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The NSW Supreme Court’s Practice Note on the use of generative artificial intelligence is now in effect. This guidance arrives at a crucial time, following a recent case where a lawyer was referred to the NSW Legal Services Commissioner after submitting court documents containing AI-generated, non-existent case citations. In this video, BN’s Will Stidston breaks down the key takeaways from the new Practice Note, including what’s permitted, what’s prohibited, and the steps lawyers must take to ensure accuracy and confidentiality when using AI in legal proceedings.

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Can AI really capture the nuance of a boardroom discussion? Governance Institute of Australia and Australian Institute of Company Directors have released a joint statement on best-practice board minute-taking, including updated legal guidance and practical insights. The statement covers key principles for effective minutes, the evolving legal landscape, and how AI tools are starting to influence the process. It outlines the risks of relying too heavily on AI, while reinforcing the importance of human judgment, accuracy, and clarity in capturing board decisions. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/4dwJjqx #Governance #BoardMinutes #AI #CorporateGovernance #AICD #GovernanceInstitute

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On 10 December 2024, the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 (Cth) – the first stage of Australia's long-awaited privacy law reforms – received Royal Assent. Now known as the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024 (Cth) (Amendment Act), it introduces several significant amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act), many of which came into effect immediately. This represents an opportunity for organisations to reassess privacy policies and practices – not merely to ensure compliance, but to lead in the lawful and ethical handling of personal information. Don’t miss our overview of these amendments and the corresponding commencement dates. https://lnkd.in/gZF7Cv4x Authors: Vanessa Mellis, Paul Kallenbach, Milashni Richardson and Angharad Beach

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IP Australia's 2025 report shows trade mark activity at its peak since the post-COVID surge in 2021, with some countries notably increasing filings. In this article Partner Joy Atacador and Special Counsel Roanne De Menezes share some of the report data, the number of Australian SMEs that own trade marks, and the top filing countries, sectors, and categories. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gZD-8Wqc #TradeMarks #IntellectualProperty #IPTrends #GlobaIIP #AusLaw

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On Friday 8 August 2025, Chief Justice Mortimer issued the Intellectual Property Practice Note – Standard Directions for Australian Patent Proceedings (IP-2). This national initiative aims to standardise the management of patent litigation through consistent directions and procedures. The Court will continue to consult on the Practice Note to further enhance its case management tools. Practitioners are invited to provide feedback to the chambers of National Judicial Registrar Susan O’Connor at Assistant.OConnorR@fedcourt.gov.au. All comments will be anonymised before being provided to the Intellectual Property National Coordinating Judges. To view the notice to the profession see https://lnkd.in/eXjKE8zV #FCA #auslaw #IP

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What AI means for lawyers is a hot topic across the legal industry.  Senior Associate Hannah Fas shares her thoughts with the The Australian Financial Review and is optimistic about its potential. " … it’s certainly not a threat, or I don’t think it should be seen as a threat to legal roles, but more of an enhancement to what we do," Hannah says. https://lnkd.in/gPkAb4eP (paywall) #AI #artificialintelligence #lawyers Hayden Delaney, Steven Hunwicks📶, Briar Francis, Kerry Awerbuch, Andrew Chalet, Katrina Chambers, Tony Conaghan, Ben Coogan, Demetrios Christou, Mark Feetham, Bronwyn Furse, Peter Le Guay, Josh Simons, Angela Summersby, Mathew Baldwin

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Privacy misconceptions are everywhere. From boardrooms to bars, myths about what the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) and its Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) requires and obliges continue to flourish. These myths persist because privacy law is complex and ever-evolving, and perhaps because, at first glance, some rules seem counter-intuitive. For Australian businesses, government legal practitioners, privacy officers, lawyers, and compliance professionals, believing a myth can lead to risky compliance gaps. It’s important to bust these myths so that your organisation or agency handles personal information correctly and confidently. Below, Kristina, Jim, Amanda and Lily tackle ten common Australian privacy myths, explaining the reality behind each one. Our accompanying article offers practical tips for compliance: https://lnkd.in/gTuy4Rg6

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IP Australia has launched a free AI-powered tool, TM Checker, to assist applicants in assessing trade mark availability. The tool is part of the government’s ongoing push to make IP more accessible to businesses and individuals. Fiona Brittain and Lisa Lennon explore how TM Checker stacks up against a full professional clearance search. Offering practical insights on when this digital tool might be useful – and when a more comprehensive approach is advisable. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gKW6_5Sm   #Trademarks #IP #TMchecker #Ventures #Startups #SMEs

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The Federal Court has ordered Anthony Rotondo (Antonio Rotondo) to pay a $343,500 penalty plus costs, for posting deepfake images of several high-profile Australian women. We sought a significant civil penalty to reflect the seriousness of the Online Safety Act breaches and the damaging impacts of the image-based abuse on the women targeted. ​​We remain deeply concerned by the non-consensual creation and sharing of explicit deepfake images which can cause significant psychological and emotional distress.  ​That’s why we’ve taken steps to tackle deepfake image-based abuse including launching enforcement action against a technology company responsible for AI-generated ‘nudify’ services. These were used to create deepfake sexualised images of Australian school children. ​ ​​Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/g6t7y-AK

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Reminder: The Courts are making improvements to the process for Applications for Consent Orders in family law. From 31 October 2025, parties must file a Word document version of their proposed orders, together with a signed PDF copy and the Application for Consent Orders. This will improve the visual quality of consent orders, and decrease the time to publication enabling quicker access to published orders. Read the full Practice and Procedure update here: https://brnw.ch/21wX4UY #FCFCOA #auslaw #familylaw

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