The case concerning the use of a competitor’s name in ‘keyword’ marketing for Internet searches has now been decided and the ruling has implications for those who use such practices. The dispute involved Marks & Spencer (M&S) and Interflora. M&S…
Coffee-making machines using disposable ‘capsules’ of raw ingredients are becoming increasingly popular, so a row between two manufacturers of such systems was always on the cards. In the dispute, Nestec (a subsidiary of Nestlé) claimed that a rival system, manufactured…
In a case which vividly illustrates that confusion between similar website names is not an insoluble problem, a businessman has been directed to give up two internet domain names which were capable of creating public confusion and a perception that…
In resolving a dispute as to the ownership of intellectual property rights in respect of software that formed the ‘crown jewels’ of a highly successful investment business, the High Court has ruled that authorship does not necessarily equate to copyright.…
A patent can only be granted when there is novelty in the thing for which the patent is sought. This is why it is critical that one’s novel designs do not become public knowledge: once they do, a patent application…
A recent ECJ ruling will provide welcome news to trade mark proprietors. The ruling confirms that trade mark proprietors who consider that a third party's use of a later-registered trade mark is an infringement of their own mark can potentially…
The Information Commissioner’s Office has fined Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd £250,000 for a serious breach of the Data Protection Act 1998. In April 2011, the Sony Playstation Network Platform was hacked and the attacker was able to access the…
In refusing to allow a taxi firm to use a telephone number relating to an office outside the area in which its vehicles and drivers are licensed, a High Court judge has emphasised Parliament’s intention that taxi services should be…
When a supplier sought to protect its trade mark against a company that was breaching its right to control the first sale of its products in Europe, the claim was disputed on the ground that the trade mark owner had…
A charity has been fined £70,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a serious breach of the Data Protection Act 1998. A social worker employed by the Norwood charity left sensitive documents concerning four young children outside the home…