Viewing post categorized under: Consumer Law

Social Media Influencers – To post or not to post, that is the question

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Intellectual Property, Social Media

The reality is that everyone needs to post, gram and/or tweet to be in the marketplace. Marketing a business or product today requires a seemingly endless stream of content and new ways to reach new audiences. Social media influencers can be a great addition to your marketing campaign, but be sure that you do not […]

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Alice in Merchandise-land – the value of character and celebrity merchandising

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Entertainment Law, Food Law, Intellectual Property, Packaging, Protecting ideas

The value of celebrity endorsements on food advertising, packaging and labelling is indisputable, whether it be Jamie Oliver with his range of products, George Clooney for Nespresso or Serena Williams for Gatorade (and Nike… and Berlie… and…) Take-Away Tips for your business The use of images of fictional beings on products, such as cartoon characters, […]

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Close your eyes, and give me the coke bottle

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Food Law, Intellectual Property, Packaging, Protecting ideas, Trade marks

How to avoid legal issues when it comes to packaging Attention all packaging designers, this is for you. Before you launch your new product with shiny new packaging, it is important to consider whether you could be infringing someone else’s trade mark rights, engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct or passing off. In Australia, aspects […]

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Don’t be fooled, plain packaging is anything but plain

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Packaging, Retail and fashion Law

This article discusses the legalities of plain packaging for cigarette companies   Takeaways Plain packaging was introduced to reduce the attractiveness and appeal of tobacco products. The numerous specific and detailed requirements make plain packaging legislation is difficult to navigate without legal advice. Failing to comply with plain packaging legislation can result in product recalls […]

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Superfood or superfool – the legal lowdown on using this name

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Food Law, Packaging

Blueberries, goji berries, chia seeds, acai berries and of course, kale! These are the superfoods which are going to make you healthier, happier, smarter and just all round better, or so they say. However, before you start spruiking your new superfood from the pristine Amazon rainforest, stop to make sure you do not make yourself […]

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Legal perils to avoid when using social networks

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Internet Law

This article considers copyright for businesses in relation to social media. Issues explored include: Who legally owns a business’ social networking account? Recommendations for drafting social media policies and what they should cover Resolving other issues that can arise from social media use such as bad publicity Social media can both help and hurt businesses. […]

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Exaggerating the Truth or Misleading : A Legal Perspective

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law

This article was specifically written for the real estate industry and looks at terms such as “for illustration purposes only” and use of images that may be considered misleading … You may be surprised. Read more…

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Cats do love the colour purple

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law

What do consumer’s think when they see a row of overwhelmingly purple packaging on the cat food section of supermarket shelves? According to the Federal Court, the answer is WHISKAS! You might want to register a colour trade mark yourself for retail use but the question is have you legally done what you need to […]

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Making a case for accurate claims

Sharon Givoni Consulting Consumer Law

Food manufacturers are always trying to boast the health attributes of their products. The question is how far is too far? When does the law say its misleading? Companies such as Arnott’s, Uncle Toby’s and smaller operators have been under the scrutiny of consumer groups and the ACCC. Read more…

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