Search results

Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill opens door for stricter regulation of news platforms

Published on 07 Jul 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

How might the proposed Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (the Bill) affect news reporting by digital platforms?

Online Safety Bill: Latest amendments increase focus on children safety

Published on 31 Mar 2023. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What is the focus of the latest round of amendments proposed to the Online Safety Bill and how will these impact online platforms?

New Digital Regulators on the 2023 Horizon: the Digital Markets Unit and the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency

Published on 02 Dec 2022. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Chris Ross, Partner

For a number of years, the UK Government has been laying the groundwork to bring in a digital markets regime to regulate digital firms designated as having ‘strategic market status’ (SMS). To be designated as having SMS, a firm must have 'substantial and entrenched market power' in at least one activity. Companies having SMS are likely to include the largest tech firms such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and Meta (the so called 'GAMMA' firms).

Digital services providers—Commission to focus on implementation phase of EU consumer protection legislation

Published on 31 Oct 2022. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Ellie Chakarto, Senior Associate

The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) are published in the Official Journal and the plenary vote of the European Parliament on the proposed text of the AI Act is expected once amendments are agreed by negotiators. The Commission is now turning its focus to the implementation phase of these landmark regimes. So, what does the future hold for the European tech sector and how might it differ for the UK?

The EU Digital Markets Act - a focus on gatekeeper obligations and sanctions

Published on 12 Oct 2022. By David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

What key obligations will the Digital Markets Act (DMA) impose on online platforms designated as gatekeepers?

A matter of interpretation – the Supreme Court look at contractual interpretation once more

Published on 24 Feb 2023. By Poppy Hay, Associate and Laura Stocks, Partner

In their recent Judgment in Sara & Hossein Asset Holdings Ltd (a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands) v Blacks Outdoor Retails Ltd [2023] UKSC 2 the Supreme Court adopted a commercially balanced interpretation of a lease; rejecting the overly textual approach of the Court of Appeal in favour of reading the relevant clause in the context of the lease as a whole.

Supply chain sustainability: new rules, new risks

Published on 05 Aug 2024. By Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate and Eve Matthews, Associate

On 25 July 2024, the EU's new flagship supply chain law, the Corporate Sustainability and Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), came into force.

RPC Bites #63: Aldi Kefir - copycat or collab? No more carbon credits for Brewdog and a rollercoaster for Carlsberg's portfolio

Published on 30 Jul 2024. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Ben Mark, Partner and Sarah Mountain, Partner and Harpreet Kaur, Associate and Noonie Holmes, Associate

Welcome back to RPC Bites. Our aim in the next 2 minutes is to provide you with a flavour of the key legal, regulatory, and commercial developments in the Food & Drink sector over the last fortnight… with the occasional bit of industry gossip thrown in for good measure.

RPC Bites #62: misleading 'freshly baked bread' claims, trademark troubles for Campari and McDonalds and more

Published on 25 Jun 2024. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Ben Mark, Partner and Sarah Mountain, Partner and Harpreet Kaur, Associate and Noonie Holmes, Associate

Welcome back to RPC Bites. Our aim in the next 2 minutes is to provide you with a flavour of the key legal, regulatory, and commercial developments in the Food & Drink sector over the last fortnight… with the occasional bit of industry gossip thrown in for good measure.

The Food, Beverage and Cosmetics Law Review: United Kingdom - Second Edition

Published on 14 Nov 2022. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Ben Mark, Partner

RPC is excited to announce that the Second Edition UK chapter of the Food, Beverage and Cosmetics Law Review has been published and is available to download.

Brexit and Beyond panel discussion

Published on 11 Dec 2020.

Top tips for the food and drink sector

CBD products no longer ex-hemp from regulation

Published on 02 Sep 2020. By Sarah Mountain, Partner

In recent years, there has been a surge in demand for food and drink products containing cannabidiol (CBD). Popular items have ranged from oils with added CBD to CBD-infused chocolate and kombucha. With the market experiencing double digit growth year on year and a recent spike in demand during 'lockdown', UK consumers continue to demonstrate ever greater interest in CBD products. But with new regulatory requirements on the horizon, are things about to change?

RPC Bites #13

Published on 21 Jul 2020. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Ben Mark, Partner

Welcome to RPC Bites. Our aim in the next 2 minutes is to provide you with a flavour of some key legal, regulatory and commercial developments in the Food & Drink sector over the last fortnight… with the occasional bit of industry gossip thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!

RPC Bites #12

Published on 08 Jul 2020. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Ben Mark, Partner

Welcome to RPC Bites. Our aim in the next 2 minutes is to provide you with a flavour of some key legal, regulatory and commercial developments in the Food & Drink sector over the last fortnight… with the occasional bit of industry gossip thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!

RPC Bites #11

Published on 24 Jun 2020. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Ben Mark, Partner

Welcome to RPC Bites. Our aim in the next 2 minutes is to provide you with a flavour of some key legal, regulatory and commercial developments in the Food & Drink sector over the last fortnight… with the occasional bit of industry gossip thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!

Beware the desire to "make hay while the sun shines" – the ASA warns marketers to "think very carefully" before making COVID-19 claims

Published on 17 Jun 2020. By Sarah Mountain, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate

There is no denying the recent popularity of health and wellness trends: As at the end of 2018, the market had an estimated global value of $4.2 trillion. During the current climate, it has understandably gathered even more traction, with consumers increasingly concerned about obtaining and maintaining healthy bodies and minds.

RPC Bites #10

Published on 10 Jun 2020. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Ben Mark, Partner

Welcome to RPC Bites. Our aim in the next 2 minutes is to provide you with a flavour of some key legal, regulatory and commercial developments in the Food & Drink sector over the last fortnight… with the occasional bit of industry gossip thrown in for good measure.

Food & Beverage

With experience across the food and drink supply chain, we understand the challenges you face. Partner with us to protect your interests and gain a competitive advantage.

High Court permits enforcement of foreign judgment in crypto recovery case

Published on 22 Jul 2024. By Dan Wyatt, Partner and Christopher Whitehouse, Senior Associate

Tai Mo Shan Ltd v. Persons Unknown [2024] EWHC 1514 (Comm)

EBA encourages banks to pool their resources for cloud audits

Published on 02 Jun 2017.

The EBA has set out that banks are no longer required to provide their auditors (or themselves) with an independent right to audit their cloud service providers.

AI in auditing: Embracing a new age for the profession

Published on 08 Jul 2024. By Ash Daniells, Senior Associate

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rather new concept for many (ignoring those versed in 80’s Sci-Fi movies); it’s something many don’t know much about and certainly don’t use in our day-to-day lives (or at least appreciate we are using). However, that’s not the case for everyone. Auditors have long been reaping the benefits of AI, but are auditors just scratching the surface of what AI can offer and what impact will an increased use have on their insurance requirements and claims they face?

EU AI ACT-ion stations

Published on 29 Sep 2023. By Helen Armstrong, Partner and Charles Buckworth, Partner

The EU is forging ahead with its vision for AI. With wrapping up talks on the EU AI Act between the EU governments, the Commission and the parliamentary negotiators imminent, we bring you up to date on the EU's risk based approach, the scope of the Act, a timeline, key points that will form the basis of the discussions and next steps.

What To Know About AI Fraudsters Before Facing Disputes

Published on 29 Aug 2023. By Dan Wyatt, Partner and Christopher Whitehouse, Senior Associate

Fraudsters are quick to weaponise new technological developments and artificial intelligence is proving no exception, with AI-assisted scams increasingly being reported in the news, including most recently one using a likeness of a BBC broadcaster.

Understanding and managing the risks in artificial intelligence (AI) technology projects

Published on 12 Apr 2023. By Helen Armstrong, Partner and Ricky Cella, Senior Associate and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

How do you go about managing the risks and challenges that might arise during the deployment of AI technology?

RPC reacts to UK Government White Paper on AI

Published on 30 Mar 2023. By Jon Bartley, Partner and Ciara Cullen, Partner and Richard Breavington, Partner and Kelly Thomson, Partner, ESG strategy lead and Helen Armstrong, Partner and Patrick Brodie, Partner and Mamata Dutta, Partner

RPC reacts to UK Government White Paper on AI

Take 10 – 26 July 2024

Published on 26 Jul 2024. By Keith Mathieson, Partner and Rupert Cowper-Coles , Partner and Alex Vakil, Partner and Alex Wilson, Partner and Samantha Thompson, Senior Associate and Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate and Mafruhdha Miah, Senior Associate and Alex Pollock, Associate and Thomas Otter , Associate and Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

Welcome to RPC's Media and Communications law update. This month's edition on key media developments and the latest cases.

Take 10 - 12 July 2024

Published on 12 Jul 2024. By Keith Mathieson, Partner and Rupert Cowper-Coles , Partner and Alex Vakil, Partner and Alex Wilson, Partner and Samantha Thompson, Senior Associate and Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate and Mafruhdha Miah, Senior Associate and Alex Pollock, Associate and Thomas Otter , Associate and Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

Welcome to RPC's Media and Communications law update. This month's edition on key media developments and the latest cases.

Take 10 – 23 May 2024

Published on 23 May 2024. By Keith Mathieson, Partner and Rupert Cowper-Coles , Partner and Alex Vakil, Partner and Alex Wilson, Partner and Samantha Thompson, Senior Associate and Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate and Mafruhdha Miah, Senior Associate and Alex Pollock, Associate and Thomas Otter , Associate and Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

Welcome to RPC's Media and Communications law update. This month's edition on key media developments and the latest cases.

Ofcom's 'Roadmap to Regulation' underway with its consultation on illegal harms duties under the Online Safety Act

Published on 12 Jan 2024. By Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

In November, Ofcom, as new online safety regulator, published the first of four major consultations under the Online Safety Act ("OSA"), which sets out its proposals for how "user-to-user" ("U2U") services (essentially any online website or app that allows users to interact with each other) and online search services (i.e. Google, Bing and similar) should approach their illegal content duties under the new legislation. The consultation provides guidance in a number of areas including governance, content moderation, reporting and complaints mechanisms, terms of service, supporting child users, and user empowerment.

The Online Safety Bill is set to become law

Published on 21 Sep 2023. By Rupert Cowper-Coles , Partner, Media and Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate and Jessica Kingsbury, Associate

The Online Safety Bill will shortly become law in the UK as soon as it receives Royal Assent. The legislation will introduce a new regulatory regime for online platforms and search engines which target the UK, imposing wide-ranging obligations on in-scope services with serious consequences for non-compliance.

The Online Safety Bill and the risk of unintended consequences

Published on 31 Mar 2023. By Nadia Tymkiw, Senior Associate

The Online Safety Bill was reintroduced to Parliament late last year, with new amendments receiving scrutiny in the House of Commons in December, before the bill entered the House of Lords in January. The bill continues to evolve, most notably with the government removing the requirement for user-to-user platforms and search engines to prevent adult users from encountering "legal but harmful" content, instead requiring online platforms to provide users with enhanced content controls (i.e., choice as to what content is seen), and imposing further obligations around transparency and enforcement of online platforms' terms and conditions. "Legal but harmful" obligations remain in place for under 18s. The government has recently agreed to introduce criminal sanctions for senior managers who fail to take proportionate measures to protect children from potentially harmful content.

Media & Entertainment

As one of the UK’s strongest media law teams, we work closely with you to tackle any challenges that come your way.

FCA set to expand climate-related reporting rules

Published on 17 May 2021. By James Parsons, Associate and Ash Daniells, Senior Associate

The FCA has revealed it will consult on plans to require asset managers, life insurers and FCA-regulated pension schemes to meet climate-related disclosure rules. In doing so, the FCA is expanding the scope of firms required to report on climate-related risks in accordance with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).

The EU’s new General Product Safety Regulation is set to land in December 2024

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What do manufacturers and online marketplaces need to think about as the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) comes into force in December 2024?

Empowering consumers through the EU’s Green Transition Directive

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What are the enhanced consumers rights arising from the EU’s Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (the Empowering Consumers Directive)?

Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Regulations: a new security regime for smart devices

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What does the new cyber security regime mean for “smart” devices in the UK?

The EU’s Product Liability Directive expands to cover digital technology

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What changes to civil product liability have been implemented by the European Commission for defective digital products and software?

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act becomes law

Published on 01 Aug 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What changes will the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act bring to the consumer protection and competition regulation landscape?

Consumer friendly compliance – guidance for retailers and consumer brands on the DMCC Bill

Published on 15 May 2024. By Eve Matthews, Associate

Following receipt of some 372 responses to the "Smarter Regulation: Improving consumer price transparency and product information for consumers" Consultation, the government has published its response in which it proposes significant amends to the Price Marking Order alongside new additions to the DMCC Bill.

Higher stakes cybercrime – prepare now

Published on 08 May 2024. By Elizabeth Zang, Associate and Richard Breavington, Partner

Cybercrime continues to increase and shows no signs of stopping.

Food and beverage 2050: The transition to net zero

Published on 02 May 2024. By Karen Hendy, Partner, Head of Corporate and Rosamund Akayan, Knowledge Lawyer

Following publication in October 2023 of its final Disclosure Framework for private sector entities to transition to a net zero economy, the TPT published draft Food & Beverage Sector Guidance in November 2023.

Virtual advertising: a glimpse into the future

Published on 30 Apr 2024. By Elizabeth Alibhai, Partner and Lola Akinloye, Associate

Virtual advertising and experiences are transforming the way real world property can be used by turning it into a canvas for digital content.

The rise of recommerce

Published on 25 Apr 2024. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Emma Dunnill, Senior Associate

Recommerce (which includes reselling, renting, refilling, repairing or reusing goods) is already an extremely valuable business model, estimated by Barclays to be worth almost £7bn in the UK alone and expected by Visa to increase to £82bn by 2030. This growth – particularly in respect of resale – is widely regarded as being driven by Gen Z consumers, over two thirds of whom now prefer to buy second-hand over new goods, in part, due to sustainability concerns.

Online Fraud Charter agreed by largest tech companies

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What are the obligations for tech companies that have signed up to the UK’s Online Fraud Charter (the Charter)?

The DMCC Bill: New laws set to ban fake reviews and drip pricing from online shopping

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

What new laws is the UK Government planning to introduce to tackle fake reviews and unfair fees when it comes to online shopping?

Collective actions under consumer law: proposed amendments to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner

Are class actions under consumer protection law likely following the UK’s new DMCC Bill, and if so, what will the impact on businesses be?

Green claims: key takeaways from the CMA's first investigation

Published on 04 Apr 2024. By Ciara Cullen, Partner and Sophie Tuson, Senior Associate and Lewis Manning, Associate

After much anticipation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has finally published the results of its investigation into green claims made by ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda. All three retailers have signed undertakings committing to change the way they promote their green credentials and to set up robust internal processes to ensure future green claims are not misleading.