Anonymous asked: Do you think that there is a chance of Julia Gillard being replaced as leader of the ALP before the next election?
There is a chance, yes. But it is still very unlikely.
bigbenjo asked: Hi Peter, I have an IP law question. Say an Australian newspaper/website essentially copies and pastes a blog post from a US-based website. They've (very dodgily) re-written it (barely) and posted it on their own website, with a bit of attribution at the end. Nothing saying "This was originally posted on Site Name". Have they broken any laws/guidelines?
While it would depend on the precise circumstances, it is likely that this would constitute an infringement of copyright (regardless of whether proper attribution was made).
Anonymous asked: What are the tips you have for someone looking to use twitter to build a professional network?
1. Be patient. It takes time to cultivate followers and build networks and connections.
2. Be strategic about who you follow and converse with.
3. Be yourself - don’t be afraid to have a personality.
Anonymous asked: QandA(ABC) vs Insight(SBS).
I think Insight is a vastly superior show.
Anonymous asked: Anna Rose. Is she credible?
Yes I think she is credible.
Anonymous asked: are you interested in having a boyfriend? someone who stays with you and you with them?
Yes of course.
Anonymous asked: Why don't you host a show on Briz 31?
I’ve never really thought about it. It is something, however, that would appeal to me.
Anonymous asked: You seem really good at using social media and connecting to people. Is there a way to learn how to do this successfully? Are there courses? I volunteer for a charity and we need more people to know about us but I'm finding it really hard!
There are courses that a variety of different people and organisations run for using social media. Probably the best option, however, is to have a chat to someone you know who uses social media effectively and then slowly begin to play and experiment yourself. I think often it takes time to become familiar with the technology as well as the conventions and language that pervade different forms of social media.
Anonymous asked: Following on from the last Q, could you say whether you think a boutique city IP firm would give you a better experience, than say an IP dept in a corporate/top tier firm?
I guess it depends upon the experience you are after. However, I do think you are more likely to get better experience at a boutique IP firm than at one of the corporate/top tier firms.
Anonymous asked: Can you reccommend any exceptional IP law firms in Brisbane?
There are several law firms in Brisbane that have good IP practices but I’m not really prepared to publicly name any in particular. Sorry.
Anonymous asked: I have a place in the Bachelor of Laws graduate entry at QUT. It's a mid year entry place which I deferred last year. I'm excited by the prospect of changing careers and studying law, I'm just wondering if my age of 32 might be too old to move into something like law which requires so many years of study. I'd appreciate your opinion. Do you think 32 is leaving it too late, especially if I might be studying some of the degree part time?
No definitely not. 32 is still young (and I say that not just because I am also 32 lol). I have taught many students much older than you who have come back to study law after having another successful career and/or having a family. In many ways, I think it is probably easier for you to study law after you have had some experience in the real world.
Anonymous asked: Why are you not teaching LWB486 Intellectual Property this year?
While I would like to be able to still teach LWB486 Intellectual Property, I needed to rationalise the number of units I teach in. In the past, I had been teaching in three or four units a semester, which is not sustainable. So unfortunately I decided to drop LWB486 Intellectual Property (as well as LWB145 Legal Foundations A), to focus on LWB242 Constitutional Law, LWB480 Media Law and law for Creative Industries students.
Anonymous asked: I'm currently in a last minute panic organising subjects for the upcoming semester, and was considering LWB 486. I am rather interested in intellectual property, however I have heard that it is a particularly difficult subject. What do you think?
I don’t think LWB486 Intellectual Property is harder than any other elective units. In fact I think that because many students find it interesting, they generally enjoy studying it.
If you have specific questions about the unit, you should contact someone in the teaching team for 2012 (although I have in the past, I’m not teaching LWB486 this year).
Anonymous asked: Who do you think will win the Apple v Samsung v Apple dispute when it is heard back in the Federal Court in March?
I must admit I haven’t looked at the patents and documents involved in the case very closely, but based upon the decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court in the issue of the interim injunction, you would think Samsung is likely to win the case.
Anonymous asked: How best to approach an unfollow especially if you know the person IRL?
I honestly don’t think this should be a big deal. People shouldn’t take it personally if someone decides to follow or unfollow someone on Twitter. But I know lots of people do take it personally. So I suppose the best approach is to send the person a dm or tweet letting them know why you are unfollowing them. That way no-one is being underhanded and hopefully it will not affected your friendship in real life.
But I’d be interested to know what other people think about this …
