Successful copyright claim for the Duchess of Sussex

In early 2021, the High Court of England and Wales found that Associated Newspapers Limited, , had infringed copyright belonging to the Duchess of Sussex and unlawfully invaded her privacy. We analyse what led to the decision of infringement in the Duchess’ case.

Intellectual property for start-ups in a post-COVID world: part three – managing commercial IP

This series of articles explores the effect of COVID-19-related disruption on start-ups’ management and monetisation of intellectual property (IP), giving practical guidance to start-ups to improve and preserve their position for the future. Part one of our series focuses on strategic considerations for managing patents during this unprecedented time Part two outlines strategies start-ups can […]

Blurred lines: is there still any point to unregistered design rights?

Following several high-profile cases including the famous “Stormtrooper” decision*, it was generally understood that for copyright to subsist in functional, three-dimensional products, they required some degree of artistic merit. In late 2019, the CJEU decision in Cofemel shifted the boundaries, removing any discretionary requirement at Member State level for artistic or aesthetic quality. The result: […]

Twitter rants, leaked documents and legal action

When Haas F1 entered the 2019 Formula 1 season, they brought with them a brand-new title sponsor, with a colour scheme on their livery to match. Rich Energy, a nascent UK energy drinks company with its targets set on Red Bull, signed up to a headline-grabbing sponsorship deal which was set to run until at […]

What fees are payable in the IPEC in relation to key stages of proceedings?

Our article Pressing pause on your intellectual property: Part two – litigation, give practical advice on slowing down IP litigation where COVID-19 disruption has made access to courts or stakeholders difficult, or where logistics make progressing litigation in a normal way, difficult. Every case in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) will differ for many reasons, […]