Advanced space technologies are revolutionising approaches to observation, communication and navigation, and spanning diverse technical fields such as electronics, artificial intelligence, computer engineering, materials science, satellite systems and remote sensing. Once dominated by government-led missions, the modern space race is fuelled by private enterprise, venture capital, and bold innovation. FB Rice provides expert guidance and robust IP strategies to help protect your space innovations and maximise their value.

The extraterritorial and cross-jurisdictional nuances of protecting innovations designed to be used in space or here on Earth present unique challenges, expert advice is needed to ensure that an IP strategy accurately reflects these complexities.

Our team of experienced professionals is passionate about supporting the advancement of aerospace and space technologies. We have extensive experience supporting R&D departments, engineering teams, universities, research institutes and organisations navigating complex aerospace innovations.

With technical knowledge across a wide range of fields and a deep understanding of the legal challenges surrounding protecting IP in space, our attorneys provide tailored guidance to navigate this complex landscape and safeguard your innovations, even in the most uncharted parts of the universe.

We advise clients across a broad range of technologies including:

  • Aerial vehicles and navigation
  • Autonomous navigation
  • Autonomous vehicles
  • Propulsion systems
  • Satellite communications
  • Satellite positioning
  • Flight and radar technology
  • Aerospace materials
  • Dynamics and controls
  • Instrumentation and sensors

FB Rice combines technical excellence with commercial insight to help you protect, manage and maximise the value of your intellectual property. We support you throughout the IP lifecycle, helping you secure your competitive advantage and realise the commercial potential of your innovations in the rapidly evolving space sector.

Our Industry Support

With a firm belief in the strength of collaboration we partner with a range of organisations to ensure the world’s greatest ideas are safeguarded and strengthened.
FB Rice is a long-standing sponsor of the Australian Technologies Competition (ATC)—Australia’s leading annual tech competition, spotlighting and accelerating homegrown scaleups with the greatest global potential, and connecting them with investors, mentors and industry leaders.
Learn more about the Australian Technology Competition

Our SpaceTech Experts

Responsive, thoughtful and reliable, we work alongside you to protect and maximise the value of your innovation.
With experience across a broad range of industries, our highly skilled attorneys provide commercially focused, strategic IP advice tailored to your needs.
Speak to one of our experts

What our clients say

"I highly recommend FB Rice to anyone seeking a partner in intellectual property matters. Their professionalism, technical acumen, and ability to deliver outstanding results truly set them apart."

- Client Choice Awards, 2025

SpaceTech Insights

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New Zealand launches National Space Policy

Care before you share: Potential risks to IP rights from disclosure to AI assistants

The use of commonly available “AI assistants”, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot (also co-authors on this article!), in research and commercial strategy has accelerated rapidly across most technology sectors in recent years and months. Academic research groups and industrial R&D teams increasingly use such AI tools to design experiments, identify therapeutic targets, design new devices, optimise protocols, and interpret data in the process of developing new inventions that very often will require patent protection in order to develop and exploit their commercial potential.

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Design first, hype later: An early disclosure near miss

If there’s one golden rule in design protection, it’s simple: file before you disclose. Get your registration in place before you show the world your product. Still, anyone who works with innovative businesses knows, the real world doesn’t always follow the rulebook. This is the story of a client who, in their enthusiasm to build excitement for a new product, jumped the gun. They handed out samples, encouraged social media promotion, and built a wave of hype. Only afterwards did they realise that they hadn’t filed for design protection.

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Andrea Ruhrmann, what inspired you to become an engineer?

In recognition of International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) 2022, we asked one of our female engineering partners, Andrea Ruhrmann, what first inspired her to study engineering and her advice for young girls looking to study engineering and related technology subjects.

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