31 May 2008

Our Publications

Productivity Commission Review of Australia’s consumer policy framework- 14 May 2008
This alert covers the Productivity Commissioner’s final report on consumer policy. The report recommends replacing current laws with a single national consumer protection law, re-enacting the Uniform Consumer Credit Code as Commonwealth legislation to be regulated by the Australian Securities Investments Commission and developing a national “unfair contract terms” law that voids terms in standard-form contracts that have caused actual consumer detriment.

ACCC draft decision to grant Telstra exemption applications- 30 April 2008
This alert announces the ACCC’s draft decision to exempt Telstra from its obligation to supply the wholesale line rental service and local carriage service within 229 exchange service areas in metropolitan Australia. The exemptions would come into effect 12 months after the date of the ACCC’s final decision and will continue until the declaration expires on 31 December 2012.

Bye Bye Birdsville- 28 April 2008
In this alert we report on the proposed amendments aimed at protecting small business from anti-competitive conduct. Among the changes is an alternate drafting to the Birdsville Amendment introduced in 2007. The section will be changed to prohibit below cost pricing by corporations with a substantial degree of “market power” rather than the previously drafted “market share”. The alert also covers some other changes to be introduced by the exposure draft Bill. It is anticipated that the exposure draft Bill will move quickly through Parliament and will be in force shortly.

China publishes draft filing obligations for merger control regime- 3 April 2008
This State Council of the People’s Republic of China released Implementing Regulations regarding their merger control for public consultation. Published on 27 March 2008, the Regulations clarify various aspects of how the merger control regime will operate and includes pre-merger notification thresholds.

Proposed changes to component pricing- 2 April 2008
This alert notes the proposed changes to component pricing. The changes will enforce a single, all-inclusive figure rather than advertising prices in component parts and are expected to affect all consumer advertising.