Cindy Cameronne

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has hit teleco Medion Australia with a $259,440 penalty for allegedly failing to verify customer identity, claiming it caused several people to fall victim to SIM-swap scams. 

Subcontractor Ventia Utility Services had lost its bid to recover $5.6 million in alleged overpayments to class action group members from co-defendant Western Power, after its liability was reduced on appeal in a representative proceeding over the 2014 Perth Hills bushfire.

Aldi is seeking to have a class action alleging it systematically underpaid workers across Australia to the tune of $150 million summarily dismissed, after claiming it was served with a “bad pleading”. 

A judge has handed a partial win to homewares brand Bed Bath N’ Table, finding rival House misled consumers by opening a sub-brand called House Bed & Bath but rejecting the retailer’s trade mark infringement claims.

A former Atanaskovic Hartnell client is seeking special leave to challenge a judgment from the NSW Court of Appeal that found self-represented law firms can recover costs for work done by their own solicitors, urging the High Court to intervene to clarify a judgment eliminating the so-called Chorley exception.

Energy company Santos has defeated a challenge by a Tiwi Islander traditional custodian to the construction of a pipeline for its $5.6 billion Barossa gas project, with a judge rejecting expert evidence about risks to cultural heritage.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has lost its opposition to the registration of three trade marks by pay on demand company BeforePay, with a delegate finding that consumers of banking and financial services were unlikely to be confused by the marks and acted with high “care and attention”. 

Developer Centurion Australia Investments has lost an appeal in a dispute with builder APM Group in which it argued that its RMIT Village student accommodation falls under laws applying to domestic buildings. 

Property developer Green Capital and Lake Macquarie City council are facing a class action seeking compensation for homeowners in a Newcastle suburb over properties that are allegedly sinking into the ground and have been “injuriously affected in value”. 

The High Court has been asked to hear another case dealing with how reduction in value damages should be calculated under the Australian Consumer Law, with Ford arguing its appeal should be heard alongside two appeals in a class action against Toyota which the High Court has already agreed to take up.