The difficulty of registering a colour mark or word mark denoting a colour that include issues of market place recognition was highlighted by a recent set of appeals revolving around the use of the word Yellow in a tussle between various business directory goods and service providers Partner Sarah ...

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has released the final version of a document outlining its approach to the disclosure of commercially confidential information including information provided by medicine sponsors This follows the release of a draft version in June 2013 and a period of public and ...

The Federal Government has announced that it will press ahead with changes to the future of financial advice provisions, initially by regulation and then by legislation ...

New legislation has been introduced into the Queensland Parliament that will mark the first stage of a program that will attempt to rationalise the regulatory regime for all types of resources tenure in that state The new legislation also introduces a number of major reforms to the land access and ...

A policy background paper on media control and ownership released by the federal Department of Communications aims to restart the discussion on media law reform The paper does not draw conclusions or make recommendations but adopts a deregulatory tone Partner Ian McGill Senior Associate Matt Vitins ...

The Federal Government has released a draft mandatory port access code of conduct that would apply to all Australian bulk wheat export port terminals If implemented the code would replace the existing regulatory framework and the access undertakings approved by the ACCC for terminals operated by the ...

In a decision that has potential implications for a raft of Federal Government programs the High Court held that legislation passed to authorise hundreds of government funding arrangements is invalid insofar as it relates to the national schools chaplaincy program The decision once again confirms ...

Last night the Senate Economics Legislation Committee released its report on the Corporations Amendment Streamlining of Future of Financial Advice Bill 2014 The Committees recommendations could lead to changes in the treatment of scaled advice and general advice Partner Michelle Levy and Senior ...

While the media has focused on the more sensational recommendations of last weeks Senate report on the Australian Securities and Investments Commission there are a number of other interesting comments and themes that provide some clues about future regulation by the Federal Government surveillance ...

A key risk faced by self-funded retirees is the possibility that their superannuation savings will not last as long as they will While lifetime pensions and annuities issued by life companies can assist in addressing this risk there has traditionally been a relatively low uptake of these products by ...