David Webber

David specialises in patent, design and copyright advice for electronics, computer software and communications products, with particular expertise in patents for Internet technology, telecommunications, financial systems, artificial intelligence and image processing technology.

He has considerable experience in patent drafting, patent oppositions and patent infringement, due diligence and freedom to operate advice. David lectured for many years on patent and copyright law and integrated circuit legislation for the University of Melbourne and Monash University. He was a member of the Australian Government’s Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys from 2006 to 2012. He currently manages the patent practice of Davies Collison Cave and became partner in 1992.

David is an International Councillor of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA), and is the Co-Chair of the Patents Committee of APAA. David is also the President of APAA (Australia Group) Inc. He has worked as in-house counsel in London, UK.

David has over 30 years’ experience acting on behalf of large corporations, research institutes, universities and start-up companies, both in Australia and overseas. He has successfully handled many complex patent oppositions, and is adept at managing large patent portfolios. He acted in the first finding of infringement by a Court under semiconductor chip protection legislation. David has been invited to speak on intellectual property law for computer software and integrated circuit protection by a large number of organisations, including the Australian Patent Office, the Victorian Computer Law Society, the New South Wales Computer Law Society, the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand, the Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, IEEE, LAWASIA, ACLA and the Australian Bar Association. His articles have been published in a number of intellectual property journals.

David was a Senior Fellow of the University of Melbourne and taught in post graduate and undergraduate courses for the Law Faculties of the University of Melbourne and Monash University. He has also given lectures on intellectual property law for students of the Engineering Faculty of Swinburne University and the Science and Engineering Faculties of the University of Melbourne.

David was appointed by the Federal Government in 2006 to the Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys. The Board is responsible for dealing with the qualifications for registration and professional conduct of Australian patent and trade mark attorneys.