Internet content provider meaning

Checklist This Checklist flags the principal issues commonly faced when negotiating and preparing website hosting agreements. See also Precedent: Website hosting agreement—pro-customer. Where appropriate, it can serve as the starting point for a straightforward, non-binding heads of terms; for guidance, see Precedent: Heads of terms—commercial contracts. As you work through, use a third column to log observations or comments... Parties ☐ Verify each party’s legal status and identify any third parties (such as group affiliates) who may benefit from the agreement. ☐ Where a single provider hosts multiple sites for an affiliated group, establish which group company controls each site operationally and legally. ☐ Decide whether the provider owes liability to every group entity, or if contractual dealings will be managed centrally (e.g. by a parent acting for its affiliates). ☐ Confirm if the provider must collaborate with any other third parties supplying systems or services to the customer. Commencement and duration ☐ Confirm the intended...

In this issue: New technologies Information technology Internet Media Advertising, marketing and sponsorship Reputation management Telecommunications LexTalk®TMT: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information New technologies DSIT announces UK-Australia AI security partnership The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) says the UK AI Security Institute (AISI) and its Australian counterpart have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen co-operation on AI safety and security risks. The arrangement will see both AISIs exchange insights on frontier AI capabilities, work jointly on research into emerging risks, and shape best practices for testing and evaluating AI systems. It also envisages staff secondments between the institutes to strengthen day-to-day collaboration. See: LNB News 26/05/2026 41. DfT opens applications for operators to join self-driving vehicle pilot scheme The Department for Transport (DfT) has opened applications for operators to take part...

In this issue: New technologies Information technology Internet Data protection Media Advertising, marketing and sponsorship Telecommunications LexTalk®TMT: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information New technologies Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No 1) Regulations 2025 SI 2025/1339: These Regulations bring specified parts and provisions of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (AVA 2024) into force on 1 January 2026. See: LNB News 18/12/2025 18. Ofcom sets out how AI chatbots are overseen under the UK Online Safety Act: Ofcom has released a guide on the application of the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) to AI chatbots, detailing when chatbot service providers must evaluate and mitigate risks to users, with particular focus on children. It also clarifies which categories of online service fall within scope, explains where chatbots sit under the Act, describes how AI-generated material is...

In this issue: New technologies Internet Data protection Media Advertising, marketing and sponsorship LexTalk®International Trade: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information New technologies Misuse of AI in court and the consequences (Ayinde v Haringey & Al-Haroun v Qatar National Bank) In Ayinde v Haringey London Borough Council; Al-Haroun v Qatar National Bank QPSC [2025] EWHC 1383 (Admin), the Divisional Court considered the fallout from improper deployment of AI in litigation. Triggered by two references concerning proven or suspected use of generative AI by lawyers, the court relied on its inherent powers to police duties owed to the court (the Hamid jurisdiction). The judgment offers essential direction to practitioners on their obligations when using AI, both to the court and to their professional regulators. It also identifies likely consequences for misuse of AI, including public reprimand, striking out and adverse...

Consideration of electronic data interchange (EDI) frameworks, blockchain, smart contracts, or sector‑specific legislation or regulation, including regimes for financial services, intermediation services, or online auctions, falls outside the scope of this Practice Note. For a primer on EDI and smart contracts, see Practice Notes: Business to business e‑commerce—introduction and Smart legal contracts. For blockchain guidance, refer to Blockchain—overview and Practice Note: Blockchain—key legal and regulatory issues. The type and functionality of the website A website’s compliance obligations and the rules that apply will vary according to the kind of site in question and its intended functionality or aim and audience. As an initial step, the site operator should determine, early on, the nature of the proposed site and the planned extent of its functionality. For example, consider the following questions: will the site be an ‘information only’ destination? will it operate as a platform where third parties upload material or content or execute transactions? will it deliver a service? will it...

STOP PRESS : On 29 April 2026, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 obtained Royal Assent. This statute will bring a series of amendments to the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023), among them the creation of additional digital offences, and adjustments across the framework. See: LNB News 30/04/2026 21. This Practice Note is impacted by that development and is currently being revised to reflect those legislative shifts in detail. The Practice Note offers a concise, accessible overview of OSA 2023. It sets out what OSA 2023 covers, the categories of services it captures, and the way the regime functions. It also outlines when services falling within OSA 2023’s scope must begin meeting the requirements. OSA 2023 received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023 and partially commenced on that day. The obligations and duties in OSA 2023 will not bite in full until Ofcom has issued finalised versions of all its Codes of Practice and guidance, as these documents explain in detail how services can satisfy each duty. In...

This Practice Note was first prepared for Lexis Practice Advisor®, in the US. It outlines how online businesses that host user-generated content (UGC)—including social networks, video platforms, and digital marketplaces—can reduce exposure to copyright claims by meeting the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) safe harbour under 17 U.S.C. § 512(c). The DMCA contains four safe harbour provisions (sections 512(a)–(d)) that protect service providers from liability for infringement. This note concentrates on the UGC safe harbour, section 512(c), which is the safeguard most often relied upon. To invoke this defence, companies must take defined actions, such as running a notice-and-takedown system and putting a copyright policy in place. The safe harbour shields service providers from monetary damages, even where users commit infringement by posting unauthorised material. Although a qualifying company may still be sued, the remedies are limited, for example injunctive relief. Businesses can also assert other defences, such as fair use, whether or not they fit within the safe harbour. Who is at risk? Online services that...

[ Postal address for internet service provider/host online platform ] [ Date ] Sent via registered post and email: [ email address for internet service provider/host online platform ] Dear [ insert organisation name ] Notice and take-down letter—trade mark infringement on [ website URL ] We act for [ name of client ] of [ client’s address ] (our Client) in connection with the enforcement of intellectual property rights. [ This correspondence relates to the website accessible at [ website URL ] (the Website). OR This correspondence concerns content available on your platform at [ website URL ] (the Website). ] The Website is directed at consumers in the UK...