Month: October 2015

30.10.15

Iain Wilson interviewed by The Tab on how the internet can turn against you through Cyberbullying

Brett Wilson LLP partner Iain Wilson features in the latest edition of the UK’s biggest student newspaper The Tab in an article by Bob Palmer on how the internet can turn against you.  A copy of the article can be found here.  

26.10.15

Burrell v Clifford: Limitation and Triviality in Breach of Confidence and Breach of Privacy Claims

The former royal butler, Paul Burrell, is suing Max Clifford, the publicist (now serving a custodial sentence for various indecent assaults), for breaching his confidence and his privacy.  In In Burrell v Clifford [2015] EWHC 2001 (Ch) Mr Justice Mann heard an application by Clifford to strike out the claim on the basis that it…

High Court grants injunction after celebrity revenge porn threat

In JPH v XYZ [2015] EWHC 2871 Mr Justice Popplewell considered an emergency application for an  injunction to restrain the publication of intimate images.  The application was made after the Defendant threatened to publish photographs and videos of the Claimant (a successful actor) which were of a sexual nature and created whilst they were in a relationship. The Defendant had threatened to post the videos and…

6.10.15

Fare evasion barrister narrowly avoids jail

Barrister Dr Peter Barnett has received a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, 200 hours of community service, and a compensation order of nearly £6,000 for evading rail fares on his commute from Haddenham and Thame Parkway to London Marylebone.  It was alleged that this was achieved by Dr Barnett tapping his oyster card in and out at Wembley…

Car smoking ban in force

On 1 October 2015 it become an offence in England and Wales to smoke in a car that has passengers under the age of 18.  The Smoke-free (Private Vehicles) Regulations 2015 provides that any driver (including those with provisional driving licences)  found contravening this law can be fined £50.  The law extends the driver’s responsibility under these regulations to…

Creditor bankruptcy petition threshold increased sevenfold to £5,000

On 1 October 2015 the threshold for bankruptcy proceedings was increased from £750 to £5.000. The threshold represents the minimum amount of debt for which a creditor can initiate a petition for bankruptcy against a debtor who is an individual (the £750 threshold remains where the debtor is incorporated and a winding-up order is sought)….

ECJ rules that four fingered Kit Kats not distinct enough to be trademarked

The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) has ruled that Nestlé cannot trademark its four fingered Kit Kat because the shape is not distinctive enough for consumers to associate it with the chocolate bar.  Nestlé had tried to trademark the four finger Kit Kat in 2010 but its rival Cadbury had registered an…