Australia: Quantas succeeds against registration of "Flying Kangaroo" wines
Qantas has successfully opposed an application for registration of the words "Flying Kangaroo" for wines. Though not having used an according trademark, Qantas had filed evidence of its history of using a flying kangaroo logo and the words “Flying Kangaroo” as well as evidence of its strong association with the wine industry. The the Hearing Officer concluded that it was almost inevitable that a significant number of people seeing the applicant’s wine with the trade mark “Flying Kangaroo” would be misled into believing that it has the endorsement or approval of Qantas or has been selected by Qantas for service to passengers on airline flights.
Case: QANTAS Airways Limited v Danniel Amadio [2011] ATMO 84 (25 August 2011)
Australia: High Court decides on scope of a disclaimer
In October 2005, the Plaintiff and her husband went on a tour through Europe which the Plaintiff had booked with the Defendant. While travelling by coach from Prague to Budapest, the Plaintiff got out of her seat to get something from a bag she had stowed in the overhead luggage shelf. The coach braked suddenly; the Plaintiff fell backwards and suffered injury.
Australia: Queensland Supreme Court decides in air terminal accident case
Plaintiff, during the process of embarkation for a Jetstar flight from Brisbane to Adelaide, was directed to descend a flight of stairs within the terminal to access the tarmac for boarding. Having descended the stairs, he was unable to find an open door giving access to the tarmac and therefore began to ascend the stairs to ask Jetstar’s staff which way he should go. At the same time, a number of other passengers were descending the stairs and offered to show palintiff the way. Plaintiff turned, lost his footing and fell to the foot of the stairs, injuring himself.
Australia: agents win final fuel case battle against Qantas
The High Court of Australia has dismissed an application by Qantas to challenge a Federal Court ruling in May that it owes commissions to travel agents because of failing to include fuel surcharges when calculating the commission paid to agents on international ticket sales.
As a result of the High Court decision the case now goes back to the primary judge in the Federal Court, Justice Moore, to determine the amount of commission payable to travel agents.
Brisbane World's best Airport
IATA has chosen Brisbane Airport as world's best airport and bestowed the "Eagle Award". The airport is expecting 15 million passengers this year.
IATA Presents Eagle Award to Airservices Australia
IATA Director General presented the Eagle Award to Airservices Australia. The award is made annually to airports and air navigation services which provide good value and good services to airlines. Last year's recipients were the Irish Aviation authority for air navigation services and the British Airports Authority for the airport category.
Conviction for Sex Tourism
John Arthur Lee has become the first person to be sentence in Australia for sexual abuse of children abroad. His conviction was secured under a law passed in 1994 which enabled authorities to prosecute for sex abuse crimes committed abroad. Lee was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment on one count of sexual intercourse and four counts of indecent relations with under age girls. There were no witnesses or testimony from the victims. The court relied entirely on a series of pornographic photographs and undeveloped film which Lee had taken whilst in Cambodia.
