Pressure mounting on Canberra in struggle for copyright control
The federal government is likely to come under pressure to change copyright laws after a court decided last month that Telstra's Yellow Pages and White Pages directories were not protected because they were the work of computers rather than identifiable authors.
Resigned to the daily grind
Have you ever opened your eyes on a Monday morning, looked at the hysterical alarm clock next to your bed and thought: "Who the hell was the mongrel who invented the five-day working week?"
$A likely to stay higher for longer
The Rudd government will go into the election with an unassailable claim that it combined with the Reserve Bank to steer Australia away from a recession.
CEOs lack credibility
An Academic, a non-government organisation or a person on the street given more credit than CEO's.
Outrageous Fortune
They may have responsible jobs, but do CEOs really deserve their astronomical salaries?
Pace of hiring picking up
Companies are set to hire more workers in coming months, to meet the demands of a strengthening economy, a survey shows.
Profit upgrades buoy confidence
Investor returns are heading from boiled lollies to chocolates as buoyant business conditions drive a host of profit upgrades, and the prospect of higher dividend payments.
Big four weathering hard times
Rising lending losses among small to medium business is emerging as the new pressure point for Australian banks - although this is not enough to hurt the much-cherished AA credit rating of the big four.
Resilience a necessity in luxury land
With its third Melbourne store now open, Louis Vuitton's Asia-Pacific chief says the company has had a good year despite the global downturn, writes Mark Hawthorne.
Tax havens to aid crackdown
The number of tax havens willing to share information with the Tax Office is expected to expand before the end of the year.
Screws turn on tax havens
Australia and other developed nations are tired of seeing their tax dollars heading overseas and out of reach, writes Ruth Williams and Ian McIlwraith.
Investment down $42bn
Business investment is set to be $42 billion lower through the downturn says the federal Treasury.
Directors take judge to task
A contest over whether James Hardie board approved a misleading media release about asbestos compensation to be fought again.
Trade deals a blow to economy
Australia's current account deficit doubled in the June quarter, a worse-than-expected shortfall that may push the economy into contraction for the period, economists say.
Big four gain as foreign banks lose market share
The big four banks are gaining market share in loans at the expense of foreign banks operating in Australia, with most of the lending going towards mortgages and households as business credit declines.
Inflation threat may mar economy's recovery
The emerging threat of higher inflation poses real dangers for the economy even as the current run-up in unemployment is turning out less than earlier feared, according to the Melbourne Institute.
Reserve calls time on guarantee
Australia's banks are under mounting pressure from the Reserve Bank to wean themselves off a Government guarantee that has given them one of the cheapest funding sources in the world.
Smaller banks need help
Business confidence may have turned up and the stock market is jumping, but Wayne Swan has a new crisis to deal with: the lifeline he extended Australia's second-tier banks has run out and he's done nothing about it.
Investors told to watch executive pay
Investors have been urged to remain sceptical about companies freezing executive pay, with the real extent of salaries unlikely to be known until later this year.
Australia dodges recession
Australia has dodged a recession, with data released today showing the economy expanded in the first three months of the year.
Survive those taxing times
An audit strikes terror into the hearts of many. But never fear, there are steps you can take to limit the likelihood of being targeted over claims.
Working to 67 is a grey area
If the retirement age is lifted by two years, employees, bosses and colleagues will have to change their attitudes.
A decade of debt until we're free
Australia will remain mired in debt for at least 10 years, with net debt projected to reach about $188 billion within four years, says Phillip Coorey.
Fed to the rescue
How Ben Bernanke and his central bank headed off a depression. Stuart Washington reports.
Beware the false dawn
After the downturn comes uncertainty, with no two super funds yielding the same return.
The market catches a cold
After the past year of sharemarket convulsions, financial markets don't need an official declaration of a pandemic to panic.
High taxes, high confusion
Many of Australia's biggest businesses aren't certain how much tax they pay, according to a survey of 79 of the biggest.
Aussie equity raisings surge
Australia has led the world in the amount of new equity raised by companies from global sharemarkets over the past six months.
Rubbish to riches
Tough economic times and eco-awareness are a perfect match. The time is ripe to build it, bake it or fix it.
Loans crunch for Australian businesses
Many big Australian companies must refinance this year, leaving them vulnerable to the health of credit markets and the ability of Australian and international banks to lend.
Spending our way to safety
The Treasury has estimated that Australians will spend seven dollars out of every 10 paid out in its $10.4 billion economic package.
Executive bonuses broke economy
With the economy close to actually starting to shrink, the former governor of the Reserve Bank has pinned the blame for the financial turmoil on executives who took excessive risks to secure multi-million dollar bonuses.
Companies set to axe jobs
Jitters in the world economy are starting to rattle Australia's jobs market, as a survey shows businesses expect to pay higher wages and lay off workers in the next year.
Fastest growing businesses revealed
Despite growing concerns over economic growth, Australia's entrepreneurs are still extremely confident about their futures, according to an annual list of Australia's 100 fastest growing small to medium enterprises.
Real returns from virtual worlds
The craze in online virtual worlds among children and teenagers has started a stampede of companies attempting to cash in on the boom.
Mind the gap
Baby boomers, generation X and generation Y require different management strategies.
What goes around
A national skills shortage has created varied opportunities in different parts of the country.
Life choices
Cutting your working hours to chase a better lifestyle can have its downside.
Slouching towards power
The baby boomers are retiring and the generation that has always had a resigned air is starting to take over.
Who owns an idea?
Legal cases relating to trade secrets and intellectual property are on the rise.
A long way to go
Women are still trailing men in remuneration and appointments to top jobs.
Shooting the messenger
Australians are still unlikely to blow the whistle on wrongdoings within an organisation.
Facebook up to it
Businesses have only recently begun to utilise collaborative and interactive online applications.
Good leaders look the part
How can you tell successful chief executives from the not-so-successful? That's easy - from their appearance.
Work ethics
Today's employees expect a lot more from their employers than a weekly pay packet.
What workers want
A shortage of talent means employees can make more demands of employers.
Good for you
The best companies value their employees and realise that looking after them results in better outcomes and higher productivity.
The way we live
A picture of a nation is uncovered among the annual collection of surveys and statistics.
