Australian companies seeking to do business in China should ensure that they obtain appropriate protection of their intellectual property through trade mark, copyright, design and/or patent registrations. Consideration also has been given to the most appropriate means of entering the Chinese market, including licensing, technology, transfer, distribution agreements, joint ventures, representative offices, or other corporate… Read More
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Franchisors will face disclosure requirements under the comprehensive reforms to the Franchising Code of Conduct announced by Small Business Minister Dr Craig Emerson. The proposed amendments will result in expanded disclosure requirements for the franchisor and will address the following five areas of problematic franchising behaviour considered by an expert panel convened by the government:… Read More
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The Commonwealth Government’s new grants program Commercialisation Australia which came into effect on 1 January 2013, provides new opportunities for innovators, businesses and researches to receive financial assistance to support and protect their intellectual property development and commercialisation. Under the program, companies or individuals can access between $250,000 to $2 million in repayable grants [read… Read More
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Under the Australian Consumer Reforms, the Trade Practices Act 1974 is being replaced by the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. Businesses must review and update their trade practices compliance procedures and manuals, existing contracts, warranties and guarantees to ensure compliance with the new regime. The Competition and Consumer Act involves a substantial restructure of the… Read More
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ndustry codes play an important role in the regulation of business practices by setting standards of conduct for industry members, the consequences of non-compliance with an industry code may result in contravention of the Trade Practices Act 1974. This legal update examines recent developments in the following industry codes: Green Marketing Code; Franchising Code of… Read More
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Ownership of intellectual property is an important corporate governance issue for companies, universities, research institutes and businesses. As intellectual property represents one of the most valuable assets on the balance sheet of many organisations, adequate and effective processes and procedures for ensuring the organisation’s ownership of intellectual property on creation, protection and ongoing management are… Read More
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