Every trendy café these days seems to have a selection of dairy-free milk alternatives as long as a wine list, from the usual suspects like soy, coconut and almond, to more unusual new favourites like rice, hemp, pea, flax and oat. With vegan, dairy-free or plant-based diets becoming more and more popular for health, environmental, … Continue reading
In sad news for celebrities and Instagram influencers across Australia, the introduction of the so-called ‘fame tax’ as part of a raft of integrity measures announced in the 2018/19 budget means that they could end up paying higher taxes on the income and non-cash benefits earned through the commercial exploitation of their image rights. In … Continue reading
Today, social media influencers are a key resource used by businesses to engage with consumers. Influencers include celebrities, bloggers or simply popular social media users in speciality areas like beauty or travel. Social media influencers’ posts can attract thousands, and sometimes millions, of views and likes. Such exposure allows businesses to instantly engage with a … Continue reading
We had previously written about a September 1, 2016 ruling from a New York State appeals court relating to New York’s right of publicity and claims brought by celebrities Lindsay Lohan and Karen Gravano against the creator and distributor of the video game “Grand Theft Auto V.” On March 29, 2018, New York’s highest court … Continue reading
The internet is now the normal conduit for everyday personal, commercial and social transactions. It is more important than ever to ensure that your consumers know where to find your business online, and that no third parties are seeking to trade off your reputation in the online space. Domain names are the primary form of … Continue reading
It’s no surprise that many in the professional and legal services industries are putting increasing thought into what the post-Brexit world will, or should, look like. The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) in the UK has been the latest body to put its two cents (or pennies) into the mix. Brand owners from all … Continue reading
Businesses have until 1 July 2018 to transition to a new system of country of origin labelling for food products in Australia. The incoming Country of Origin Food Labelling Information Standard 2016 (Standard) imposes stricter labelling requirements on “priority”, as opposed to “non-priority”, foods and is intended to help consumers better understand where their food … Continue reading
The Australian Government’s recently expressed interest in cracking down on misuses of market power may have left some patent holders with concerns about the proposed amendments to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (the Act). All the fuss relates to section 46 of the Act: the provision which prohibits a company with a substantial degree … Continue reading
Last year, we reported on a decision of the Federal Court of Australia, in which the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) unsuccessfully sought injunctive relief to prevent Telstra from running its “Go to Rio” advertising campaign in the lead-up to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio.[1] In an attempt to preserve the value of its … Continue reading
Increasingly affordable renewables, coupled with consumers’ sensitivity to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, are driving a profound shift in energy markets worldwide. Nowhere is this more apparent than in brand equity, and the trust levels displayed by the public towards traditional energy businesses versus green, dynamic start-ups. Rebranding is a powerful tool to close … Continue reading
A Full Court of the Federal Court has confirmed that patents containing “Swiss-style” claims are outside the scope of the Australian patent term extension regime in its recent judgment of Commissioner of Patents v AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd [2017] FCAFC 129. What it means: Patents which claim methods or processes involving pharmaceutical substances cannot be extended … Continue reading
Late last month, Justice Burley handed down his decision in Doric Products Pty Ltd v Asia Pacific Trading (Aust) Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 849. The decision provides a useful illustration of how Australian Courts will approach construction, infringement and validity issues in innovation patent proceedings, and emphasises the difficulties respondents face when challenging the validity … Continue reading
The Australian Government has just confirmed that new legislation will be introduced requiring large Australian businesses to report annually on their efforts to address modern slavery. The result will be a framework similar to the corporate-focussed legislation enacted in the UK in 2015 and similar initiatives that are under discussion in other jurisdictions including the … Continue reading
A number of energy giants have recently undergone corporate rebranding exercises. The motivations of these powerhouses often vary, from unifying a group after a series of mergers and acquisitions, to repairing reputational damage, to just aligning with a new corporate vision. Tesla dropped “Motors” from its branding in 2016 to promote its clean energy solutions … Continue reading
Businesses shelling out big bucks for prime advertising space are used to paying close attention to content, for the sake of the bottom line as well as out of respect for consumer law. However, it may not feel as natural and cost-effective to apply the same scrutiny to an Instagram caption. Why invest the business resources … Continue reading
The Full Federal Court in Australia has made it clear that, in an action for unjustified threats, a party is entitled only to damage sustained as a result of the unjustified threats under section 128 of the Patents Act 1990 (the Act), and not damage sustained as a result of infringement proceedings subsequently commenced (Australian … Continue reading
Australia has a long history of class action litigation. Outside of the United States, Australia has one of the most active class action markets globally. It is 25 years since the introduction of the class action regime in the Federal Court of Australia. Since its introduction, the class action regime has been used as a … Continue reading
Increasingly, companies are turning to the internet and social media platforms to advertise their products, often by using native advertising or by providing incentives such as payments or free products to social media “influencers” (Instagrammers, Pinners, Bloggers and Vloggers, to name a few) in exchange for an endorsement. As we have previously discussed, the FTC … Continue reading
In a case with potentially significant ramifications for regulatory oversight of the labeling and advertising of foods and pharmaceuticals, the Eleventh Circuit held the First Amendment precluded the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dairy Industry (the “Florida Bureau”) from prohibiting a dairy company’s use of the phrase “skim milk” to describe its “all-natural” milk … Continue reading
Cher, Prince, Oprah, Bono – all of these celebrities have one thing in common – the capacity to be recognised by nothing more than a single name. For businesses which are built on the success of a personal brand, a name can be a crucial component of being recognised by consumers. But the question remains: should … Continue reading
The Inquiry Report into Intellectual Property Arrangements recently published by the Productivity Commission (Report) argues that Australia’s IP system is weighted too heavily in favour of rights holders and against the interests of the broader community. It has made various recommendations to correct this perceived imbalance. This article considers some of the recommended changes which, … Continue reading
On December 2, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied rehearing by the Panel and rehearing en banc. On December 5, 2016, the Court withdrew its previous opinion, which was to have been published with the reporter cite 836 F.3d 153, and directed that it will be republished as an … Continue reading
Canadian sportswear maker Moose International Inc. announced on December 6, 2016, that it had resolved its dispute with Canada’s Commissioner of Competition (Commissioner) over the accuracy of its claims that certain of its high-end parkas were made in Canada. The Commissioner had filed an application with the Canadian Competition Tribunal in April 2016 alleging the … Continue reading
On November 1, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled that the Communications Decency Act (CDA) provides immunity from liability, not from suit, precluding interlocutory appellate jurisdiction under the collateral order doctrine. General Steel Domestic Sales, L.L.C. v. Chumley, et al., Case No. 15-1293, __ F.3d __, 2016 WL 6441028. The … Continue reading