Legal articles, news
and announcements
We’re all adjusting to a new normal, with many businesses having re-opened following a year of bushfire, flood and of course, a pandemic. COVID-19 has undoubtedly been the biggest disrupter for businesses in 2020, generating upheaval and uncertainty with many forced to literally close their doors overnight due to lockdown restrictions. In order to continue…
In what is shaping up to be an icy affair, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (‘ACCC’) has commenced proceedings in the Federal Court against Australasian Food Group Pty Ltd, trading as Peters Ice Cream (‘Peters’), alleging it froze out its competitors. Over a cool five years, from November 2014 through to December 2019, the…
Copyright infringement isn’t child’s play, as one toy manufacturer recently discovered. Nine people were handed jail sentences by the Shanghai No.3 Intermediate People’s Court as China seeks to more strictly enforce intellectual property rights. If you’re manufacturing or distributing products in China, you should be aware of the copyright laws in place. Businesses who register…
Have you ever asked someone to “pass the Esky” when you want a drink from a cooler – even though it’s not actually branded as an Esky? Or perhaps you’ve asked a friend to give you a “Kleenex” when you need a tissue to blow your nose, even though it’s a supermarket homebrand product? Any…
A topic of ongoing concern throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic has been the impact on businesses and as a consequence, the economy. Whilst JobKeeper, rent relief and other measures are assisting businesses in staying afloat and planning their next steps, what happens when these measures come to an end? Unfortunately, it is inevitable that some…
From 1 July next year, the definition of ‘consumer’ under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) will change. Currently, the value threshold for businesses in determining whether a customer is a ‘consumer’ under the ACL is $40,000. The Treasury Laws Amendment (Acquisition as Consumer – Financial Thresholds) Regulations will increase the monetary threshold to $100,000. The…
Keyboard warriors and trolls are just some of the names given to anonymous reviewers. Some reviewers may be shy but let’s face it, many online rely on anonymity to express views that they wouldn’t necessarily feel comfortable sharing if identifiable. Well, if you’ve ever posted a review anonymously, safe in the knowledge that no-one will…
We’re already bearing witness to the impacts that COVID-19 has had on the economy. Thankfully, the Federal and State Governments have put a number of relief measures in place for businesses during this time. Amongst these relief measures were temporary insolvency and bankruptcy protections which have just been extended. On 7 September, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg…
The meaning of the ‘zipper face’ emoji was recently explored in a defamation case – does the expression a picture is worth a thousand words apply to emojis and, if so, can an emoji be found to be defamatory? Two Sydney-based lawyers, Adam Houda and Zali Burrows, recently faced off in the NSW District Court…
COVID-19 has changed the commercial leasing landscape, at least for the foreseeable future. It’s critical that tenants and landlords remain on top of legislative changes. As it stands, subject to meeting certain eligibility criteria, the Retail & Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Regulation 2020 (‘Covid-19 Regulation’) stipulates that termination or repossession for failure to pay rent…
