Mr. Nick Holmes from Davies Collison Cave visited our firm. He presented several points of interest regarding the trademark laws and practices in Australia and New Zealand. Of particular interest was the strategy and system of filing defensive mark applications in Australia (similar to the Japanese system), as well as the fact that the burden of proof of use in New Zealand oppositions falls squarely on the applicant instead of the opposer. Another point of interest was the potential benefit and cost-saving aspects of conducting official searches through the search/advice programs provided directly by the Intellectual Property Offices of both countries.