Script meaning

This checklist sets out the requirements for preparing for a company’s general meeting (GM) or annual general meeting (AGM). It is intended for both practitioners and company secretaries and applies to private and public limited companies, whether listed or unlisted. It addresses calling a GM or AGM, including the members’ and the court’s powers to call a meeting, notice requirements, practical preparatory steps, and a company secretary’s checklist of actions to take for the meeting. Holding hybrid GMs and AGMs Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have enabled remote participation at meetings, typically by amending their articles to permit remote attendance, inclusion within the quorum, and the ability to vote by participants at such meetings, accordingly. For further details, see Practice Note: Holding entirely virtual or hybrid general meetings and AGMs...

What IP issues are involved in making a film that is based on a well-known product like the Barbie doll? ‘Barbie’ is one of the most talked-about films of the summer. When crafting a feature based on a famous product such as the Barbie doll, a host of IP questions arises. We will return to trade mark protection and the more obvious IP categories, but the launch point for a project like Barbie is a knockout script. A production of this scale is threaded with numerous layers of IP, from the screenplay to the music script. Although Greta Gerwig’s direction has been widely highlighted, there has been less focus on her partner and co-writer, Noah Baumbach. Inevitably, there will be intricate contractual arrangements (likely several) covering authorship and ownership of the screenplay and its related copyright. Copyright also safeguards the continuing ability to use the screenplay and other copyrighted works created during filming, commonly secured by forward-looking copyright ‘options’. As a writer, you should weigh up the options you...

Taylor v Pathe Productions Ltd and others [2024] EWHC 1475 (KB) What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling will interest anyone contemplating a claim about a drama drawn from real events. It stresses that the programme must be assessed as a whole and in context, and not dissected scene by scene, bearing in mind the ordinary viewer, who will watch it only once rather than pore over a transcript. Crucially, it clarifies that although some viewers may take particular meanings from the Film, this does not establish that the Film bears those meanings for defamation purposes. The court considers the reaction of the hypothetical reasonable viewer: not naïve, yet not unduly suspicious; able to read between the lines, but not avid for scandal; and not preferring a defamatory meaning where other non-defamatory readings are available, or quickly assuming the worst when neutral interpretations exist. That viewer would recognise that the Film was neither a documentary nor a work of pure fiction. It was a dramatisation of...

This Practice Note offers guidance on preparing an appraisal form that can be used to evaluate and review an individual’s performance against both objectives and core skills (competencies). It supports assessment against goals and the core capabilities needed to deliver them. Why are appraisals important? An effective performance management process typically focuses on the following: aligning your workforce closely with the strategic aims of the business improving overall employee performance supporting employee development and ongoing retention driving improved overall business results Creating a competency based appraisal process It is important to recognise the appraisal form is not a script to be followed slavishly, but a tool that underpins and steers the conversation and creates a structure for capturing what was discussed. The dialogue matters more than the paperwork. Competencies describe the behaviours employees require to carry out a role to a high standard. They concern how objectives are delivered, rather than the objectives themselves. They convert the firm’s...

Practice Note This Practice Note is aimed at general private-sector commercial organisations in the UK. It highlights typical risks linked to using artificial intelligence (AI) within your business and proposes ways to mitigate them. This Practice Note is not designed for organisations that create or deploy AI solutions as a commercial service for third parties. Separate guidance is available for technology companies—see Practice Note: Artificial Intelligence—UK regulation and the National AI Strategy. What is artificial intelligence? There is no single, settled definition of AI. In essence, it involves machines—usually computer systems—emulating human intelligence. Multiple forms of AI appear in commercial settings, including generative, predictive and extractive AI. Generative AI An AI tool that produces new, lifelike outputs such as text, audio, computer code, data or images, for example using an AI tool to: craft a marketing blog post refine an email you have already drafted produce a product description or a job description prepare a script or slides for...

For other frequently used film and TV expressions, consult: Film and TV glossary A–B, Film and TV glossary C–D, Film and TV glossary E–H, Film and TV glossary I–L, Film and TV glossary M–P, Film and TV glossary T–W. RadioPro Ltd RadioPro Ltd takes submissions from independent musicians via RadioPro.eu. Anyone performing music in a public venue may require a licence. Artists can upload tracks to RadioPro.eu and the platform will, on their behalf, present them directly to commercial and creative clients—TV programmes and series, films, adverts and documentaries—for a fee set by the artist. See Practice Note: Collecting societies. Recapture or turnaround provision ‘Recapture’ states that a licence will lapse and all rights will automatically return to the author/owner after a defined period if, by its end, the producer has not carried out specified actions. ‘Turnaround’ grants the author/owner, within a set timeframe, the ability to notify the producer requiring reassignment of certain project rights in exchange for payment of particular sums. See: Recapture and...

1 Introduction At [ insert the exact time ], I declare open the meeting of Creditors/Members of [ insert name of the company ] [ with [ insert type of claim ] claims, and the meeting of Creditors/Members of [ insert name of the company ] with [ insert type of claim ] Claims ]. I am [ insert name ], of [ insert firm or company name ], acting as [ insert details of who the chairperson is eg adviser etc ]. The Meeting [ s ] taking place today [ has OR have ] been convened by the Company pursuant to an Order of the High Court of Justice of England & Wales made on [ insert date ]. The purpose of the Meeting [ s ] is to review and, if considered appropriate, approve the Restructuring Plan(s) under Part 26A of the Companies Act 2006 that the Company proposes to enter into with [ certain of ] its creditors/members. Pursuant to the...

Begin with introductions, if needed, and identify who will be taking the minutes during the meeting. Confirm that the employee will receive copies of the meeting notes afterwards Set out why the employee has been invited, namely to address the misconduct matter described in the letter sent to them. Clarify that the hearing’s purpose is to review the evidence and allow them to present their account and raise any points they wish. State that no outcome will be reached until after the meeting. If the employee asks what follows a dismissal or a warning, explain no decision has been made, but if such action were taken, they would have a right of appeal Where relevant, record any adjustments implemented in respect of an employee who is, or could be, disabled, and ensure these are acknowledged Confirm that the issues are being managed in line with either the company’s written disciplinary procedure, a copy of which the employee holds, or the Acas guidelines, as applicable ...

1 Introduce everyone present by name and role, if appropriate. Confirm who is taking the meeting notes, how they will be recorded, and that copies will be clearly made available to the employee afterwards. If the employee has a disability, describe any adjustments made to the procedure to minimise or remove any potential disadvantage they could experience during the process. 2 Advise the employee that the purpose of the meeting is to address the performance issue that has already been raised with them at an earlier stage, originally in an informal discussion and, potentially, in a prior formal meeting. Explain that, during the meeting, you will step through each of the concerns that have been identified, and give the employee a full and fair opportunity to fully set out any circumstances affecting performance and to put forward any reasons for the problems. Make it clear why the performance issue matters and that the improvements required are essential...