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Fixed Quotes
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We provide clients with fixed quotes for providing high quality legal services within their budget.
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Highly Responsive
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We are highly responsive lawyers who provide legal services to meet clients' requirements.
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Expert Legal Advice
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We provide clients with clear, practical, expert legal advice to achieve their goals.
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Highest Service Levels
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We meet the highest service levels in providing legal services to clients.
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Minimise Costs
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We strive to minimise clients' legal, regulatory and commercial risks and costs.
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2 July 2026 – Australian IP Report 2026 Highlights Record Trademark Filings and Economic ResilienceOn 2 July 2026, IP Australia released the Australian IP Report 2026, revealing unprecedented intellectual property activity that highlights the robust resilience of the domestic economy. The comprehensive report indicates a 15% surge in trademark filings by Australian residents, pushing total trademark applications to a historic high of 97,345 in 2025. This growth was heavily fuelled by the scientific and technological services sectors, explicitly capturing the rapid commercialisation of artificial intelligence technologies. For startups, this report dictates a strategic imperative. Businesses are increasingly weaponising registered intellectual property rights to secure competitive advantages, attract venture capital, and insulate themselves against volatile international markets. The data confirms that early and aggressive IP protection strategies—particularly in emerging fields like AI and advanced manufacturing—are absolutely critical for emerging enterprises aiming to successfully commercialise their innovations and secure their market positioning.
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24 June 2026 – OAIC Determines Tracking Pixels Breach Privacy ActIn a landmark regulatory determination, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) has ruled that the deployment of third-party tracking pixels by health service providers constitutes a breach of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) unless explicit consent is obtained. Following an exhaustive investigation into Medmate Australia Pty Ltd and Monash IVF Pty Ltd, the Privacy Commissioner concluded that capturing user behaviour on health-related websites and transmitting this data to platforms such as Meta or TikTok constitutes the collection of sensitive health information. The OAIC’s accompanying inspection report, "Your life, pixelated," revealed that 96 per cent of the 50 audited digital health platforms utilised some form of tracking technology, yet 77 per cent failed to disclose this critical use in their privacy policies. For startups, e‑commerce platforms, and corporate legal professionals, this ruling represents an immediate compliance mandate. Entities must urgently audit their digital infrastructure, disable covert tracking scripts, and implement transparent, opt-in consent mechanisms. Ignorance of third-party vendor integrations is no longer a viable legal defence, fundamentally reshaping how Australian digital services handle user data and execute programmatic advertising strategies.
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1 June 2026 – Mandatory SMS Sender ID Register Combats Telecommunications ScamsThe Federal Government has announced the official commencement of the SMS Sender ID Register on
1 July 2026 marking a decisive escalation in the fight against telecommunications scams. All businesses must register their alphanumeric sender IDs on the Register, which will be administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Messages transmitted via unregistered IDs will be conspicuously labelled as unverified, explicitly warning consumers of potential fraudulent impersonation. Forming the cornerstone of the new Scams Prevention Framework, this measure places immediate compliance obligations on small businesses, tech startups, and enterprise marketers alike. Organisations failing to register their identities risk catastrophic disruptions to their customer communications, as legitimate two-factor authentication codes and marketing messages will be flagged as suspicious. Companies must urgently audit their telecommunications vendors to maintain operational continuity and consumer trust. |
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13 May 2026 – High Court Narrows Honest Concurrent Use Trade Mark DefenceThe High Court of Australia has unanimously dismissed the appeal in Zip Co Ltd v Firstmac Ltd [2026] HCA 16, delivering critical clarification on the honest concurrent use defence in trade mark law. The judgment established that the assessment of an honest state of mind under section 44(3)(a) of the Trade Marks Act 1995 (Cth) must occur precisely at the time of the first potential infringement. Because Zip Co continued to use the contested mark in trade after receiving an adverse examination report from IP Australia, the Court ruled that it failed to demonstrate the requisite honest state of mind by ordinary standards. For technology startups and scaling enterprises, this landmark ruling underscores the absolute necessity of rigorous intellectual property due diligence before market launch. Ignoring early regulatory warnings can permanently invalidate subsequent defensive claims, exposing companies to significant infringement liabilities and costly, forced rebranding efforts.
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8 May 2026 – National AI Centre Launches Centralised Artificial Intelligence PlatformExecuting a pivotal component of the National AI Plan, the National Artificial Intelligence Centre has officially launched AI.gov.au, serving as Australia's definitive digital front door for AI adoption. This comprehensive platform unifies fragmented government resources, providing businesses and not-for-profits with actionable guidance to implement artificial intelligence safely and responsibly. The portal features strategic planning tools, risk management frameworks, skills training courses, and a directory of domestic AI enterprises. By democratising access to highly complex AI safety standards, the initiative significantly lowers the barrier to entry for resource-constrained startups. Furthermore, the platform acts as an operational bridge to the forthcoming AI Safety Institute, ensuring that technical developments in frontier models are translated into practical compliance protocols. Startups must leverage these resources to proactively align their development cycles with emerging national standards.
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22 April 2026 – OAIC Cracks Down on Excessive Personal Information Collection by RentTech PlatformsIn a landmark decision, the Privacy Commissioner has issued a determination against the rental technology platform 2Apply, operated by InspectRealEstate (IRE), for the unfair and excessive collection of personal information. The year-long investigation concluded that the platform collected data points—such as gender, student status, and visa expiry dates—that were not "reasonably necessary" for its functions, in violation of Australian Privacy Principle (APP) 3.2. Furthermore, the Commissioner used the concept of "Online Choice Architecture" to find that the platform employed manipulative techniques such as "confirmshaming" and "biased framing" to pressure vulnerable renters into sharing sensitive data. IRE has agreed to remove the unnecessary questions and engage an independent reviewer to audit its privacy practices. This ruling serves as a stark warning to all "RentTech" providers and digital platforms to review their data collection and design practices.
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