Lord Justice Leveson recently appeared at two conferences in Australia, but not to discuss his mammoth two-thousand page report on media practices and ethics … Richard Ackland explains why his Sydney talk on privacy and the internet “was like watching Pavlova walking, instead of dancing” … more
Year: 2012
Leveson Report: Distortion of the debate
The Leveson Report has precipitated an avalanche of reaction, commentary and debate, not all of it balanced or accurate … In this Inforrm article barrister Edward Craven dissects the distortions ... more
IP news here, and there
Star Wars fans fret over Disney takeover … European Union unifies patent system … Patent trolls succeed in claiming Apple iPhone breaches ... Chinese patent office now world leader ... more
With apologies (again) Alan Jones
Alan Jones apologises seven years after vilifying broadcast … Sports journo sues over gambling story … Former union secretary sues over “bagman” allegations … “Boarding house of death” operators missing in action … Kazal brothers quit while behind … Former political candidate sues over Facebook comments … Vascular surgeons in bloody dispute … Osteopath sues his former employer … and vice versa ... more
Douglas Trenham v Platinum Traders & Darryl Loane
Toowoomba real estate agent awarded $100,000 over a malicious letter sent to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland and others … District Court judge rejects both common law and statutory qualified privilege defences and finds malice … more
Aleksandra & Ljiljana Gacic & Branislav Ciric v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd & Matthew Evans
Last of the at-large damages claims under the old Defamation Act gets a second hearing in the NSW Supreme Court … Gacics emote wildly … Fairfax seeks to exclude the restaurant actually reviewed by Matthew Evans from consideration ... more
IP news here, and there
TGA recommends changes to drug packaging … Leaked FTA draft proposes tougher copyright regime … Key Apple patent invalid … HTC-Apple deal revealed … Human genes under patent microscope ... more
Rafiq Ahmed v Nationwide News Pty Ltd and News Digital Media Pty Ltd & Yoni Bashan
The “antithesis of proper journalistic conduct” … District Court Judge Michael Bozic awards fraud squad detective Rafiq Ahmed $325,000 in damages for a malicious Sunday Telegraph story which accused him of being “one of the most corrupt cops in NSW” … more
Tony Papaconstuntinos v Peter Holmes a Court
Former union man Tony Papaconstuntinos loses long-running action against businessman Peter Holmes a Court … High Court majority decision confirms that common law qualified privilege protects defamatory statements made without a “pressing need” ... more
High Court to rule on free speech
The High Court is about to consider the extent of the qualified privilege defence … Sydney media lawyer Graham Hryce looks at the issues raised and what’s at stake for freedom of speech in Australia ... more
Leveson: Does the sentence fit the crime?
It appears Lord Justice Leveson has pleased no one with his recently delivered report on media regulation … In this article Des Freedman wades through the hyperbole to analyse the report’s strengths and weaknesses ... more
The politics of defamation
Let the stoush begin … The woman who claimed Tony Abbott physically intimidated her at university 35 years ago launches defamation proceedings against Liberal powerbroker Michael Kroger … Alan Jones off the hook ... more