Insights

As the dust settles on the High Court’s recent decision that Australian fashion designer Katie Perry’s eponymous fashion label prevailed over American pop star Katy Perry’s trade mark rights and was not likely to cause confusion among consumers, at least three more well-recognised celebrities and brands find themselves in similar legal battles.

The long-awaited exposure draft of the Privacy (Children’s Online Privacy) Code (was released by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner on 31 March 2026 for public consultation which will run for 60 days until 5 June 2026.

Global supply chain disruption, cost pressures and heightened regulatory scrutiny are converging for Australian consumer goods businesses. The ACCC’s 2026 enforcement focus on retail sectors, coupled with Treasury’s proposed increases to penalties (up to $100 million) and closer government scrutiny of pricing conduct, mean competition and consumer law risks are intensifying.

Three months into Australia’s new merger clearance regime, the ACCC says the system is “balanced and targeted”. The early data suggests a more complicated picture for dealmakers.

From 1 July 2026, supermarkets will face new pricing rules under amendments to the now mandatory Food and Grocery Code of Conduct. Whilst these new laws are intended to protect consumers from price gouging by major retailers, many remain concerned about their likely effectiveness in lowering weekly grocery bills.

The Star Entertainment decision of the Federal Court provides important lessons for officers and non-executive directors. In particular, it re-iterates the importance of directors bringing an inquiring mind to their role, and engaging in active oversight of the organisation’s risk management and culture.

In the Australian regulatory environment, there is a high level of public awareness, media attention, and concern about probity and integrity issues in the gambling industry.

Businesses must register their “Sender ID” with their telco provider before 1 July 2026. The SMS Sender ID Register is intended to stop scammers impersonating well-known brands when sending branded text messages.

From 1 January 2026, Australia’s new merger clearance regime goes live and it’s a game changer for M&A in Australia.

The ban will require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to ensure that children under the age of 16 are prohibited from creating or holding a social media account.

In M&A transactions involving technology or software companies, the key asset of the target or seller entity is often a proprietary software platform or product. The source code of these kinds of platforms or products may include “open source software”, which can present certain risks for buyers.