In its recent decision, the Federal Court has confirmed that schemes are not patentable merely because they are “new and ingenious” and are implemented using a computer. While the door is not completely closed on computer implemented schemes, the patentability threshold will never be passed unless there is some innovation in the computer technology, says Jane Owen and Rebecca Currey of Bird & Bird.
A former solicitor with McCabe Curwood has lost his attempt to overturn an order that he pay $36,000 in costs to his former employer, after an appeals court found that his challenge was “incompetent”.
With COVID-19 forcing courts to deal with more matters on the papers, written submissions are more important than ever and must be carefully crafted to assist the court while offering clients the best chance of success, barristers told Lawyerly.
The settlement arrangement resolving five class actions against Volkswagen, which carved out hefty legal fees from the $120 million payout to drivers, could become more prevalent as the spotlight is once again trained on the cost of class actions. But the approach is not without controversy, experts say.
Norton Rose Fulbright has lost its second partner this month, with the defection of IP specialist Helen MacPherson to Baker McKenzie.
Litigation funders say they do not oppose the government’s plan to subject them to a licensing regime, but legal experts told Lawyerly the crackdown on funders may go too far too fast and could harm class action litigants.
Boral has successfully defended a lawsuit brought by a subsidiary of building products supplier Wagners, which previously estimated it would take a $10 million financial hit for suspending a cement supply contract with the construction giant.
The Federal Court’s, albeit not total, approval of common fund orders, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the likely approval of contingency fees in Victoria mean that, more than ever, litigation funders and plaintiff law firms will be on the lookout for class actions, says Alex Haslam of Gilchrist Connell.
Herbert Smith Freehills has bolstered the ranks of its global financial services team with the recruitment of former Norton Rose Fulbright partner Charlotte Henry.
From a hand sanitiser called Covidfighter to delivery services branded The Quarantine Concierge, the coronavirus pandemic has led to numerous trade mark applications to IP Australia seeking to capitalise on the outbreak. And while some applications will be expensive failures, others have good prospects for success, say Spruson & Ferguson’s Blake Knowles and Rhiannan Solomon.