The Information Commissioner has sent a strong message to businesses by imposing the first monetary penalties on two organisations for serious breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998. The fines were imposed despite both organisations voluntarily notifying the Commissioner…
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched a consultation on a new statutory code of practice on the sharing of personal data. The draft code sets out a model of good practice for public, private and third sector organisations,…
A recent trade mark case confirms that first impressions matter. It dealt with a dispute over a trade mark application made by a firm which had a similar name to another and which was in a similar line of…
This checklist sets out the practical steps that will help your business protect, use and exploit any brands that it owns. What is a brand? A strong brand helps distinguish your products from your competitors’. It adds value to…
MCE Insurance Wins Rights to Domain Name MCE Insurance has won a legal battle to have a domain name registered in Australia, transferred to them. MCE have been in business since 1975, they have used the MCE Insurance brand name…
Copyright - Get it Right First Time Yet another case highlights the need to make the ownership of intellectual property (IP) clear when negotiating contracts where the IP is in point. In the case concerned, a company was retained…
Beware of IP scams! If you seek to protect your intellectual property by the use of a trade mark or other means, you may well find that there are a number of organisations which will (ostensibly) seek to help…
A covenant can either represent a commitment to do something or a commitment not to do something. In either case, the party faced with a breach of the covenant has a range of options available to them for obtaining a…
Employers who are making employees redundant and intending to use compromise agreements should note that from 6 April 2011 the operation of PAYE changes in relation to payments made after an employee has been issued with their P45. From…
Employers are reminded that the Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Provisions) Regulations 2011 come into force on 6 April 2011. This means that the last date on which an employer can lawfully notify an employee of a retirement dismissal…