Yahoo Finance Cop a $51,000 fine or JAIL TIME for cashing in on ‘Anzac’
The word or phrase ‘Anzac’ is not to be used lightly – particularly for commercial reasons.
Any business that attempts to cash in on the Anzac commemoration or significantly changes up the Anzac biscuit recipe could face jail time or hefty fines to the tune of $51,000, as reported by AAP.
‘Anzac’, or anything resembling the word, can only be used for commercial purposes with permission from the minister for veterans’ affairs Darren Chester, while serious breaches of the Anzac law can result in 12 months behind bars.
"The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) controls the use of the word so no one profits off a day that is meant to commemorate the memory of people who sacrificed for this country," RSL NSW president James Brown told Sunrise earlier this week.
He said that there had been multiple examples of people trying to use Anzac to market or sell products leading up to the day of commemoration.
"We've had people doing Anzac-related cocktail nights, a plastic surgeon a couple of years ago offered an Anzac special," he told Sunrise earlier this week.
"That needs to be strictly policed not only by officials but the public as well.
"If you're going to a pub [and they’re] advertising on Anzac Day and they are not donating to a veterans' charity, ask why and choose (to go) somewhere else."
Businesses may face fines of up to $51,000, and individuals can also cop penalties of up to $10,200.
Applications for Anzac biscuits are typically approved, so long as the product sticks to the traditional recipe and they’re referred to as ‘Anzac biscuits’ or ‘Anzac slices’, AAP reports.
‘Anzac cookies’ is not allowed because of “the non-Australian overtones”, according to the DVA’s website.
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