ItaButtrose is one of the best known people in Australia.
She's a former Australian of the Year, she's widely
respected and her word carries a great deal of weight.
So when a company providing aged care used her image on its
website without securing her permission, and without paying her
normal fee of $75,000 for endorsing their product, it wasn't
surprising the matter ended up in court.
The Federal Court recently ruled in favour of ItaButtrose. It
heard her lawyers had first demanded $25,000 to settle the case.
The company took its time deciding whether to pay up, and four
months later the lawyers sent a second letter demanding
$50,000.
The Court found the company had breached section 36 of the
Copyright Act 1968 and sections 18 and 19 of Schedule 2 of
the Competition and Consumer Act. The company was ordered
to pay damages and legal costs, and say Buttrose had never endorsed
their products.
