by Katarina Klaric, Principal, Stephens Lawyers & Consultants Publication of defamatory comments on websites and social media and business networking platforms such as Facebook, twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn are becoming increasingly common and are causing devastating harm to both personal and business reputation and business losses. Some of the defamatory material published is of such… Read More
Read moreFRANCHISING IN AUSTRALIA Franchising is one of the fastest growing business sectors in Australia. There are over 1160 franchise systems operating in Australia, with the number of franchisees estimated to be 79,000 [1]. The United States has had a strong influence on the development of Australia’s franchise industry with major U.S franchisors including KFC, McDonalds… Read More
Read moreTweets capable of conveying defamatory imputations The use of Twitter and other social media for marketing and promotional purposes – whether it be the promotion of a new product, the dissemination of news or entertainment services, or the development of a personal or corporate brand – requires careful scrutiny to limit the risk of exposure… Read More
Read morePrivate Sector Privacy Information Sheet Privacy Act 1988– From 11 March 2014 The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) regulates the handling, storage, use and disclosure of personal information by the Commonwealth government, its agencies and private organisations, which are referred to as APP entities in the Act. State and Territory privacy laws apply to State and… Read More
Read moreStephens Lawyers & Consultants Legal Update: July 2013 The ACCC continues to target the energy sector for possible false or misleading representations made by businesses that relate price rises with the impact of the carbon price. In the first 100 days since the commencement of the carbon price on 1 July 2012 the ACCC received… Read More
Read moreStephens Lawyers and Consultants Trade Mark Legal Update: October 2013 Under Australian law there is no legal requirement to register a trade mark or brand name to use it, however there are many benefits of trade mark registration. Although protection against misrepresentation under Australian Consumer Law1 and passing off is available to both owners of… Read More
Read more