Licensees Beware! The Penalties for Disorderly Behaviour (Amount of Penalty) (Amendment) Order 2008 has recently come into effect and allows penalty notices to be issued by a variety of officials, such as trading standards officers and community support officers,…
Buyer Beware for Goods on HP When someone unknowingly sells something that they do not own, they can be liable to the real owner of the item sold. The liability is not criminal (there is no criminal intent), but…
Human Rights Act Applies to Social Landlord The Human Rights Act 1998 applies only to public bodies, so where a claim under the Act is made, it is first necessary to ascertain whether the organisation against which the claim…
Debt Collectors - Better Protection for Consumers Rogue debt collectors face tough new rules in a Government bid to improve consumer protection in this contentious area. This is because of changes to the Consumer Credit Act 2006 (CCA) which have…
Dealing with Data Loss The loss of personal data is a regrettably common occurrence. Any organisation which knowingly suffers a loss of data on its customers, suppliers or members (e.g. employees) needs to consider carefully what action to take…
Do you use a ‘clippings’ service and then republish the clippings, or make use of material created by others on your website? If so, make sure you have the appropriate permission to use the material. A recent case dealt…
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has reported a noticeable increase in calls to its helpline from businesses that inadvertently included on their websites images that are protected by copyright and subsequently received demands for payment from the copyright…
When an insulation manufacturer created a road show to demonstrate its products in comparison with those of a competitor, there was always likely to be trouble. The comparison consisted of a series of fire tests, which were intended to…
In a recent case, firms which used trade marks to which they were not entitled felt the wrath of the court. The case concerned the National Guild of Removers & Storers (NGRS), a trade association for businesses in the…
When considering legal action regarding material which is on the Internet, often one of the most difficult questions one has to face is that of where the material is ‘made available’. Since a website can be physically situated anywhere, where…