Readers of this magazine, more than most, are used to the law changing rapidly to accommodate changes in technology. When it comes to the law as it affects minors, however, and their ability to enter into commercial arrangements, we find a landscape that has essentially stayed unchanged for centuries. Robin Bynoe explains why the new technology and ancient legal principle could collide….
The British Phonographic Industry, the trade body for record labels in the UK, is to begin action against 28 “major filesharers” – individuals who make their record collections available for others to download from peer-to-peer (P2P) sites. Charlotte McConnell comments….
Matthew Pryke gives an account of Kabushiki Kaisha Sony Computer Entertainment Inc & Ors v Ball & Ors [2004] EWHC 1738 Ch…
The most cursory flip through this issue will reveal that it devotes many of its pages to disclosure of electronic documents. Not only do we have Terry Harrison’s short article and a lengthy account of the recent report of the Commercial Court Working Party chaired by Mr Justice Cresswell but the article by His Honour…
Richard Raysman and Peter Brown share their views on, and considerable experience of, the drafting of joint venture agreements….
Clive Davies reviews and comments upon the current state of online licensing of software and the associated legal implications and addresses the new models for the distribution of software as a service available on demand. He also contrasts some of the legal and other issues that apply to software with other online media in the music and film area….
Read More… from Online Licensing of Entertainment and Information
HH Peter Bowsher QC answers the request to give a judge’s view of trying IT cases. He wishes to make it clear that he retired from the Bench in October 2003 and has ever since been practising as an arbitrator and dispute resolver in Keating Chambers but his views do contain many useful insights on the forensic and procedural aspects of IT litigation….
Terry Harrison argues that the retention of electronic documents by companies and corporations assumes even greater importance as electronic data disclosure grows….
This article from Simon Dawson examines the value in litigation of the hidden information (known as metadata) encoded into most electronic documents, illustrates this by a study based on a real case and finally discusses the circumstances in which an opposing party in litigation might be compelled to provide it….
John Angel asks “Is it really happening?” and “Should law firms be considering it?”…