Intellectual Property Archives - Society for Computers & Law

Intellectual Property Office issues update on Standard Essential Patents

News • March 15, 2024

In the August 2022 response to its Call for Views about SEPs, the IPO committed to continued assessment of the issues raised, including further analysis of the submitted evidence and additional evidence-gathering. It also committed to reporting its findings to Ministers in 2023. Since then, the IPO has launched a questionnaire for SMEs, small-cap and…

This Week’s Techlaw News Round-up

March 8, 2024

8 March 2024 UK law ASA investigates supplier pathway of irresponsible ads online The ASA has launched two projects aimed at better understanding where responsibility lies for inappropriately targeted and irresponsible ads that appear online. This work forms part of its strategy commitment to protect vulnerable audiences, including children, and to bring greater transparency and…

Spring Budget 2024: announcements of interest to tech lawyers

News • March 7, 2024

The Chancellor has delivered the Spring Budget 2024. The key issues of interest to tech lawyers are set out below. University spin-outs At the Autumn Statement 2023, the UK government announced that it had accepted the recommendations in Professor Irene Tracey’s and Doctor Andrew Williamson’s independent review of university spin-outs. With the aim of helping…

This Week’s Techlaw News Round-up

News • March 1, 2024

UK law ICO releases guidance on biometric data and recognition The ICO has issued guidance on biometric recognition, which highlights how the UK GDPR applies when biometric data is used in biometric recognition systems. The guidance also looks at the uses of biometric recognition and explains how these involve processing special category biometric data. It…

Court of Appeal dismisses appeal in trade mark infringement case involving downloadable watch apps

News • January 4, 2024

The Court of Appeal dismissed the defendant’s appeal against an earlier High Court decision that it had infringed watchmakers’ registered trade marks….

Supreme Court dismissed appeal in DABUS AI patent inventor case

News • December 21, 2023

The Court emphasised that the appeal was not concerned with the broader question whether technical advances generated by machines acting autonomously and powered by AI should be patentable. Rather, it deals with the interpretation and application of the relevant provisions of the Patents Act 1977….

CMA says Adobe/Figma deal could harm UK digital design sector

News • November 28, 2023

Last week, the European Commission informed Adobe of its preliminary view that its proposed acquisition of Figma may reduce competition in the global markets for the supply of interactive product design software and of other creative design software. The CMA has now provisionally found that Adobe’s deal to buy Figma would be likely to harm…

European Commission sends Adobe Statement of Objections over proposed acquisition of Figma

News • November 21, 2023

The European Commission has informed Adobe of its preliminary view that its proposed acquisition of Figma may reduce competition in the global markets for the supply of interactive product design software and of other creative design software. Adobe is a global software company offering, among other things, creative design software tools (for example, Illustrator and…

Initial Coin Offerings: Table of Regulation (APAC, UK & US)

May 10, 2020

Jurisdiction Recent developments and current approach Abu Dhabi Middle ground approach – ICOs potentially treated as securities, cryptocurrencies are commodities. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority released guidelines on ICOs and digital currencies on 9 October 2017 – stating that: ICOs may be viewed as securities depending on the circumstances; and digital currencies are not considered…