Insights & News
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Tusk luck, May
31 March 2017EU Council President Donald Tusk has sent negotiation guidelines to European capitals in advance of a summit at the end of April 2017 to determine the agenda for Brexit negotiations. Tusk’s document sets out three sequential stages for the Brexit negotiations, which conflicts with UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposal for negotiations regarding withdrawal and trade to be undertaken simultaneously.
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Brexit and immigration rights and documentation of EEA nationals
30 March 2017This article summarises the rights of European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and their family members and the documentation they can obtain to evidence these rights. It looks at residence requirements and points to consider when applying for citizenship.
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What game creators need to know about protecting their brands
30 March 2017We have written an article for GamesIndustry.biz, one of the leading websites for news and information about the global video games industry. The article comments on a recent kart racing suit filed by Nintendo and offers advice for game companies.
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Counterfeit tech products on the rise
30 March 2017The OECD has just published a report entitled “Trade in Counterfeit ICT Goods” which estimates that 6.5% of the global trade in information and communication technologies (ICT) equipment is counterfeit.
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Greater clarity on data subject access requests
30 March 2017A recent Court of Appeal decision has given clarity to data controllers in terms of the grounds on which they may refuse a data subject access request (“DSAR”), although the position is not always a helpful one.
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Court of Appeal confirms deterrent sentences for copyright infringement
30 March 2017In Regina v Evans the Court of Appeal has provided guidance on the appropriate level of sentencing for criminal offences under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The Court of Appeal confirmed that the sentence should have a deterrent effect.
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When does notice to terminate an employment contract take effect?
30 March 2017The Court of Appeal has ruled that, in the absence of an express contractual term, written notice to terminate a contract of employment is only effective when it is received personally by the employee.
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ICO fines Flybe and Honda
28 March 2017The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued data protection fines to two household names: Flybe and Honda, for sending marketing emails in breach of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (“PECR”).
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Lewis Silkin speaking at launch of major techUK report
28 March 2017Naomi Hanrahan-Soar will be speaking at the launch of techUK’s Global Tech Talent Powering Global Britain report at the House of Commons on Thursday 30 March in relation to UK migration in the sector.
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Gender pay gap reporting – D-Day looms…
28 March 2017It’s the employment law change that has generated more interest than any other for many years. Next Wednesday – 5 April 2017 – is the first ever “snapshot date” for the new gender pay gap reporting regime. For several thousand employers, it’s the day for which they will have to pull the payroll data from which their first ever public gender pay gap report will need to be compiled.
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It’s obvious, patents are not child’s play!
28 March 2017In a recent decision the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court had to consider whether a patent for a children’s toy consisting of water soluble, fusible, translucent beads was merely an aesthetic creation, and therefore excluded from patentability and if not, whether the patent claims lacked an inventive step and were obvious. If the patent was valid, the Court also had to determine whether it was infringed by the Defendant’s product.
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Second cycle courier found to be a ‘worker’
28 March 2017Another day, another case on the gig economy… An Employment Tribunal has found that a cycle courier was a “worker”, rather than an independent contractor, and therefore entitled to statutory holiday pay.
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New guidance on long-term sickness dismissals
23 March 2017The Court of Appeal has given some useful new guidance on the vexed question of when an employer can safely dismiss an employee who is on long-term sickness absence – although not all of the judges agreed with the result.
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Counterfeit kit: a fan’s own goal
22 March 2017Jeremy Summers has written an article for 'World Intellectual Property Review' (WIPR).
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CMA offers cash for whistleblowers
20 March 2017 -
Important new guidelines for advertising prices to UK consumers
17 March 2017The long-awaited Guidance for Traders on Pricing Practices was finally issued by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSi) in December 2016. The previous guidelines had been around since the old DTI published its first Code of Practice in 1988, with the last iteration published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in 2010. Although the BIS guidance has been withdrawn, traders have until April 2017 to comply with the new Guidance. The Guidance will apply to any advertisers targetting UK consumers, including advertisers based abroad.
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Dressing to impress - discriminatory appearance codes
17 March 2017Laura Farnsworth and Emma Langhorn have written an article for HR review on discriminatory appearance codes in the workplace.
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Don’t blink: The Immigration Rules are changing again
17 March 2017The Home Office published the latest Statement of Changes in the Immigration Rules yesterday, 16 March 2017. The changes take effect on 6 April 2017. We summarise here the changes that will affect you most.
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The risk for employers in bypassing collective bargaining
16 March 2017Where an employer has recognised a trade union for collective bargaining purposes, can it still put an offer directly to its employees? This was the thorny issue for consideration in a recent Employment Tribunal decision.
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Royal assent paves the way for Brexit
16 March 2017The Queen has this morning signed into law the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill which was passed by MPs and peers on Monday.