Copyright protection extends deep into industrial manufacturing. The Federal Court's 2018 decision in Lumen v Frontline covers engineering drawings, circuit board layouts, and installation instructions — and delivers a stark warning about the cost of discovery failures in IP litigation.

Councils are not exempt from copyright law. The NCAT decision in Brown v Wingecarribee Shire Council shows that photographers can enforce their rights against government bodies — and that a tribunal can be a more accessible, cost-effective forum than the Federal Court for smaller claims.

The 2005 Federal Court decision in Microsoft v PC Club established the framework for retailer liability, trap purchase evidence, and damages calculation in Australian software piracy cases — principles that continue to govern enforcement actions two decades later.

Aristocrat Technologies' fight against pirated gaming machine software exposes a dual lesson: copyright in gaming software and artwork is robustly protected, but how you prove infringement — including the rules around tendency evidence — can be just as important as the substantive law.

The High Court's unanimous 2023 decision in Real Estate Tool Box v Campaigntrack is the definitive Australian statement on when commissioning infringing software makes you liable. It clarifies the line between knowledge of risk and genuine authorisation of copyright infringement.