Welcome to 2014 and happy new year!

Just a short note to start the year with some interesting news.

A recent case Mellino v Wnuk [2013] QSC 336 decided that a DVD made just prior to suicide was sufficient to comply with the formal requirements in making a will. This is confirmation that the judicial trend towards approving informally made wills continues and it opens up a new sphere of debate about the need to sign a paper document. Certainly we recommend that you get careful advice in your circumstances and should not rely on this as authority to do your own “death DVD”.

Note that the Personal Property and Securities Act run off period expires on 31 January 2014. If you have trading terms and conditions that deal with stock plant and equipment for sale or hire you must get them reviewed to see how this affects your business. Recent case law suggests a hard line approach will be taken in any contest over ownership where  a bank or creditor has a registered interest no matter who has possession of the goods.

Be aware of the release of top level domain names which are generic restricted by industry and identified by a country code. If you want to apply get in quick as registered trademark owners have until 24 January 2014 to apply. The domains include such names as .bike, .holdings, .plumbing, .ventures and these may be very valuable intellectual property to add to your business value. Let us know if we can help!