Mills Oakley

The High Court has found Victorian real estate agency Biggin & Scott did not authorise through “indifference” the theft of Campaigntrack’s source code by a software developer it hired to create a cloud-based real estate marketing platform.

Clive Palmer has lost his bid to overturn a council decision to reject his plan for a residential development at a Gold Coast flood plain, with a judge noting that would-be residents would be subject to the “adverse odours” of a nearby sewerage treatment plant.

A judge has upheld a ruling that rejected a bid by two class actions against Victorian aged care providers for insurance and financial information, finding the court likely does not have the power to order the production of documents that are not relevant to the proceeding.

A judge has expressed his preliminary view that cases brought in Queensland cannot be thrown out where the costs of the claims are disproportionate to their importance, allowing a defamation case by entrepreneur Robert McVicker against the ABC to proceed. 

Automotive electronics company Directed Electronics has lost its bid to revive copyright claims against a form business partner who it pursued as part of litigation over a scheme by two former employees to misappropriate its trade secrets through a secret side agreement with South Korean giant Hanhwa.

The state of New South Wales will face a class action on behalf of inmates of the Dillwynia Women’s Correctional Centre who were abused by former correctional officer Wayne Astill.

A judge has rejected an amended copyright case against US-based analytics company CoreLogic, expressing his displeasure at the use of imprecise phrases like ‘including’ and “such as’ in the revised pleading.

A litigation funder that bankrolled a photographer’s unsuccessful copyright claim against CoreLogic has appealed a ruling ordering if to pay indemnity costs to the property data analytics company.

A private investment fund has won its claim as a secured creditor over $2 million in research and development tax refunds that a court previously found should go to employees in a fight over funds remaining following the collapse of fintech Spitfire Corporation. 

Appeals and cross-appeals are flying over a judge’s finding that engineering services firm CIMIC Group can pursue insurance claims for costs arising from allegations it engaged in corrupt practices, including a $32 million class action settlement.