Search results

New Development: National Cyber Security Centre warns AI is likely to heighten global ransomware threat

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCQH, has published a report on the “near-term impact of AI on the cyber threat” over the next two years, which concludes that: (i) AI is already being used in cyber activity in a malicious way; and (ii) the volume of cyber attacks and the global ransomware threat are likely to be heightened over the next two years.

UK Supreme Court rejects AI as “inventor” under the Patents Act

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What is the scope and meaning of “inventor” in the UK’s patent framework, and will it accept an AI machine as being the sole inventor?

Court of Appeal holds Samsung liable for trade mark infringement by third-party apps

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

Can online platforms be liable for trademark infringement by third-party apps?

The new EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What can financial services entities and ICT providers expect from DORA and what do they need to do prepare for it?

What the AI is going on… December 2023 to March 2024

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

Google launched its newest GenAI, Gemini Nano. Designed specifically for mobile phones it presents new competition to market leaders OpenAI. Gemini Nano will allow AI apps that operate offline as opposed to only on servers and provide improved privacy for users.

UK Government publishes response to AI White Paper consultation

Published on 17 Apr 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and David Cran, Partner, Head of IP & Tech

What approach has the UK Government’s adopted in its response to the consultation on the AI regulation White Paper (the White Paper)?

Ethics in the age of AI: new Institute of Directors checklist

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

What are the key considerations for boards regarding the ethical use of AI within their companies based on the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) Checklist for Boards (Checklist)?

Government White Paper sets out UK approach to AI regulation

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

How is the UK Government looking to regulate AI?

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?

DCMS publishes new Code of Practice for app developers and app store operators

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

What do app developers and app store operators need to do to comply with the new Code of Practice published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)?

New Metaverse regulation proposal to be discussed by EU Commission

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

How does the European Commission (EC) intend to regulate the Metaverse?

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?

Accessory liability: when will directors be held liable for IP infringements committed by their companies – and what is counted as "profits"?

Published on 20 Jun 2024. By Emma Dunnill, Senior Associate and Rory Graham, Associate

The Supreme Court in Lifestyle Equities CV & Anor v Ahmed & Anor [2024] UKSC 17, has allowed an appeal by two company directors who were found liable as accessories to trade mark infringement by the company in which they were directors. The decision provides helpful clarification on the required elements for accessory liability in the context of IP right infringement claims and confirms the sums to be included in an account of profits if liability is established (spoiler alert: a director's salary is not considered to be "profit").

Online platforms should Swatch out: Samsung found liable for infringing third-party content available on the Samsung Galaxy App store

Published on 22 Jan 2024. By Sarah Mountain, Partner and Emma Dunnill, Senior Associate and Zoe Harvey, Associate

The Court of Appeal in Montres Breguet SA v Samsung Electronics [2023] EWCA Civ 1478 has dismissed Samsung's appeal and upheld a first instance decision which found it liable for trade mark infringement in relation to third-party watch faces available on the Samsung Galaxy App store. This judgment provides guidance on what constitutes "use" of a sign by an online app store and the applicability of the e-Commerce Directive hosting defence.

Fast-growing IP and tech practice at RPC welcomes Caroline Tuck as Partner

Published on 16 Oct 2023. By Caroline Tuck, Partner

International law firm RPC is pleased to announce the appointment of Caroline Tuck as a Partner in its Intellectual Property and Technology (IP & Tech) team. Caroline Tuck joins RPC from Deloitte, where she was a Director in the Disputes team.

The November 2023 AI safety summit and the UK's direction of travel

Published on 29 Aug 2023. By Helen Armstrong, Partner and Charles Buckworth, Partner and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

The government has confirmed that the UK AI safety summit will be held at Bletchley Park on 1 and 2 November 2023.

Telecoms supply agreement excludes "loss of profit" claim under "anticipated profits" liability exclusion (EE v Virgin Mobile)

Published on 25 Aug 2023. By Helen Armstrong, Partner and Ben Harris, Associate and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

In line with a number of recent cases, in EE Limited v Virgin Mobile Telecoms Limited [2023] EWHC 1989 (TCC) the courts have shown that parties generally cannot avoid clear wording contained in exclusion clauses in order to recover losses that have been expressly excluded (in this case, loss of profits).

Rolls-Royce entitled to hit the brakes in dispute over termination of a software services agreement (Topalsson v Rolls-Royce)

Published on 14 Aug 2023. By Helen Armstrong, Partner and Ben Harris, Associate and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

In Topalsson GmbH v Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited [2023] EWHC 1765 (TCC), the High Court has provided useful guidance on how to determine whether a software implementation timeline agreed by the parties is binding, when implementation is considered complete and in what circumstances failing to complete implementation by the contractual deadlines entitles the customer to terminate the contract.

A narrow escape – software services provider entitled to rely on single aggregate liability cap (Drax v Wipro)

Published on 25 Jul 2023. By Helen Armstrong, Partner and Ben Harris, Associate and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

When it comes to bespoke software development projects, a lot can go wrong. There's risk for the customer such as project delays, software defects, functionality issues and a lack of meeting of minds in terms of project requirements.

The Sky's the limit for trade mark applications. Or is it?

Published on 12 Jul 2023. By Sarah Mountain, Partner and Ellie Chakarto, Associate and Noonie Holmes, Associate

Virtual billboards: the future of immersive advertising?

Published on 15 Jan 2024. By Oliver Bray, Senior Partner and Elizabeth Alibhai, Partner and Nick Lauw, Partner

With the deployment of immersive technologies poised to become the norm, the implementation of infrastructure for "virtual billboards", and the "property digital rights" which they demand, is demonstrating a lucrative gap in the market and huge growth potential.

Changes to the One Stop Shop

Published on 09 Oct 2023. By Richard Breavington, Partner and Laura Thackeray, Senior Associate

In July 2023 the European Commission issued a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down additional procedural rules relating to the enforcement of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the 'GDPR' Regulations).

UK Government wants understanding of video games to move to the next level

Published on 12 Jun 2023. By Gowri Chandrashekar, Senior Associate and Zoe Harvey, Associate

On 30 May 2023, the UK Government published a Video Games Research Framework which encourages research on video games and emerging game-related technologies.

ICO publishes guidance on compliance of game design with the Children’s Code

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

What steps can game designers take to ensure their games comply with the Children’s Code?

AI technology projects – the regulatory landscape

Published on 24 Feb 2023. By Helen Armstrong, Partner and Ricky Cella, Senior Associate and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

Parties engaged in AI technology projects should be mindful of the regulatory landscape, and the changes taking place within it. A failure to do so could result in an AI solution that is not compliant from a regulatory perspective, the use of which potentially creates risk for the technology provider and user.

RPC Law x Web3: Gambling regulations – Don't Play Games of Chance with the Law

Published on 22 Feb 2023. By Nick Lauw, Partner and Pu Fang Ching, Senior Associate

This is part of a series of RPC x Web3 articles designed to help Web3 participants and enthusiasts understand their rights in this rapidly evolving space.

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 and Leonia Chesterfield, Of Counsel

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 Leonia Chesterfield, Of Counsel and Ellie Chakarto, 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 Leonia Chesterfield, Of Counsel and Joshy Thomas, Knowledge Lawyer

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

CMA ends its investigation into online console gaming subscription practices

Published on 14 Jun 2022. By Jonathan Greenway, Senior Associate and Joshua Charalambous, Partner

The UK Competition Markets Authority (CMA) has now closed its investigation into subscription practices in the online console gaming sector after key players Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft committed to making improvements to their contract terms with a view to better protecting customers.

Sports Ticker #108: football governance, F1 in Asia and AI marketplaces

Published on 14 Jun 2024. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate and Ellie Chakarto, Associate

In a fortnight which saw Real Madrid lift the Champions League Cup once more, a new "Ultimate Championship" athletics event announced and Charles Leclerc win on home soil for the first time in the Monaco Grand Prix, we bring you updates on the now-halted Football Governance Bill, potential Formula 1 expansion into Southeast Asia and record-breaking interest in women's sports.

Sports Ticker #107: football sustainability, AI team selection and new F1 tech – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 22 May 2024. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate and Ellie Chakarto, Associate

In a fortnight which saw Manchester City bag its fourth consecutive Premier League victory, Brazil announced as the host of the 2027 Women's World Cup and Will Smith purchase his own electric powerboat team, we bring you updates on sustainability in football, AI in cricket, and bees in baseball.

Sports Ticker #106: Liverpool's Adidas kit, a new athletics venture and the London Marathon – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 01 May 2024. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate and Ellie Chakarto, Associate

In a fortnight which saw women's Rugby League launch its world-first player-run TikTok account, Ferrari's F1 partnership with HP, and Apple reportedly on the verge of a global broadcast deal for FIFA World Cup, we bring you updates on a new athletics joint venture, Wrexham AFC, and the disqualification of all three medallists in the Beijing half marathon.

Sports Ticker #105: WIPO's esports partnership, MotoGP takeover and Brighton's record profits – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 10 Apr 2024. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate

In a fortnight which saw the UK Football Governance Bill introduced to Parliament, TNT Sports and Discovery+ win rights to show the 2024 Autumn Nations Series and rumours of "multiple proposals" to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, we bring you updates on a collaboration between WIPO and the Esports Integrity Commission, MotoGP's takeover and JPMorgan's formation of a specialist sports investment group.

Sports Ticker #104: European sponsorship record growth, Germany's Adidas to Nike swap and Formula E shifts gears – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 28 Mar 2024. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw Pete Distad named as CEO of the new Disney-Fox-Warner Bros sports streaming venture, Nottingham Forest losing four points for breaching Premier League profit and sustainability rules, and the announcement of a new fan engagement app for Swedish esports organisation Ninjas in Pyjamas, we bring you updates on German football's Adidas-Nike kit supplier swap, steps forward on the new structure for women's cricket and a bizarre bee blitz on Carlos Alcaraz.

Sports Ticker #103: Paralympics' media reach, Super League trade mark, and Red Bull Padel – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 15 Mar 2024. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw Wimbledon recognised as having the highest ad engagement for women's sports events in 2023, the FIA President investigated for alleged race interference, and world No 1 Novak Djokovic knocked out of the Indian Wells tournament by world No 123 "lucky loser", we bring you updates on media deals for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, attempts to register an EU trade mark for "The Super League", and the partnership between F1 and Tommy Hilfiger.

Sports Ticker #102: Giant joint streaming venture, UEFA's environmental efforts and Casemiro's move to Adidas – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 23 Feb 2024. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw the Super Bowl LVIII become the most-watched American TV event since the moon landing, Sir Jim Ratcliffe complete his £1.3bn Manchester United deal, and Emirates announce a multi-year partnership deal with Wimbledon, we bring you updates on UEFA's greenest tournament yet, Casemiro parting ways with Nike, and the upcoming launch of a new sports streaming platform.

Sports Ticker #101: AB InBev's Olympic Gold, UEFA's commercial rights, and Snooker in Saudi Arabia – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 02 Feb 2024. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw F1 owner Liberty Media named the "World's Most Valuable Sports Empire 2024", the 2023 Rugby World Cup confirmed as the most-watched rugby event of all time, and the shock announcement of Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari, we bring you updates on AB InBev's Olympic partnership, UEFA's tender process for global commercial rights, and British Cycling's uphill struggle.

Sports Ticker #100: Earps' SPOTY win and shirt sell out, smart ball company raises US$15m, and Unilever sponsors UEFA – a speed read of commercial updates

Published on 21 Dec 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw Mary Earps win the Sports Personality of the Year 2023, FIFA receive three Women's World Cup 2027 bids, and Endeavor invest in Chess.com, we bring you updates on the first Lioness to trade mark her name, the ground-breaking Guinness Six Nations sponsorship, and a multi-year broadcasting deal between TNT and Formula E.

Sports Ticker #99: Golf's big hitters, Women's FA breakaway and tennis elite tour – a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 08 Dec 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw the Premier League agree a new £6.7 billion deal with Sky and TNT Sports, France named the preferred candidate for the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, and 518 million people watch the ICC Cricket World Cup live through Disney Star, we bring you updates on Trent Alexander-Arnold's £26 million Adidas deal, new rules for golf balls, and a potential F1-style tennis tour.

Football club investment deals up more than a quarter in last year

Published on 04 Dec 2023. By Joshua Charalambous, Partner

Investors seeking to make immediate impact with capital for stadia, training facilities and infrastructure key Highly-anticipated Manchester Utd deal latest move in multi-sport structures

Sports Ticker #98: Sports Business Awards 2023, Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the brands changing the world through sport

Published on 24 Nov 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw Manchester City post record revenue and profits, Everton receive a points deduction relating to P&S issues, and the League of Legends World Championship become the most watched esports tournament, we bring you updates on the Sports Business Awards 2023, Las Vegas Grand Prix and Kansas City Chiefs' new relationship (no, not that one…).

Sports Ticker #97: Esports World Cup 2024, the increasing value of women's sports and European Super league

Published on 10 Nov 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw DAZN secure exclusive F1 rights in Spain until 2026, Jude Bellingham become the first England player to win the Kopa Trophy for best performing under-21 player in the world, and FIFA ban Luis Rubiales for three years from all football activity, we bring you updates on Saudi Arabia's new Esports World Cup, planned increases in investment in women's sports and the marketing value of influencer athletes.

Sports Ticker #96: Russia's Olympic suspension, FIFA's five time zones and 2023's most marketable athlete – a speed-read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 26 Oct 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw the first female referee of a men's international match at Wembley, Saudi Arabia launch its World Cup 2034 bid and NZ's All Blacks named the world's most valuable rugby team, we bring you updates on the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee, the return of UK professional netball and the potential five time zones of the FIFA World Cup 2023.

Sports Ticker #95: female F1 test-driver, blockchain in cricket and Berlin marathon disruption – a speed-read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 11 Oct 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate and Anthony Cutler, Associate

In a fortnight which saw a delay in the implementation of the National Football Agent Regulations in England pending the resolution of private arbitral proceedings, and the release of the Beckham documentary on Netflix, we bring you updates on the first female F1 test driver in 5 years and disruption to the Berlin marathon by climate protestors. We also cover the Rugby World Cup's potential new pay wall, the use of blockchain in cricket and, of course, the sale of Travis Kelce's American Football jerseys rocketing 400% thanks to Taylor Swift.

Sports Ticker #94: World Rugby fantasy league game, all-green PGA and PSG to open first UK store – a speed-read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 26 Sep 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate

In a fortnight which saw Oscar Piastri celebrate the extension of his McLaren contract until the end of 2026 with a podium finish in Japan, and Mary Earps be awarded England Women's Player of the Year, we bring you updates on World Rugby's new fantasy league game and BMW PGA's commitment to be the first sports TV production to be powered entirely by green hydrogen. We also cover Unity Engine's proposal to introduce fees to game developers and the La Liga shirt sponsorship of Clwb Pel Droed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Sports Ticker: Farrell red card reversal revoked and Earps shirts hit the shelves – a speed-read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 13 Sep 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate

In a fortnight which saw the football transfer window slam shut and the start of the Rugby World Cup, we bring you updates on QSI's agreement to acquire the World Padel Tour and the re-instatement of the decision to give a red card to Owen Farrell, ruling him out of England's first two matches. We also feature stories on Mary Earps' shirt finally being made available for sale and England women's cricket team having their match fees increased to equal those of the men's team.

Sports Ticker: Microsoft warns of cyber risks at sports events and ESPN enters sports gambling market – a speed-read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 24 Aug 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate

In a fortnight which saw the Lionesses suffer a gut-wrenching defeat in the World Cup Final and the start of the World Athletics Championships, we bring you updates on Microsoft issuing a warning on the risk of cyberattacks at sports events and ESPN entering the sports gambling market. We also feature stories on La Liga making an official complaint about Qatar's funding of PSG and Barcelona's new content creation website.

Sports Ticker: Women's World Cup smashes records, Paris Olympics share carbon commitments, and FIFA wins case against football agents – a speed-read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 11 Aug 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate

In a fortnight which saw England advance to the quarter-finals in the Women's Football World Cup and the start of the Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, we bring you updates on the Women's Football World Cup smashing TV viewing figure records and the Paris Olympic Committee's carbon cutting commitments. We also feature stories on Manchester United's new deal with Adidas, Juventus' disqualification from the Europa League and the media rights for snow sports being centralised for the next 8 years.

Sports Ticker: Commonwealth Games thrown into doubt, Al-Hilal bid for Mbappe and Pepsi partners with EA Sports FC – a speed-read of commercial updates from the sports world

Published on 28 Jul 2023. By Jeremy Drew, Partner, Head of Commercial and Joshua Charalambous, Partner and Samuel Coppard, Senior Associate and Joseph Akwaboa, Associate

In a fortnight which saw the FIFA Women's World Cup kick off, Ben Harman cruise to victory in The Open and England's attempted comeback in the Men's Ashes fall painfully short, we bring you updates on the uncertainty surrounding the Commonwealth Games and the world record bid for Mbappe. We also feature stories on a mooted women's Champions League in cricket and a new partnership between Pepsi and EA Sports FC.