Q&As

Q&As

These Q&As seek to address common questions faced when dealing with IP matters.

The Q&As supplement and link to other more detailed content within Lexis+® UK Practical Guidance, but are intentionally short. It is anticipated that a brief Q&A will be most helpful when you need a quick overview of an issue and its likely impact. This might arise, for example, for lawyers needing to provide advice, business development or training at short notice. The Q&A content on Lexis+® UK Practical Guidance is date stamped. This date is the publish date and

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Latest IP News

European Commission pushes on with AI models Code of Practice despite possible law delay

MLex: The European Commission is pressing ahead with finalising a Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) model developers, intended as a key compliance tool for the likes of OpenAI, Anthropic and Microsoft, for application in August 2025, even though discussions on pausing the EU AI Act that underpins it are now formally on the table. The Code, GPAI guidelines, the template to disclose training datasets and related guidelines are expected by the first week of July 2025. Leading AI companies are being engaged to secure their support for the Code, though they are still in the dark on the critical copyright-related parts.

Data (Use and Access) Bill passes through Parliament and heads for royal assent

Parliament passed the Data (Use and Access) Bill (DUA Bill) on 11 June 2025. First introduced in October 2024, this passage concludes a protracted legislative process as a notable amount of legislative 'ping pong' (nine rounds of back-and-forth) took place between the two Houses. Central to these discussions was the contentious issue surrounding the use of copyright works in the development of AI systems. During the last debate on 11 June 2025, the House of Lords opted against insisting once more on its amendment, which would have required further government legislation on copyright infringement and transparency in AI. Instead, the peers accepted an amendment in lieu from the Commons, which mandates the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to lay a progress statement before Parliament within six months of the DUA Bill’s enactment, outlining advancements on the review. The DUA Bill will now move forward for royal assent at a date yet to be confirmed.

IP weekly highlights—12 June 2025

This week's edition of IP weekly highlights includes: a hand-picked summary of news analysis, updates and new content from the world of IP. These highlights focus on the key rights of copyright and associated rights, database rights, trade marks and passing off, designs, and patents, as well as covering issues relating to confidential information, know-how R&D and IP disputes all mainly from a UK and European perspective.

IPO reports rise in Trading Standards enforcement actions under Trade Marks Act

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) annual Trading Standards survey for 2024-25 reveals multiple successful prosecutions under the Trade Marks Act 1994. Notable cases include a £270,000 confiscation order in Berkshire, a 20-month suspended prison sentence in Ceredigion with ongoing Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings, and multiple premises closure orders across the UK. The report, covering April 2024 to March 2025, shows increased enforcement activity with 70% of local authorities responding. Trading Standards officers secured convictions for counterfeiting offences across various jurisdictions, with courts issuing closure orders, confiscation orders and criminal sentences.