Selected cases

Federal Court of Australia · [2026] FCA 708

Campbell v McIntyre

A Federal Court interim injunction case about online publications, serious allegations, takedown orders and ACL reputation risk.

Federal Court of Australia21 May 2026

Plain-English explainers, not legal advice. Use the linked official source for section-level detail, and get advice for your situation.

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Quick read

  • Online disputes can become urgent ACL and reputation litigation.
  • A Federal Court interim injunction case about online publications, serious allegations, takedown orders and ACL reputation risk.

Use this to check

  • Commercial disputes can create ACL risk when online statements are made in trade or commerce.
  • Interim injunctions may require urgent takedown steps before the full dispute is decided.
  • Businesses should preserve online evidence before posts are removed, edited or republished elsewhere.

Decision snapshot

  1. What happened

    • Mr Campbell was a Queensland resident and director of Kinnara Limited and Kinnara Pte Ltd.
    • He described Kinnara as an online property listing, property-development and sales agency for projects in South-East Asia.
    • Mr McIntyre was connected with land and development projects in Lombok, Indonesia.
    • The parties had been involved in a joint enterprise and then fell out.
  2. What the court had to decide

    • The Federal Court considered whether to grant interim injunctions under section 234 of the Australian Consumer Law requiring the respondent to remove and stop republishing a video and articles, where the applicant alleged misleading or deceptive conduct and serious reputational and commercial harm from online publications.
  3. What the court decided

    • The Court made interim orders requiring removal of the specified video and articles from websites and a WhatsApp group, restraining republication and requiring an affidavit about compliance steps.
    • The orders operated until 30 June 2026 or earlier further order, with costs reserved and service permitted by email.

Practical impact

Practical read

  • Online disputes can become urgent ACL and reputation litigation.
  • If a commercial dispute spills into videos, articles, WhatsApp groups or investor communications, businesses need evidence, takedown strategy and restraint before the posts cause wider damage.

Useful next steps

  • Commercial disputes can create ACL risk when online statements are made in trade or commerce.
  • Interim injunctions may require urgent takedown steps before the full dispute is decided.
  • Businesses should preserve online evidence before posts are removed, edited or republished elsewhere.
  • Staff and founders should avoid publishing serious allegations during a dispute without legal review.
  • Preserve screenshots, URLs, dates, audience evidence and customer impact before seeking takedown relief.

Practical read

This case is a modern business-dispute warning. A falling out between commercial parties did not stay in emails or lawyers' letters. It moved into videos, articles, websites and a WhatsApp group, with allegations that could affect investors, customers and reputation.

The Court granted interim orders under the Australian Consumer Law requiring takedown steps and restraining republication until a later date or further order. Importantly, this was interim relief. The respondent had not appeared, and the Court emphasised that findings at this stage were preliminary. Even so, the seriousness of the alleged representations, the claimed commercial harm and the online reach of the publications justified urgent intervention.

For businesses, the practical lesson cuts both ways. If your company is targeted by damaging online claims, move quickly to preserve URLs, screenshots, audience evidence, customer impact and the commercial context. If your company is thinking about publishing accusations during a dispute, slow down. Serious allegations made in trade or commerce can create ACL, defamation and injunction risk.

Checks to run

Key points

  • Preserve screenshots, URLs, dates, audience evidence and customer impact before seeking takedown relief.
  • Use one approved communication channel for public statements during a commercial dispute.
  • Tell staff and founders not to post accusations while litigation or settlement discussions are active.
  • Check whether statements are being made in trade or commerce before assuming it is only a defamation issue.
  • Get legal help before sending takedown demands or publishing dispute allegations online.

Key takeaways

  • Commercial disputes can create ACL risk when online statements are made in trade or commerce.
  • Interim injunctions may require urgent takedown steps before the full dispute is decided.
  • Businesses should preserve online evidence before posts are removed, edited or republished elsewhere.
  • Staff and founders should avoid publishing serious allegations during a dispute without legal review.

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