It is generally difficult to register geographical names as trademarks in Australia, particularly where these geographical words have an obvious connection with the goods or services being trademarked.

For example, the word MAATSUYKER describes a series of small uninhabited islands off the coast of Tasmania. The trademark office has previously rejected an application for the trademark MAATSUYKER in relation to Seafood (class 29) but accepted the trademark MAATSUYKER in relation to Clothing (class 25). The reasoning is simple, there is an obvious connection between the geographical islands and the fishing industry, thus it is possible that other fishing operators might need to use the word MAATSUYKER to describe their goods. By contrast, it is highly unlikely that there will be many clothing manufacturers on these uninhabited islands who need to use the word MAATSUYKER to describe their goods.

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