All you need are costs: “real party” must pay in dispute over Beatles documentary – Litigation Futures

Posted March 7th, 2017 in copyright, costs, intellectual property, media, news by sally

‘A venture capitalist was the “real party” in a dispute between two companies over a documentary based on the Beatles’ first concert in the USA, a High Court judge has held.’

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Litigation Futures, 7th March 2017

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Section 32 DPA: Resistance not Futile – Panopticon

‘We have banged the drum on Panopticon to almost Phil Collins-like levels on theme of the growing utility of the Data Protection Act to media lawyers, but it would be foolish to pretend it can always produce an answer from nowhere in a traditional journalism context. The judgment in ZXC v Bloomberg LP [2017] EWHC 328 (QB) reminds us of that.’

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Panopticon, 6th March 2017

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

The Front Page in the Digital Age: Institute of Advanced Legal Studies publishes report on protecting journalists’ sources – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted March 3rd, 2017 in confidentiality, internet, media, reports, whistleblowers by sally

‘A study raising concerns about journalists’ ability to protect sources and whistleblowers was launched in the House of Lords last Wednesday.’

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Uk Human Rights Blog, 3rd March 2017

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Unlicensed online retransmissions of TV shows within ‘the area of initial broadcast’ constitutes copyright infringement, rules EU court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted March 2nd, 2017 in bills, copyright, EC law, intellectual property, media, news by sally

‘Retransmitting TV programmes online within “the area of initial broadcast” is an act of copyright infringement under EU law, if carried out without the permission of the TV broadcasters, the EU’s highest court has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 1st March 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox to formally notify EU of Sky bid – The Guardian

Posted March 1st, 2017 in competition, EC law, media, news, public interest by sally

‘Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is expected to formally notify the European competition regulator of its £11.7bn takeover offer for Sky later this week, after which the UK culture secretary will have to decide whether to launch an investigation into the extent of Murdoch’s control of UK media.’

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The Guardian, 1st March 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Sir Cliff Richard’s legal battle with BBC goes to High Court – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 1st, 2017 in defamation, media, news, sexual offences by sally

‘Lawyers representing Sir Cliff Richard are due in court for the latest stage of a dispute between the singer and the BBC.’

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Daily Telegraph, 1st March 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

BBC orders urgent investigation into behaviour of TV licence fee collectors amid allegations of underhand tactics – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 27th, 2017 in BBC, codes of practice, enforcement, fees, licensing, media, news, select committees by sally

‘The BBC has ordered an urgent investigation into the behaviour of television licence fee collectors amid allegations they are using underhand tactics and aggressive incentive schemes to catch evaders.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th February 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Whistleblowers endangered in digital age, says lawyers’ report – The Guardian

‘Whistleblowers need better legal protection because they are far easier to identify in the digital era and successive laws have undermined their status, according to a report by media lawyers.’

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The Guardian, 22nd February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Politicians too slow to defend judges after Brexit case, says supreme court president – The Guardian

Posted February 16th, 2017 in judges, judiciary, media, news, parliament, treaties by sally

‘Britain’s top judge has spoken out about media attacks on the judiciary and the failure of politicians to stand up for judges after the Brexit court challenge.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Whistleblowers keep us safe. We can’t allow them to be silenced – The Guardian

‘With its proposed changes to the Official Secrets Act, the Law Commission would make it all but impossible for government wrongdoing to be exposed.’

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The Guardian, 13th February 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judges reject media request to release marine shooting video – The Guardian

‘Three of the UK’s most senior judges have rejected a request by the Guardian and other media organisations to sanction the release of video footage showing a British Royal Marine shooting dead a wounded Taliban fighter.’

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The Guardian, 31st January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Fake news’ inquiry opened by MPs – OUT-LAW.com

‘A UK parliamentary committee has opened an inquiry into so-called ‘fake news’.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 31st January 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Don Hale: One man’s fight for justice – BBC News

Posted January 27th, 2017 in media, miscarriage of justice, murder, news, rape by sally

‘Fifteen years ago Stephen Downing was acquitted after spending 27 years in prison for murder, overturning one of Britain’s most notorious miscarriages of justice and putting into the spotlight the local newspaper editor who helped to bring the police’s case tumbling down.’

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BBC News, 26th January 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sentencing changes may raise speeding fines but relax TV licence penalty – The Guardian

‘Motorists convicted of speeding will face higher fines related to their income while people who fail to pay their TV licences could avoid financial penalties in future, under new sentencing guidelines introduced for magistrates.’

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The Guardian, 24th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Anonymity – London Review of Books

‘Anonymous and pseudonymous publication has a long history. It may now be the exception in literary and specialist journalism, but at the start of the 19th century it was pretty much the rule – to the extent that France in 1850 legislated to forbid the publication of unsigned articles on philosophical, political and religious subjects. A new book by Eric Barendt, Anonymous Speech: Literature, Law and Politics (Hart, £25), traces the contemporaneous voluntary abandonment of anonymity in England and the often pompous arguments that accompanied it. The fact was that journals’ recruitment of well-known writers – Thackeray, Dickens – was starting to put a premium on names. So when the Fortnightly Review started up in 1865, it announced that all its articles would be signed and free of editorial pressure. By contrast, from its foundation in 1913 the New Statesman anonymised its contributors, though the editor, having explained that this was necessary in order to establish a common style and tone, couldn’t resist announcing that Sidney Webb and Bernard Shaw would be writing for it. In 1925 the Spectator, after not quite a hundred years of unsigned articles, abandoned anonymity, and the New Statesman followed. Articles in the TLS remained anonymous until 1974, and obituaries in the Times and Telegraph are unsigned to this day. So are the entirety of the Economist and the bulk of Private Eye.’

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London Review of Books, 19th January 2017

Source: www.lrb.co.uk

SDT throws out surveillance allegations against News of the World solicitor – Legal Futures

Posted January 19th, 2017 in costs, disciplinary procedures, media, news, solicitors by sally

‘The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has thrown out charges against a solicitor for Rupert Murdoch’s News International accused of unreasonably advising and commissioning surveillance of two high-profile lawyers bringing phone hacking cases.’

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Legal Futures, 19th January 2017

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Daniel Morgan murder suspects named in court 30 years after killing – The Guardian

Posted January 18th, 2017 in conspiracy, corruption, malicious prosecution, media, murder, news, police by sally

‘The alleged conspirators in the unsolved murder of Daniel Morgan have been named in court, nearly 30 years after the private detective was found dead with an axe embedded in his head in a pub car park.’

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The Guardian, 17th January 2017

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Section 40: Will the press be forced to pay the costs in court cases – even if they win? – The Independent

Posted January 9th, 2017 in consultations, costs, freedom of expression, media, news, privacy by sally

‘The Big Question: Are press reforms needed in the wake of the phone hacking scandal, or will they prove financially ruinous to some outlets?’

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The Independent, 9th January 2017

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Making newspapers pay legal costs for libel cases even if they win is ’eminently fair’, says Max Mosley – The Independent

Posted January 4th, 2017 in costs, defamation, media, news by sally

‘Proposals which could see newspapers forced to pay their opponents’ legal costs even if they win in court are “eminently fair”, according to Max Mosley.’

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The Independent, 3rd January 2017

Source; www.independent.co.uk

Mail pays out £150,000 to Muslim family over Katie Hopkins column – The Guardian

Posted December 20th, 2016 in compensation, costs, Islam, media, news by sally

‘Mail Online has been forced to pay out £150,000 to a British Muslim family over a Katie Hopkins column which falsely accused them of extremism.’

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The Guardian, 19th December 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk