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Compensation and breaches of directors’ duties
Should it be held that a director of a company has breached their statutory duties, as contained in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Act), then the question arises as to how a Court will determine the amount of compensation to be paid by the errant director. The remedies provided for in the Act include declaratory…
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IP Australia follows Madrid Goods and Services list
From 26 March 2024, IP Australia has implemented the internationally recognised Madrid Goods and Services list (Madrid List), replacing the AU Goods and Services Picklist.[1] The adoption of the Madrid List comes as Intellectual Property Australia (IP Australia) seeks to align the Australian classification standards with the other intellectual property offices around the world.
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The “right to disconnect” from modern workplaces
The right to disconnect, as contained in Part 8 of the Fair Work Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) Bill (Bill), gives employees the right to refuse contact from their employers (or related parties) outside of their working hours, unless the refusal is unreasonable. The changes in Part 8 amend various sections of the Fair Work…
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Provisional liquidators in shareholder disputes
The appointment of a provisional liquidator may be appropriate in shareholder disputes if there are genuine concerns that there is a risk a company’s assets will be dissipated, there are potential solvency concerns and all other alternatives have been exhausted. The appointment of a provisional liquidator by a Court has been said to be ‘a…
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Top stoic quotes from Justice Lee in Lehrmann v Network Ten
On 15 April 2024 Justice Lee handed down his decision in the case of Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Limited (Trial Judgment) [2024] FCA 369. This matter has attracted a large amount of media attention and for this reason alone it was interesting to watch Justice Lee read his decision via live stream on YouTube:…
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Unfair contract terms, penalties & ACCC v Employsure 2020
When deciding whether a contractual term is unfair, a Court will likely consider if the term would cause a significant unbalance, if it is not reasonably necessary to protect legitimate interests, or if it would cause detriment. Careful consideration should be given to the inclusion of clauses of this nature in standard form contracts, especially…
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Updated USPTO guidelines on AI assisted inventions
In response to the Biden administration’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence on 30 October 2023, which outlined policies and principles to promote responsible Artificial Intelligence innovation and competition, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued inventorship guidance for artificial intelligence (AI) assisted inventions. These…
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Federal Court guidelines for e-discovery and metadata
Electronic discovery in the Federal Court of Australia (FCA) is nothing new. From July 2014, the FCA began implementing the Court’s electronic court file (ECF) across its Australian registries. This enabled the Court to embrace the use of technology in proceedings, including the use of electronic discovery, eLodgement, eTrials, eCourtroom, and video conferences.
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Asset preservation orders – is dissipation a real risk?
An asset preservation order is a class of freezing order made by a Court usually without notice to the respondent or defendant (Exparte) for the purpose of preventing the frustration or inhibition of the Courts processes. The need for an asset preservation order arises when there is danger that a judgment (or prospective judgement) made…
