A writer to the Letters to the Editor column observed after rain fell of the day of the weddings of media heirs Lachlan Murdoch and James Packer that there were some things money just could not buy.
And last week the Federal Court ruled that there was another thing that money just could not buy — the spectacle of the New Year’s Eve fireworks on the Syndey Harbour Bridge. Kerry Packer’s Nine network took actionin the Federal Court to prevent the ABC from broadcasting the event. The Nine Network argued that it had paid $450,000 in sponsorship to the City of Sydney and so should get exclusivity. It argued it had copyright in the artwork of the “”Smiley face” and the word “”Eternity” that would be depicted by the fireworks on the bridge. Failing an injunction the Nien Network demanded that the ABC give it frequent acknowledgement thtoughout the telecast.
The Nine Network will return to court for a damages action, but the court refused to prevent the ABC’s telecast.
In making the ruling Justice Donald Hill made some significant points. He said that Australians looked to the ABC as the public broadcaster for advertisement-free information on significant events. It was in the public interest for the ABC to broadcast.
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