October in summary

The Australia Law Teachers Association (ALTA) conference in Perth was very informative and productive as usual, I presented a paper based on research that I had done with two colleagues into improving outcomes for commerce/business students in their core law unit.

As is often the case with such gatherings, much of the benefit comes from the informal associations that are established and developed.  John Selby from Macquarie University and I took some tentative first steps in providing a forum to further co-operation and sharing between legal academics involved in teaching law to commerce/business students - very formative, early days at present - but the forum will be at www.buslawforum.com.

More rock stars and IP

one telling fans to steal, another going to reclaim his art from the internet

link to the story

Injurious Falsehoods?

Link to The Age article

In my experience Whirlpool.net.au has been a practical and valuable resource for many answers IT, providing on occasion, faster and more thorough responses than manufacturers and providers directly.

One aspect of forums such as Whirlpool.net.au is the ability to share actual accounts of product use and support experiences etc.

Regardless of the outcome of this matter the mere apprehension that the action being bought may cause would be the real loss.

American Airlines v Google

Another trademark keyword case against Google.

View the complain here (4.5Mb file)

More JD's...

A move to follow the American system and nomenclature?

Or that of Melbourne Uni?

link to story

All that money from international students...

The value to higher education in Australia of the cash grab for international student derived income questioned in a recent report

Link to article

Online TV Listings OK

THE Federal Court yesterday dismissed an action by the Nine Network against start-up independent electronic program guide supplier IceTV over claims that Ice infringed Nine's copyright to create its TV listings.

Link to article

Contracts on eBay

A NSW Supreme Cout decision yesterday considered the contractual status of auction sales on eBay.

The apparent of dearth of case law on this issue (evidenced by the judge referring to a German case) seems to confirm the view that the law applicable to an online auction is fundamentally the same as a physical auction.

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/scjudgments/2007nswsc.nsf/6ccf7431c546464bca2570e6001a45d2/8f8790278a4ab31cca25732b002511e8?OpenDocument

http://www.theage.com.au/news/web/ebay-sales-stick-court-rules/2007/08/03/1185648121130.html

Eminem v Apple

Link to The Age Story

I have tried to get a copy of the complaint  here with no success - servers not coping with the requests?

The two parties have tangoed previously over Apple's use of an Eminem track in a iPod ad - link to that complaint.

Satire of NZ Parliament

Link to story

Has the comedy genre lost some of its best material?