Section 159 — Competition and Consumer Act 2010: Misleading representations about certain business activities

(1) A person commits an offence if: (a) the person, in trade or commerce, makes a representation; and (b) the representation is false or misleading in a material particular; and (c) the representation concerns the profitability, risk or any other material aspect of any business activity that the person has represented as one that can be, or can be to a considerable extent, carried on at or from a person’s place of residence. (2) A person commits an offence if: (a) the person, in trade or commerce, makes a representation; and (b) the representation is false or misleading in a material particular; and (c) the representation concerns the profitability, risk or any other material aspect of any business activity: (i) that the person invites (whether by advertisement or otherwise) other persons to engage or participate in, or to offer or apply to engage or participate in; and (ii) that requires the performance of work by other persons, or the investment of money by other persons and the performance by them of work associated with the investment. (3) Subsections (1) and (2) are offences of strict liability. Penalty (4) An offence against subsection (1) or (2) committed by a body corporate is punishable on conviction by a fine of not more than the greater of the following: (a) $100,000,000; (b) if the court can determine the value of the benefit that the body corporate, and any body corporate related to the body corporate, have obtained directly or indirectly and that is reasonably attributable to the commission of the offence—3 times the value of that benefit; (c) if the court cannot determine the value of that benefit—30% of the body corporate’s adjusted turnover during the breach turnover period for the offence. (5) An offence against subsection (1) or (2) committed by a person other than a body corporate is punishable on conviction by a fine of not more than $2,500,000.