Knowledge

In the wake of the 2019/20 Australian Bushfire crisis, comedian Celeste Barber took to Facebook to launch her NSW RFS bushfire fundraiser, with the intention and constant reassurance that the funds would be going to those victims who needed it most. 

Led Zeppelin band members and fans were relieved when a recent decision of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals preserved the jury verdict that the Led Zeppelin iconic rock song “Stairway to Heaven” did not infringe the copyright of the Spirit song, “Taurus” (the Stairway to Heaven case).

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. 

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.

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. 

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”).

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.