.au Domain Names - Policy Review

auDA has constituted a policy review panel to review virtually all domain name policies in Australia, as well as to recommend a policy to implement direct registration in Australia.  I am chair of this policy review panel.

See https://www.auda.org.au/policies/panels-and-committees/2017-policy-review-panel/

I strongly urge you to review the issues papers and to provide feedback.

Direct registration will allow registration of domain names in Australia such as cyberspace.au.

There are other reforms being discussed.  See the Issues Paper that was published at the end of January.

Liability of Intermediaries for copyright infringement

At the end of last year, the Federal Court of Australia issued a judgment in against the Redbubble platform, in favour of Pokemon.

The judgment is here:  Pokémon Company International, Inc. v Redbubble Ltd [2017] FCA 154

This is an important copyright and consumer protection law case.  Redbubble recently appealed (and its seems that their appeal was lodged outside of the appeal window).

There is also a similar case pending, involving the Hell's Angels.

A good summary is located on the IP Whiteboard blog.