Bristows

This Practice Note sets out the intellectual property and competition law issues which may arise in connection with character merchandising (ie the practice of licensing the name or likeness of a character for use in the marketing of goods or services, which will usually require the licensing of trade marks and/or copyright). It considers issues which may arise pursuant to Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (or in the UK, Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998), as well as possible block exemptions or individual exemptions that might apply. It also considers the interaction between competition law and the tort of passing off.

Comparative advertising is any advertising which explicitly or by implication identifies a competitor or goods or services offered by a competitor. This Practice Note considers the conditions which must be satisfied in order for comparative advertising to be lawful, and discusses the interplay between comparative advertising and trade mark infringement. It also includes a checklist of key factors that an advertiser should consider when using comparative claims relating to competitors in an advertising campaign.

This Practice Note examines competition law in relation to copyright exploitation. It covers exhaustion of rights and parallel trade within the EEA including an examination of Article 101 TFEU and copyright licensing. Vertical agreements and exclusive licences are considered covering absolute territorial protection, geo-blocking, tying and bundling, as are horizontal agreements covering collective licensing and joint selling. The relationship between copyright exploitation and Article 102 TFEU is also considered.

This Practice Note considers film and television copyright issues relating to the underlying works encountered during the making of a film. It covers literary works such as scripts, biographies, characters, set design and location, photographs, the right to privacy of certain photographs or films, music, and performances. The note also covers copyright permitted acts or exceptions that may apply when various works are included in a film including fair dealing exceptions, incidental inclusion, reporting court proceedings, filming in a public place, and public interest.

This Practice Note considers copyright issues relating to film and television. It reviews key legislation covering: the definition of film, the definition of the author of a film, qualifying requirements, the term of protection, the Term Directive, soundtracks, broadcast right and moral rights in relation to films.

This Practice Note deals with the civil remedies available to a successful party following a copyright infringement claim. It examines the statutory basis to and applicable case law on injunctions, damages or an account of profits, innocent infringement, delivery up, destruction and seizure, declaratory relief, dissemination and publication of the judgment, other interim relief, costs and interest. This Practice Note also provides some explanation of remedies for infringement of moral and performance rights, concurrent rights, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and criminal offences.

This Practice Note sets out some of the key intellectual property (IP) issues that should be considered when setting up a joint venture (JV). This Practice Note considers the scenario where two organisations (parent companies) set up a JV which is a separate legal entity (eg a company or a limited liability partnership), which they jointly own. It does not consider the IP issues that arise in contractual collaborations (where there is no separate legal entity).

This Practice Note considers the intellectual property (IP or IPR) issues that can arise in an outsourcing arrangement. It describes the difference between background and foreground intellectual property rights and explains how to deal with rights that are owned or licensed by third parties. It also looks at IPR warranties and indemnities in outsourcing agreements.

The Internet of Things is the term given to everyday objects, smart devices and connected devices connected to the internet. This Practice Note provides context and an explanation of the Internet of Things or IoT, providing an introduction to the technology, current and future implementations and key legal issues related to its implementation.

This Practice Note deals with the manner in which copyright and other intellectual property (IP) rights apply in the context of linking on the web, with specific regard to the perspective of a website operator. It covers linking terminology such as hyperlinking, deep linking, embedded linking, inline linking, and framing. It also deals with linking in relation to the communication to the public right, technical access restrictions on a website, hyperlinking without the authorisation of the rightholder, website terms of use which restrict or limit linking, copyright protection for hyperlinks, website operator liability for infringement, linking and other IP rights, linking to defamatory material and linking and contractual restrictions on websites.

This Practice Note deals with orphan works and covers the background and implementation of orphan works legislation and licensing arrangements in the UK including coverage of the EU Orphan Works Directive, Directive 2012/28/EU, which was implemented in the UK by the Copyright and Rights in Performances (Licensing of Orphan Works) Regulations 2014 and the Copyright and Rights in Performances (Certain Permitted Uses of Orphan Works) Regulations 2014. The Practice Note covers: applying for a licence, making a diligent search, moral rights, appeals, use of revenues from orphan works and the impact of IP completion day on cultural heritage institutions and the UK Orphan Works Licensing Scheme.

This Precedent sets out guidance on the contents of a claim form for use in relation to a claim for copyright infringement. It contains a link to an N1 claim form (CPR Part 7) (10.20) which has been populated with suggested text which can be adapted for use in either Intellectual Property sub-list or Intellectual Property Enterprise Court sub-list cases. Both sub-lists form part of the Intellectual Property List (Chancery Division) in the Business and Property Courts. The guidance is drafted so as to cover infringement of copyright pursuant to CDPA 1988.

This Precedent sets out guidance on the contents of a claim form for use in relation to a claim for trade mark infringement and/or passing off. It contains a link to an N1 claim form (CPR Part 7) (10.20) which has been populated with suggested text which can be adapted for use in either the Intellectual Property List within the Chancery Division or in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. It is drafted so as to cover infringement of a UK trade mark registration pursuant to the Trade Marks Act 1994.

This is a Precedent Defence for use in relation to a claim for copyright infringement. It can be adapted for use in either Intellectual Property sub-list or Intellectual Property Enterprise Court sub-list cases. Both sub-lists form part of the Intellectual Property List (Chancery Division) in the Business and Property Courts. This Precedent is drafted so as to cover infringement of UK copyright pursuant to CDPA 1988. It is designed to respond to the points raised in the Precedent Particulars of claim.

This is a Precedent Defence and counterclaim for use in relation to a claim for trade mark infringement and/or passing off. It can be adapted for use in either the Intellectual Property List within the Chancery Division or in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court. This Precedent is drafted so as to cover infringement of a UK trade mark registration pursuant to the Trade Marks Act 1994.

This is a Precedent final order (or order following judgment) for use in relation to a claim for copyright infringement. It assumes that the claimant has brought successful proceedings in the High Court for infringement of copyright. It can be adapted for use in either Intellectual Property sub-list or Intellectual Property Enterprise Court sub-list cases. Both sub-lists form part of the Intellectual Property List (Chancery Division) in the Business and Property Courts.

This is a Precedent final order (or order following judgment) for use in relation to a claim for trade mark infringement and/or passing off. It assumes that the claimant has brought successful proceedings in the High Court for infringement of a UK trade mark, and also for passing off. The order is drafted on the basis that the defendant has brought unsuccessful counterclaims which allege that those trade marks are invalid and/or should be revoked. It can be adapted for use in either the Intellectual Property List within the Chancery Division or in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.

This is a Precedent notice and take-down letter for use when a hosting service provider or online platform is hosting copyright infringing content for a third party. It is not intended to be sent to an internet service provider, against whom a copyright owner might wish to obtain a website blocking order, nor should it be used where an online platform such as eBay or YouTube has its own bespoke IP infringement reporting processes.

This is a Precedent notice and takedown letter (or NTD letter) for use when an internet service provider (ISP) or online platform is hosting or providing access to a third party’s trade mark infringing activity. It is intended to be sent to an ISP or host in circumstances where a trade mark owner wishes to provide the ISP or host with notice of trade mark infringing activity as a precursor to obtaining a website blocking order or other injunction. This notice provides the intermediary with ‘actual knowledge’ of its service being used to infringe a trade mark so that the rights holder may apply for an injunction requiring that it terminates access to the infringing website, in accordance with the principles established in Cartier International AG & others v British Sky Broadcasting Limited & others [2016] EWCA Civ 658.

This is a precedent outsourcing agreement under which the customer appoints a supplier as an outsourced services provider of a particular business function of the customer. It is a short form outsourcing agreement generally drafted on a pro-customer basis and is suitable for use in both IT and non-IT related outsourcing transactions. For more complex transactions, the long form outsourcing agreement should be used.