The Australian Securities and Investments Commission will gets a chance on Monday to prove its claims that Westpac breached responsible lending laws by providing unsuitable home loans when the two face off in a high-stakes trial following the court’s rejection of what would have been a record $35 million penalty for breaching the country’s lending laws.
A resale price maintenance notification by Meredith Dairy that would block resellers from selling its goat cheese products below a specified price raises competition concerns, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says.
Kraft Foods has come up short in its high-stakes legal battle against Bega over the right to use its distinctive peanut butter trade dress in Australia, allowing Bega to maintain its hold on the $60 million per year stake in the peanut butter market which it acquired by purchasing Kraft unit Mondelez’s Australian and New Zealand business in 2017.
Judgment is expected Wednesday in a high-stakes dispute between consumer giants Kraft and Bega over who owns the rights to the signature Kraft peanut butter trade dress in Australia.
The consumer regulator has dragged Western Australia’s Quantum Housing and its sole director to court for allegedly engaging in unconscionable conduct and false, misleading or deceptive conduct in relation to a government-sponsored affordable housing program that incentivises below-market rentals.
The litigation funder backing a consumer protection class action against mortgage lending and investment firm RMBL Investments will earn a step-up commission of 30% if the case continues into September, according to a proposed common fund order.
The consumer watchdog has brought legal action against Australian 4WD Hire, accusing the car rental company of charging customers for damage to vehicles without evidence of damage, and threatening to slap on extra charges to customers who complained.
Ticket reseller Viagogo will face penalties after the court found it duped customers into thinking it was an official ticket vendor and failed to disclose booking fees of around 28 per cent, causing some customers to pay hundreds of dollars more than what their tickets were actually worth.
Singapore-based cable manufacturer Midland Metals has lost its appeal of a judgment that found the Australian Cablemakers Association did not violate the consumer laws when it sent letters to several Ministers complaining that an electrical cable supplied by Midland was unsafe.
Dairy giant Parmalat has come up short in its attempt to block competitor The a2 Milk Company from registering a trade mark in Australia for a logo featuring the words “A2/A2 Genetics Verification”.