On 29 November the ACCC released two reports about its role in the regulation of Australia Post. The first report, Principles for the public disclosure of record-keeping rule information provided by Australia Post, outlines principles the ACCC will apply when considering publication of information that Australia Post claims is confidential. The report follows consultation with Australia Post and other interested parties.
The second report, Assessing cross-subsidy in Australia Post—An ACCC report, is a reissue of a report first published by the ACCC in July 2006. At the time of the report’s first publication, the ACCC indicated that it might reissue the report once the principle for disclosure had been finalised. The reissued report contains more information than the original report, but the report findings remain unchanged.
Copyright licensing guide
The ACCC is seeking comment on a draft guide to copyright licensing aimed at users of copyright material. The draft guide was released for public consultation when the Australian Parliament began consideration of the Copyright Amendment Bill 2006. Amendments proposed in the Bill will allow the Copyright Tribunal to:
have regard to guidelines (if any) made by the ACCC
make the ACCC a party to Copyright Tribunal proceedings.
The draft guide is available on the ACCC website. Submissions are due by 31 January 2007.
Food and beverage industry: food descriptors guideline to the Trade Practices Act
Published on 23 November, this guideline provides a trade practices perspective on industry representations about its food and beverage products. The guideline will assist food and beverage businesses to understand the Trade Practices Act as it generally applies to this area, together with examples of the types of claims businesses can, and cannot, make about their products and the context in which such claims can be made.
The ACCC conducts national product safety surveys throughout the year in a variety of locations. Staff visit stores in capital cities and regional centres while internet-based trading on popular auction websites and other retail sites is also monitored.
Children’s nightwear, basketball rings and backboards and elastic luggage straps are just some of the dangerous products removed from sale as a result of the ACCC’s most recent survey activity.
In the past six months alone, the ACCC has surveyed 581 items in 322 retail outlets across Australia, resulting in 22 products being withdrawn from sale and eight being recalled. Non-compliance with mandatory product safety standards or bans was identified in 5% of products inspected, with follow-up enforcement action being taken on each offending item.
Product safety surveys include visual checks and testing of samples for safety compliance. Follow-up checks of retailers and websites where non-compliant goods have previously been found are also performed regularly.
Mandatory product safety standards are in place to protect consumers. Retailers, wholesalers, importers and manufacturers supplying products that are made and labelled in Australia or overseas, must ensure the products meet the requirements of all Australian mandatory product safety standards.
Product safety staff at the ACCC wish all readers a safe and happy festive season.
