Effluent Discharge Prosecutions under the Resource Management Act Regional Councils take unlawful effluent discharge, especially when it enters waterways, extremely seriously. Under the Resource Management Act (RMA) any discharge is unlawful if it breaches the permitted activity rule in your region. The severity of the fines imposed has recently increased significantly as the government cracks down on polluters, with the maximum fine available now $600,000. Many farmers in New Zealand have faced prosecution under the RMA, as despite their best intentions things can go wrong and damage is regrettably caused to the environment. Having charges filed against either your farming company or you personally can be a daunting and worrying time. It is important to get legal representation from lawyers who have experience in effluent discharge matters who can step you through your rights and your next steps, resolving the matter as quickly and satisfactorily as possible. Mark Copeland Lawyers … Read More
Image Rights and New Zealand Copyright Law
“Copyright” refers to the right of someone to make copies of a particular material. If you hold copyright over something, no one can reproduce it in any way without your permission. But do you hold the copyright over your own likeness? One would naturally assume that a person must hold absolute rights over their own image. The legal reality however is a little more complicated. Broadly, things that occur naturally are unable to be copyrighted. There must be an element of the man-made for the creator to assert copyright. Your facial features, although unique to you, are a product of nature. In practice however, there are options available to you to protect your image. Copyright can be asserted over photographs and is covered under the Copyright Act. If your image is used to promote a product or service without your consent, you have remedies under the Fair Trading Act to … Read More