With consumers increasingly relying on on-line reviews about products or services in making purchase decisions, “one star”, “negative” or “fake” reviews can result in serious harm, reputational damage and loss of business. A recent court decision shows how posting a “one star” Google review can be a very costly exercise for reviewers, particularly where the review is defamatory and false or fake. Businesses and individuals subjected to “one star” reviews, can take legal action.
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Australia’s competition law is complex. Metaverse platforms that are registered as a business, company or foreign entity in Australia or are carrying on business within Australia will have to comply with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). Competition law risk assessments should be undertaken before doing business in Australia to ensure compliance with the law and minimise the risk of significant penalties.
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To identify the relevant intellectual property laws applicable for the protection of a metaverse platform in Australia you need to first ascertain all elements that comprise the metaverse platform, all content generated within the metaverse, and how these are created or generated and by whom. This article offers insight and preliminary guidance on this complex and evolving area of the law.
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During the period of 2016 to July 2024, the awards for compensation for privacy breaches in Determinations made and published by the Australian Information and Privacy Commissioner (OAIC) have ranged from about $1,000 to $20,000. In this update, Stephens Lawyers & Consultants provides a review of the OAIC Determinations and compensation awards for privacy breaches made during the period October 2022 to July 2024 – and factors taken into account by the OAIC in making those awards.
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The new Medical Board/AHPRA “Guidelines For Registered Medical Practitioners who Advertise Cosmetic Surgery” came into effect on 1 July 2023. Health practitioners, individuals, businesses, and companies involved in advertising of health services will be subjected to greater scrutiny by the regulators who will be focusing on advertising and social media used to promote cosmetic surgery.
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This Article provides an overview of Australia’s existing regulatory framework used to regulate AI technologies, the ongoing government consultations and proposed reforms to the laws. Using the failed Robodebt system as a case study, it also showcases the risks associated with failed AI systems, including claims for compensation in the billions of dollars and reputational damage that follows.
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