition law and ACCC issues
- Consumer law
- Information technology and IT agreements
- Product standards, safety and health
industries
additional qualifications
registered trade marks attorney
awards
Recommended, world trademark review | 2016 to 2024, inclusive
Patent and Trade Mark Star, Managing IP – IP stars | 2022, 2023
Trade Mark Leader, world IP review | 2021 to 2024, inclusive
Leading Intellectual Property Lawyer, Doyles Guide | 2024
Finalist Australian IP Partner of the Year, Australian Law Awards | 2023, 2024
publications
genuine use of trade marks (editions 1 and 2) published by AIPPI/Kluwer (australian chapter, contributing author)
trade mark practice published by thomson reuters (australian chapter, contributing author)
leadership positions
business mentor, queensland government ‘mentoring for growth (M4G)’
committee member, aippi trademarks standing committee
committee member, aippi commercialisation of intellectual property standing committee
recent experience
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salumi manufacturer logo protection
Mark helped Australian manufacturer Borgo Salumi successfully register the logo it has used for 30 years, despite an attempt by Italian multinational food giant AIA Agricola Italiana Alimentare to stop the family business using it. When Borgo attempted to register the company’s distinctive star-shaped logo as a trade mark, the Italian food giant argued consumers could mistake the Borgo logo for their familiar Negroni logo, also star shaped. The Australian Trade Marks office found consumers could not mistake the two logos because the different business names featured in the logos meaning they were not similar.
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dial before you dig (qld) business expansion and protection
Mark successfully obtained registration of a certified trade mark for this national referral service, without objections from the ACCC or the Australian Trade Marks Office. This was a complex matter because the licensing extended to programs in New Zealand, the UK and USA, making the certification process multijurisdictional. Mark ensured the rules and procedures for granting certification were protected through copyright in the USA.
