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Negative online reviews can be disastrous for professional people whose livelihoods depend on their good reputations. As a High Court case showed , however, where such reviews stray into libel the law will not hold back in coming to their aid. The case...
Every fashion industry professional knows that innovative designs tend to spawn imitation. However, as a High Court ruling showed , there is a great difference between acceptable inspiration and illegitimate copying. The case concerned a company that sold...
No matter how strongly you may feel, you should pause for thought before venting your spleen on social media. As a High Court ruling showed, expressions of regret after the mouse has been clicked may not be enough to save you from the crushing legal...
When christening a new business it is madness not to take professional advice so as to ensure that you are not transgressing anyone else's intellectual property rights. A case on point concerned a modest Chinese takeaway that shared the same name as an...
For a design to qualify for protection as intellectual property, it must both be novel and have individual character. In a guideline case, the High Court found that the design of Union Jack-emblazoned hoodies and T-shirts, targeted at the London tourist...
Trade secrets are the lifeblood of many businesses and the law will provide powerful assistance in protecting them. That was certainly so in the case of a ship design company whose confidential information was blatantly misused by a prospective client. ...
Companies that spend vast sums on developing products have every right to feel aggrieved when they are subjected to wholesale internet piracy. The High Court made that point in coming to the aid of video gaming giant Nintendo. Since the launch of its...
Inventive employees can find it galling that copyright in their creative works generally belongs not to them but to their employers. As one case made plain, however, that is one of the sacrifices that has to be made in return for a regular salary. The case...
Illegal ticket touts who contend that their crimes are victimless are seeking to justify the unjustifiable. The Court of Appeal made that point in a landmark case of crucial importance to the sports and entertainment industries. The case concerned two...
In order to be subject to non-domestic rates, a commercial space must be capable of beneficial occupation for the purpose for which it is intended. In a guideline case, a tribunal considered whether that criterion is met by so-called 'white space' in the...
