Knowledge

If you are at a trivia night, and the question is “what product in Australia is well known with reference to the initials ‘VB’”, there is a reasonable chance a lot of people would answer “Victoria Bitter” beer. Victoria Bitter is well known in Australia simply with reference to “VB”.

Last week a code for commercial rent relief was announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. It lists 14 principles that the Federal Government believes should be applied when a landlord and tenant negotiate to mitigate rent costs for tenants whose business is impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although well-intentioned, the code is creating chaos and confusion.

Government procurement is a big business in Australia and abroad. For many businesses, being successful in government tenders is a key part of their strategy.  Within Australia, 78,150 government contracts were entered into for the 2018/19 financial year worth a total of $64.5 billion.[1] Globally, the World Trade Organization estimates that the government procurement market is worth $1.7trillion annually, just for the 48 signatory countries to the World Trade Organisation Government Procurement Agreement (“WTO GPA”).[2]

Every law student will inevitably reach the end of their studies and face the same challenges that come with securing a graduate role. You have the degree, now you need the job to kick-start your law career and navigate the new world that is legal practice. In this article, Lochlan Worrell, Law Graduate at Moulis Legal, shares the graduate careers advice he wishes he’d been given, and five top tips for successfully making the transition from law student to law graduate.

March 2020 should have been a big month in Australian sports and events. The NRL and AFL seasons were due to begin, the Formula 1 Grand Prix returned to Melbourne, and a number of sports were to conduct their trials for the 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

On 18 February 2020, significant changes to the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) came into effect to help combat the controversial and damaging practice of illegal phoenix activity.

On 27 January 2020, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body, made up of all WTO Members, adopted the panel report in a dispute initiated by Indonesia regarding anti-dumping measures imposed by Australia on imports of A4 copy paper from Indonesia (“Australia –A4 Copy Paper” or “DS529”).^[1] Adoption of the DS529 report, without appeal by either Australia or Indonesia, concludes a highly anticipated dispute, the implications of which go well beyond the product involved and the countries themselves.

Plant Breeder’s Rights (PBRs) are generally not as well-known as other forms of intellectual property rights such as patents, trade marks, copyright and designs. A recent Federal Court order highlights the benefits and protections of PBRs as an important intellectual property right. The infringement declarations in Mountain Blue Orchards Pty Ltd v Chellow & Anor[1] may be the catalyst for more green shoots to sprout with protection and enforcement of PBRs.

On 24 September 2019 the Australian Minister for Industry revoked anti-subsidy duties applying to a Chinese exporter of aluminium extrusions.[1] The outcome is a reminder that the rule of law holds sway over the policies of protection that are presently impacting heavily on regulators the world over. Its reasoning demonstrates the upward-trending importance of competition principles in deciding “trade rules” matters – the disciplines of anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguards.

Those watching the recent National Rugby League Grand Final staged in Sydney on the weekend saw that the rub of the green did not go the way of Canberra’s “Green Machine”.