Legal briefings from the world's leading law firms

On Wednesday 9th May, the Queen announced that the Government will be pressing ahead with reforms to the law of defamation in this year's legislative agenda. The proposed reforms are aimed at striking a better balance between the protection of reputation and freedom of speech.

The CJEU has delivered its ruling on the scope of copyright protection for computer programs. The Court confirmed that there is no copyright in the functionality of a computer program or the programming language. Field Fisher give full details of the ruling and what it will mean in practice.

On 10th April 2012, India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry released a circular with the updated Foreign Direct Investment Policy. Although the contents of the last press note were replicated, this update from Field Fisher Waterhouse outlines how in practice things have changed.

Establishing an employee's "effective date of termination" is important as it determines when an employee should bring a claim for unfair dismissal. FFW detail a recent case which provides a useful reminder of the case law in this area and the issues to consider when establishing the EDT.

The UK High Court recently had to decide whether a party to a settlement agreement could avoid the agreement because it had been entered into under economic duress. Field Fisher Waterhouse detail the facts of the case, how the High Court passed judgment and provide a range of practical tips.

The Technology and Construction Court has recently given judgement in a dispute between AstraZeneca and IBM as to the meaning and scope of certain termination assistance and exit obligations. This briefing from Field Fisher Waterhouse provides an overview of the key issues involved.

This comprehensive table documents all successful prosecutions under the Bribery Act 2010 to date. Full details are given of the individuals or company involved; the offence; the date and jurisdiction; the fine or settlement; and any notable comments on the case in question.

This monthly bulletin from Field Fisher Waterhouse details all the legal and commercial issues affecting the technology and communications sector. In this issue: how to run a successful cookie audit; dot brand applications; the impact of the proposed Data Protection Regulation; and more.

The Government recently released its Response to the Consultation on the options for reforming the UK's competition regime. In this briefing, Field Fisher Waterhouse set out the key, proposed changes; the most far-reaching of which is the creation of the Competition and Markets Authority.

Franchising a business presents much opportunity but there are associated reputational, financial and legal risks which must be weighed carefully against the potential upside. In this brief introduction, FFW outline franchise law, franchising a business model and the importance of confidentiality.