Alan Bond

Alan Bond is an Australian businessman, and one time owner of the Channel 9 Network in Australia. He was charged with fraud in 1997 and imprisoned and was released from jail in March 2000.

In July 2007 Bond and Lesotho Diamonds Corp Plc commenced legal proceedings against freelance journalist Paul Barry over an article published in The Sunday Times titled "Bond, the $1 Billion Man". Bond and the company sought to sue Barry and News Ltd, News Digital Media Pty Ltd and Nationwide News Pty Ltd for an alleged breach of the Trade Practices Act provisions relating to false and misleading conduct. The act protects journalists and news organisations from being sued for deceptive and misleading conduct in relation to news stories. While the act protects journalists and news organisations from action using those provisions, Bond and the company argued they didn't apply to a freelance journalist who was a contractor. Justice Robert French rejected their claim.