067 – Monthly Legal Updater – March 2018

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In Show 067 – Monthly Legal Updater originally broadcast on Facebook Live on Friday 2 March 2018 we explore this interesting topic.

Show Notes

Time again for our monthly legal updater.  It’s your chance to catch up on the big legal news in Australia and around the world.  There’s lots to get to in this edition.

Data breach notification law

Australia’s new data breach law came into effect on February 22nd.  It says that companies with a turnover of $3 million or more have to notify their clients if their information has been hacked.  Companies have to disclose what kind of information was hacked and when.

Copyright for tweets in the US

A federal judge in the United States has ruled that certain kinds of social media posts can be copyrighted.  The case was launched by an individual who posted a photo of a well known athlete.  A number of online publications used that photo in various stories.  The man who took the photo sued.  The judge ruled that “The plain language of the Copyright Act, the legislative history undergirding its enactment, and subsequent Supreme Court jurisprudence provide no basis for a rule that allows the physical location or possession of an image to determine who may or may not have ‘displayed’ a work within the meaning of the Copyright Act … Nowhere does the Copyright Act suggest that possession of an image is necessary in order to display it. Indeed, the purpose and language of the Act support the opposite view.”

Codeine law

Products with low doses of codeine will no longer be available for consumers without a prescription.  In a bid to battle opioid addiction and overdoses the Australian government brought the new rules into effect in February.

Changes to QBCC rules

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission has changed the rules around building companies that become insolvent.  Previously members of the board or company directors had to be out of the company for one year to avoid being affected by the liquidation proceedings.  That rule has now been changed to two years.

Political donations

The Federal Government is looking to ban political donations to all political parties from foreign entities.  There have a been a number of stories recently about parties receiving donations from foreigners.  This hasn’t passed yet but if and when it does we’ll let you know.

CFMEU boycott fine

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union was slapped with a $1 million fine this week.  The record fine was levied by a Federal court judge after a complaint was brought by Boral.  The company was the target of a boycott by union members.

Westpac ordered to repay millions

The bank Westpac was ordered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission to refund $11 million in credit card charges to customers.  The bank was found to have unlawfully increased their customers credit limits without notifying them. 

More about this Show

We started Business Legal Lifecycle to create a simple way for you to understand complex legal terms.  Most importantly we want to help you to develop a plan to take your business successfully into the future.  There’s a startling statistic the underscores the importance of developing a solid plan.  The majority of business owners are just seven months away from losing everything.  A single aspect of your business that is not set-up correctly can shut down your whole operation very quickly.   Legal advice is not cheap and even when you can afford it there is often a divide between lawyers and their clients.  We want to close that gap once and for all.  We want to put legal knowledge and tools into your hand to prevent the worst from happening to you.

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