Indictable offence
(1) A person commits an offence if:
(a) a registered trade mark has been applied to goods, or in relation to goods or services; and
(b) the goods or services are being, or are to be, dealt with or provided in the course of trade; and
(c) the person:
(i) alters or defaces the trade mark; or
(ii) makes any addition to the trade mark; or
(iii) wholly or partly removes, erases or obliterates the trade mark; and
(d) the person does so without:
(i) the permission of the registered owner, or an authorised user, of the trade mark; or
(ii) being required or authorised to do so by this Act, a direction of the Registrar or an order of a court.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 5 years or 550 penalty units, or both.
Note 1: For registered trade mark and registered owner see section 6.
Note 2: For authorised user see section 8.
Note 3: For applied to goods and applied in relation to goods or services see section 9.
Note 4: International trade marks may be protected under the regulations: see Part 17A.
Summary offence
(2) A person commits an offence if:
(a) a registered trade mark has been applied to goods, or in relation to goods or services; and
(b) the goods or services are being, or are to be, dealt with or provided in the course of trade; and
(c) the person:
(i) alters or defaces the trade mark; or
(ii) makes any addition to the trade mark; or
(iii) wholly or partly removes, erases or obliterates the trade mark; and
(d) the person does so without:
(i) the permission of the registered owner, or an authorised user, of the trade mark; or
(ii) being required or authorised to do so by this Act, a direction of the Registrar or an order of a court.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 12 months or 60 penalty units, or both.
(3) The fault element for paragraphs (2)(a), (b) and (d) is negligence.