AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

PRINTING AND NEWSPAPERS ORDINANCE 1970

Explanatory Memorandum

No. 3 of 1970

	The Printing and Newspapers Ordinance 1970 will amend the existing legislation in two respects.

	Firstly, the proposed Ordinance will amend the definition section of the existing Ordinance (section 4) by omitting the terms “ronco” and “multigraph” because both these terms are registered trade marks.

	“Ronco” and “multigraph” were excluded from the definition of “printing press” to make it clear that possessors of what are commonly known as duplicating machines were to be immune from prosecution for failure to register as printers.  This amendment will not affect the immunity.

	The second amendment is in respect of the power of the Registrar to cancel the registration of a registered newspaper.

	Under section 24 of the existing Ordinance this power exists only where publication of a registered newspaper has ceased.  The Registrar has no power at present to cancel the registration of a registered newspaper that has never been published.  The proposed section 24A will overcome these deficiencies.

        PN
.............................
Minister’s Initials