Victorian Society for Computers and the Law Conference

This document contains information about:

• Who the conference is designed to assist
• Speakers and their topics
• Cost
• Meals
• Venue
• Parking
• Cancellations
• Joining the Victorian Society for Computers and Law
• Making Reservations

The conference has been designed for:

• Individuals,
• businesses and organisations seriously interested in exploiting the opportunities of the Internet and on-line services in their business,
• Lawyers, accountants and other professional advisers with clients that are, or will be, using the Internet or on-line services,
• Anyone already using the Internet interested in furthering opportunities, refining their strategies, or assessing the impact of on-line services such as On Australia, Compuserve, and eWorld,
• CEO's, corporate strategists and strategic planners who need to assess the impact of the Internet on their future business, staffing requirements, business location, and telecommuting.
• Return to the index at the top of this document

Cost details are below.

7.45am Breakfast session: Reshaping Business with the Internet

Phillip McCrae, Industry Manager Division of Information Technology, CSIRO

• The Internet is rapidly being discovered by Australian industry as a new 'enabling technology' which is providing opportunities for:
  • improvement in business efficiencies
  • worldwide marketing of products and services
  • export of service industries
  • an infrastructure of electronic commerce
• No longer is the tyranny of distance acting against us. Australia is well placed to take advantage of the Internet and use it to improve competitiveness. This talk will develop the above themes, and will demonstrate how companies in Australia and around the world are currently using the Internet.

Philip Catania, President Victorian Society for Computers & the Law

9.05am Keynote Session

Jason Romney, Price Brent Information Media & Communication Group & the Australian Financial Review

Getting Serious - Business & the Internet Today

• Geographics and demographics:
  • What type of people are Internet users?
  • Where are they located?
  • Are they buyers or lookers?
  • How effective is the Internet in delivering your message & how many hits do Web sites really generate?
  • How can key Web usage statistics be determined to generate more business?
  • What businesses suit the Internet, what don't?
  • Defining Web publishing objectives:
    • What audience do you want to attract?
    • What is the message you want to convey?
    • What is the response you want to elicit?
  • Establishing a personal presence:
    • newsgroups and mailing lists
  • Online promotion of your organisation:
    • Simple WWW home pages.
    • Sponsoring popular home pages.
    • Newgroup / mailing list postings & "spamming".
    • Information / Customer service systems.
      • What do they involve and how do they work?

Peter Faris Q.C., Barrister

A live visit to state of the art business sites in key areas analysing their Internet strategy and what you can learn from it.

• How will the Internet change the way we live & work?
• Are there opportunities for David to beat Goliath?
• The Brave New World - prepare or perish?

Tim Roper, Technix Consulting

• What are the real threats you should consider before embarking on business use of the Internet?
• Questions you should ask your service provider.
• The balance between protection, cost and accessibility.

The Melbourne Age's Computer Editor, Rod Ashcroft, hosts a sudden death shoot-out where each system has 20 minutes to convince you it's the best service for your business.

1. Internet service providers - Mira Networking
   • Internet service providers put your business directly on the Internet and work with their own or independent consultants and designers to tailor a system to your needs. Will it work for you?
2. Compuserve Pacific Compuserve Pacific is Australia's longest established commercial online service and has an extensive and loyal base of users throughout the world.
   • What benefits can a commercial online service provide above and beyond those of the Internet?
   • How can they support your business?
3. OnAustralia
   • There is no doubt that OnAustralia will make a major impact in online services.
   • Can they outposition existing services?
   • What is new or better?
   • Is this where the users will be?
4. Apple eWorld
   • Apple has thrown off the shackles of proprietary systems. eWorld is no longer an Apple only system.
   • Are they a serious contender?
   • Do loyal Apple users represent a key niche market?

1pm Lunch

2pm Business On The Internet - Myth or Reality?

Philip Catania, Corrs Chambers, Westgarth

How much business gets done on the Internet? The fact that customers can be almost anywhere in the world is a fascinating prospect, but what are:

• the legal implications in transborder data flows?
• the different laws that may protect consumers in foreign jurisdictions?
• the ways product liability law affects the Internet?

Gary Hardy

3pm Virtual Liability

Julian Burnside Q.C., Barrister

• What are the issues you need to consider to develop a liability risk assessment for your Internet plans?
• What action can you take to avoid liability altogether or shift it to another party?
• Do you own your home Page?
• A brief discourse on consultants, copying and copyright.
• Domain names:
  • What are they?
  • Are they tradeable?
  • How do they relate to trade marks ?

Evan Predavec, Butterworths Australia

• What opportunities does the Internet provide for existing and would be publishers of all types and sizes?
• Is it a big step from publishing free material to seeking payment?
• What systems and organisations can assist the boutique information provider develop and market their material?

Dr Gordon Hughes, Hunt & Hunt

• Are there limits on publishing information you have access to?
• Can you prevent systems you access and software you use collecting data on you and transmitting back to its developers?
• Is Internet mail secure enough for your business?
• What can you do?
• Private E-mail - Public Liability:
  • defamation and other dangers
• Censorship on the Internet: the new regime?

• Your Questions Answered

• VSCL Members Registration Fee - $325.00
• Non - VSCL Members Registration Fee - $375.00
• Combined Registration Fee & VSCL Membership - $365

• Breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon teas are included.
• Arrangements can be made to accommodate special dietary requirements.
• Return to the index at start of this document

• Melbourne Hilton on the Park, 192 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne
  Tel: (03) 9419 3311
  Fax: (03) 9419 5630
  Return to the index at start of this document

• Telephone: (613) 9596 4333
• Within Australia: (03) 9596 4333
• Fax: (03) 9596 4207
• International fax: (613) 9596 4207
• Please have your brochure ready to assist operator in making your provisional registration.
• Return to the index at start of this document

Philip McCrae has over 24 years experience in the Australian Information Technology Industry, covering both academic and industrial spheres. After obtaining a Ph.D. in Electrical engineering in 1975, he held university lecturing positions on the UK, Canada and Australia. He left academic life in in 1986 to become Software Development Manager at AAP Reuters Communications, and in 1988 he joined Softway Pty Ltd as Managing Director, a position he held till 1993. He then carried out several consulting assignments, before joining the CSIRO Division of Information Technology in Nov. 1994 as Industry Liaison Manager.

Return to 7.45am Session listing

Jason Romney is a solicitor at Price Brent's Information Media and Communication Group and columnist for the Australian Financial Review. He specialises in legal, technological, marketing and business development advice for multimedia developers and on-line service providers.

Return to 9.05am Session listing

Peter Faris QC practises in the field of criminal law, and is a Web engineer. Director of Info Med Pty Ltd and Lawweb Pty Ltd - consultants for connecting professional or businesses to the World Wide Web. Operates a Melbourne based Internet service provision organisation, designed specifically for lawyers.

Return to 9.45am Session listing

Tim Roper has extensive experience in UNIX systems programming and systems administration, working with UNIX 4 since 1981 and being involved in TCP/IP systems since 1987. Currently engaged as a consultant in the development of Internet protocols and in particular Internet security and Internet firewall systems.

Return to 10.45am Session listing

Philip Catania is a technology and Intellectual Property Law Partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and is current President of the Victorian Society for Computers and the Law. He has a computer science degree and prior to joining the legal profession worked in the computer industry and subsequently has been involved in the implementation of electronic communication networks for the legal profession.

Return to the 2pm Session listing
Return to the 9am Session listing

Gary Hardy is an information and on-line publishing specialist and the manager of Vicnet, the Victorian Government's premier Web publishing enterprise.

Return to 2.45pm Session listing

Julian Burnside QC is one of Australia's leading computer law barristers, a former President of the VSCL and has been counsel in key computer technology litigation.

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Evan Predavec is electronic Publishing Manager for Butterworths Australia, with considerable experience in what works and what doesn't in all forms of electronic publishing. Evan won the UK Society for Computers and Law's prize for the best application of technology to the Law in 1994 with his on-line network created for British lawyers.

Return to 4pm Session listing

Gordon Hughes is principal of the Intellectual Property & Technology Law division of national law firm, Hunt & Hunt. He is a leading expert in the law relating to computer software and technology. He is a former president of the Law Institute of Victoria and the Victorian Society for Computers & The Law. He is also the author of Data Protection in Australia and co-author of Computer Contracts, Principles and Precedents

Return to 4.30pm Session listing