Buy Now Pay Later: the shape of the new regulatory regime
Treasury has released the much anticipated draft legislation for the regulation of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products and confirmed that BNPL providers should prepare to obtain a new or modified Australian Credit Licence and work through the impact of being regulated as credit providers on their businesses. Anti-avoidance protections promise to ensure there is […]
ReadmoreIP Australia to adopt Madrid Goods and Services List
In January of this year IP Australia announced that it will adopt the internationally recognised Madrid Goods and Services list (Madrid List). The Madrid List is expected to take over the existing Trade Mark Goods and Services list in March 2024. The change will bring IP Australia’s classification of goods and services for the purposes […]
ReadmoreThe Federal Court makes its order – Hungry Jack’s ‘Big Jack’ trade mark not deceptively similar to McDonald’s ‘Big Mac’
In a Federal Court judgment handed down in November, Justice Stephen Burley found that fast-food giants McDonald’s and Hungry Jack’s each had a measure of success in their dispute. The case relates to Hungry Jack’s BIG JACK and MEGA JACK burgers that Hungry Jacks began selling in early 2020, which McDonald’s alleged infringed its BIG […]
ReadmoreUnfair contract terms and your franchise agreement
As of 9 November 2023, changes to the unfair contract terms (UCT) regime have come into effect. Franchisors should be aware that unfair terms under the previous regime are void, while unfair terms under the new regime will be unlawful and significant penalties may apply (for companies, up to $50 million or even more). Unfair […]
ReadmoreThe deadline to update the Franchise Disclosure Register is 14 November 2023
Following the amendments to the Franchising Code of Conduct in 2021, the Franchise Disclosure Register (FDR) was established in November 2022. The FDR is administered by the Department of the Treasury and is accessible to the public, allowing prospective franchisees to access information about franchise opportunities. Purpose of the FDR The FDR aims to provide […]
ReadmoreWinner publication and notification requirements
The rules for publishing and notifying winners for a game of chance trade promotion differ in each state/territory in Australia. We’ve set out an easy-to-follow guide covering when, where and why. If you found this insight article useful and you would like to subscribe to Gadens’ updates, click here. Authored by: David Smith, Partner Joanne […]
ReadmoreConsumer gains – The regulation of sports supplement pills
Consumers of sports supplements stand to gain from increased oversight of sports supplements in medicinal dosage form through regulation of such supplements as therapeutic goods (ie medicines). The sports supplement industry has been regulated for some time now. For instance, oral sports supplements that contain certain high-risk substances, and claim to improve or maintain performance […]
ReadmoreDefamation – what is required to establish ‘serious harm’?
The Federal Court of Australia recently handed down a decision in Selkirk v Hocking (No 2)[1] shedding light on the serious harm element of the cause of action for defamation. Background In November 2019, Ms Selkirk was convicted of multiple counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception by using falsified receipts to return goods […]
ReadmoreFMCG Express | September 2023 Edition
In this edition of FMCG Express we consider the practicalities of implementing UCT regime required changes, recent ACCC enforcement activity and consider what risks ‘greenwashing’ can pose for our clients. We also touch on employer obligations regarding psychosocial safety and hazards, the Retail Award and other legislative changes. Partner Breanna Davies and the Gadens team […]
ReadmoreThe decision is clear – the AAT confirms that the Privacy Act applies to Clearview AI’s conduct
As briefly noted in our Gadens Regulatory Recap on 30 May 2023, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) has recently handed down its decision regarding the conduct of Clearview AI Inc (Clearview AI), confirming the applicability of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) to the conduct of entities overseas, and recent amendments to the Privacy […]
ReadmorePrivacy Act Reforms – will individuals’ rights impact your business?
It has only been three months since the Attorney General’s Office released its report (Report) on the proposed amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act). The Report made 116 recommendations for reform. The recommended reforms are extensive and will, if implemented, have a substantial effect on how businesses regulated under the Privacy Act […]
ReadmoreFutureproofing Australia’s Payment System: Unveiling the Government’s Strategic Plan
The Australian Government has released its Strategic Plan for Australia’s Payments System (Strategic Plan). The Strategic Plan follows on from the Treasury’s Consultation Paper released in December 2022 and outlines a raft of proposed legislative and policy changes to the current payments system regulatory framework. The foreshadowed changes are significant and far-reaching and are aimed […]
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