United Kingdom: Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment

TLT's AI Brief for September examines the growing pressure on accountability and disclosure in artificial intelligence, covering new regulatory consultations, landmark legal statements on AI liability...

Matt Grimwood and John Howells from Newmark explore the explosive growth of the UK data centre sector, examining how power availability, grid capacity constraints...

The ongoing commercial rivalry between fast-fashion giants Shein and Temu has evolved into one of the most significant intellectual property disputes in the e-commerce sector. This landmark case examines critical questions about copyright ownership, platform liability, and the legal responsibilities of online marketplaces in the digital age.

Acquiring or developing land with telecoms apparatus requires careful navigation of the Electronic Communications Code. Operators hold powerful statutory protections that can restrict landowners' ability to relocate or remove equipment, creating potential delays and unexpected costs. Understanding your rights and obligations early in the development process is essential for managing timelines, negotiating effectively, and avoiding complications once construction begins.

Telecoms operators rely on the Electronic Communications Code to secure rights over land, but landowners retain important powers that can affect network deployment and maintenance. Understanding the interplay between statutory protections, lease renewal regimes, and contractual relocation provisions is essential to managing risk and avoiding costly disputes over apparatus installation and removal.

The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled against EE Ltd for failing to substantiate comparative claims about their broadband service. The telecommunications company must now ensure all comparative advertising claims can be properly verified with supporting evidence.

The High Court examined whether an events company's use of prestigious brand names like VANITY FAIR and GQ on its website constituted trade mark infringement and passing off. The case centered on whether promotional references to exclusive invitation-only events crossed the line from legitimate identification to misleading consumers about a commercial connection with the trade mark owner.

When Hasbro alleged that SConnect's Wolfoo animated series infringed Peppa Pig copyrights through unauthorized audio clips, the High Court granted summary judgment based on spectrographic evidence. The case reveals critical lessons about outsourcing liability, international copyright exposure, and the strategic advantages of early litigation decisions.

A High Court ruling examines a contentious dispute between a video game developer and publisher over milestone-based funding and "step in" rights for the first-person shooter Six Days in Fallujah. With over $50 million in development costs at stake and allegations of conspiracy to acquire proprietary source code, the court declined to grant either party interim control of the game's development, leaving both sides without the "keys to the kingdom" pending a full trial.

Recent ASA decisions highlight how AI-generated advertising content can perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes and offensive imagery, particularly through deepfake technology. As generative AI becomes increasingly prevalent in marketing campaigns, regulators are emphasizing that marketers remain fully responsible for ensuring their AI-generated content complies with advertising standards, regardless of the technology used to create it.

The High Court examined whether an events company's use of prestigious brand names like VANITY FAIR and GQ on its website constituted trade mark infringement and passing off. The case centered on whether promotional references to exclusive invitation-only events crossed the line from legitimate identification to misleading consumers about a commercial connection with the trade mark owner.

OpenAI's integration of advertisements into ChatGPT marks a significant shift in how retailers can reach consumers through conversational AI. As this emerging channel offers contextual relevance at moments of genuine purchasing intent, retailers must navigate complex advertising regulations, data protection requirements, and sector-specific rules to ensure compliance while capitalizing on this novel marketing opportunity.