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Lucasfilm did not benefit in any way at Tyburn Film Productions Ltd's expense, counsel said to the appeals court there on 3 December 2025, in part because it already possessed rights over Cushing's likeness and an agreement and consent from the Cushing estate to 'resurrect' him as Grand Moff Tarkin. Tyburn contends it earlier made an agreement with the late actor then, at the time, granting the company a veto over any use of his image prior to his 1994 death. That contract concerns a TV series titled 'Heritage of Horror', which never aired. Tyburn further asserts the deal permits it to effectively 'resurrect' Cushing using stand-ins and CGI to ultimately finish the programme then if the actor were to die whilst filming remained in progress...
Irish telecom operator Eircom’s damages lawsuit against BT Group over a public-sector contract must be carefully managed to trial to deal with confidentiality issues and other matters, a UK judge told the parties today. At the High Court in London today, a judge said Eircom’s damages action against BT over a public-sector contract needs tight case management through to trial to address confidentiality and related concerns. Eircom brought the claim after Ofcom in 2020 penalised BT for its behaviour during a tender. Speaking to both sides, Judge Adam Johnson urged them to resolve any confidentiality flashpoints themselves and signalled he had no wish to step in unless it became unavoidable. He also expressed confidence that parties would do everything possible to keep confidential designations to a minimum, noting this was necessary to maintain control over the conduct of the trial. He framed this as the
The following document is attached: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/274 dated 5 February 2026, revising Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1981, establishing a final anti-dumping levy on imports of ceramic tableware and kitchenware produced in...
Justice Richard Arnold granted AstraZeneca leave to appeal and permitted lorries carrying about 175,000 packs of Glenmark’s generics to move on to wholesalers, provided they did not reach pharmacy shelves while the case continued at any point during those interim proceedings. In this way, Glenmark could keep its first-to-market advantage, while causing only minimal detriment to AstraZeneca should the Court of Appeal later be persuaded to issue an injunction against supply. The judge said this approach maintained the status quo with the least possible prejudice to Glenmark’s position overall. The hearing was arranged at short notice, just days after the High Court refused AstraZeneca an injunction to block the diabetes generic from sale while the court considered whether the patents supporting the branded medicine were valid in law. Glenmark, Generics (UK) Ltd and Teva Pharmaceuticals have each begun proceedings in the UK to set...
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Ahmad and another company v Faraj [2025] EWCA Civ 468 What are the practical implications of this case? This judgment serves as a timely reminder of the range of powers the courts can deploy after a party breaches an order, and the need to calibrate the response between imposing the less severe Hadkinson order and making an unless order. Although both remedies are unusual, the court emphasised that defiance would not be indulged and that these measures would be invoked to secure that any contempt is purged. Notably, even where an unless order could culminate in an appeal being struck out notwithstanding that permission to appeal had been granted (as was a live possibility here), the making of an unless order may still be justified. Lady Justice King concluded that the husband was intentionally in breach, and reaffirmed the approach in Mubarak v Mubarik (...
Across the EU, a copyright licensing marketplace for training artificial intelligence systems remains nascent, largely because AI developers shy away from entering licensing talks, a summary of feedback from European governments and CMOs indicates. The document, seen by MLex, consolidates replies from EU countries—many informed by national collective management organisations—to a policy questionnaire circulated in January. CMOs administer copyright and related rights for multiple rights holders, notably in creative sectors such as the music industry. Even so, the summary records that licensing of protected works by CMOs for AI training is uncommon in the EU, as most respondents report developers’ unwillingness to engage in negotiations... AI licensing market The survey highlights two priority obstacles: Transparency, which rights holders regard as essential to exercise their rights and negotiate remuneration Workable opt-out mechanisms for the EU Copyright Directive’s text and data mining...
Rogers v Wills [2025] EWHC 1367 ( Ch) What are the practical implications of this case? This decision paints a bleak picture of brothers and sisters embroiled in a grave quarrel, arising after the death of their mother, about the estate she left. It further illustrates, across a broad spectrum of family situations, how informal understandings can readily crystallise into genuinely binding contracts, and how vanishingly small are the circumstances in which a plea that there was no intention to create legal relations will succeed in practice at all. Moreover, the ruling indicates that unjust enrichment may assume a materially important role in disputes where children of a deceased parent have provided later‑life care. Lastly, it reveals a degree of judicial flexibility when it comes to delineating the scope and content of the pleadings......
Mergers CMA consults on proposed changes to its jurisdiction and procedure guidance and the mergers notice template The CMA has opened a consultation on proposed draft revisions to its mergers guidance on jurisdiction and procedure ( CMA2) and to the merger notice template. These updates form part of its measures to sharpen the pace, predictability, proportionality and process (4Ps) of the merger control regime, aiming to boost growth, attract investment, and strengthen business confidence in the UK’s competition and consumer regimes......
Birmingham City Council v Persons Unknown and others; Wolverhampton City Council and another v Persons Unknown and others [2025] EWHC 1102 ( KB) What are the practical implications of this case? This judgment offers another illustration of the settled principles applied when considering whether to continue contramundum (against the world) injunctions targeting persons unknown for unlawful and/or nuisance behaviour. It demonstrates the High Court’s approach to the different factors and stages in determining if continuation is appropriate. The decision is useful to advisers evaluating whether, and to what degree, their evidence meets the court’s expectations in these applications—particularly in relation to car-cruising injunctions, while also having broader relevance... What was the background? In December 2022, both local authorities—having previously secured similar injunctions in 2015 and 2016—issued new claims seeking injunctions and powers of arrest to restrain renewed car-cruising and related nuisance under section 222 of the Local...
Mergers CMA conditionally clears GXO/ Wincanton merger; CMA accepts divestiture remedy involving Wincanton’s dedicated warehousing business The CMA has issued its final phase 2 report on the completed acquisition of Wincanton plc ( Wincanton) by GXO Logistics, Inc. ( GXO). GXO is the world’s largest contract logistics services provider, while Wincanton, based in the UK, operates in the same sector. Both companies deliver mainstream contract logistics services to business customers across retail markets—such as groceries, fashion and apparel—and non-retail segments including manufacturing and construction. The CMA found that the deal may give rise to an SLC in the provision of dedicated warehousing services to Grocery customers in the UK. It determined that the merger brings together two significant and closely competing suppliers of dedicated warehousing to grocery customers, and that the remaining competitive...
Antitrust AG proposes upholding of General Court’s €4.12bn fine on Google for Android-related abuse of dominance Advocate General Kokott has issued her opinion in Case C-738/22, Google and Alphabet v Commission, an appeal challenging the General Court’s 2022 ruling that largely confirmed the Commission’s 2018 finding that Google abused its dominant position in the Android operating system market. She recommends that the Court of Justice dismiss Google’s appeal in full, thereby maintaining the General Court’s 2022 judgment. Background On 18 July 2018, the Commission imposed a €4.34bn fine on Google for abusing its dominant position in the Android operating system market (the Commission’s 2018 decision). It concluded that, since at least 1 January 2011, Google had applied three categories of anti-competitive restrictions to mobile device manufacturers and network operators, including: Manufacturers could obtain a licence for Google’s Play Store only if they...
A victim of crime Under VPA 2024, a ‘victim’ is any person who has suffered harm directly from being subjected to criminal behaviour, or from seeing, hearing or otherwise directly experiencing its effects as it occurred. Someone is also a victim where any of the following apply: their birth was the direct consequence of criminal behaviour the death of a close family member was the direct result of criminal behaviour they are a child who is a victim of domestic abuse that amounts to criminal behaviour ‘ Harm’ covers physical, psychological or emotional harm, as well as financial loss. There is no requirement for the offence to have been reported, for any investigation to have taken place, or for any charge or conviction to have followed. Permitted disclosures The following are permitted disclosures under VPA 2024, section 17: disclosures made to the police or......
The white-collar prosecutor’s pitch to ‘collaborate’ with businesses on complying with economic crime laws White-collar prosecutors’ plan to “work with” companies on meeting economic crime obligations—by sharing data, insights on trends and analysis—seems to dovetail with ministers’ rhetoric that every UK regulator should champion growth to revive the flagging economy, according to lawyers. While the government has told certain regulators, including the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA), to factor growth into their core objectives, it has not, at least overtly, tried to steer the SFO or recast its duties. “ For the SFO it’s a tricky balance: at its core it investigates and prosecutes, it isn’t a regulator, and it has long stressed that distinction,” said Ben Morgan, a partner at Freshfields LLP and the agency’s former joint head of bribery and corruption. Unlike the FCA and other oversight bodies, the SFO’s role is set in...
The Lloyd's Market Association ( LMA) Joint War Committee stated it convened on the morning of 18 June 2025 to consider what the conflict between the two states means for the sector. The body, comprising marine hull war underwriters from both the Lloyd's of London market and the London companies market, plays a significant role in shaping best practice across the industry, including matters such as policy exclusions......
High Court judge Kelyn Bacon dismissed a claim by startup toy company Cabo Concepts Ltd ( Cabo) seeking up to £90m in damages, finding that its Worldeez collectables would not have turned a profit even if MGA, which was already marketing the hit rival range LOL Surprise, had not abused a dominant position. In a 148-page ruling, Bacon J observed that Cabo’s founders were ‘naive and inexperienced, and lacked the operational capabilities that would have been needed to give a better prospect of commercial success’. She said Cabo began trading on ‘hopelessly unrealistic financial projections’ and would have remained loss-making without ‘extraordinarily high sales volumes’. Cabo further contended that MGA’s chief executive, Isaac Larian, regarded Worldeez as a threat to LOL Surprise after first learning about it back in 2017......
( R (on the application of AY) v Vale of Glamorgan County Borough County [2025] EWCA Civ 671) What are the practical implications of this case? Viewed straightforwardly, the decision illustrates the settled public law stance on fairness: what fairness demands is fact-sensitive and turns on the totality of the circumstances. Unless a statute, expressly or by necessary implication, prescribes a particular procedural step—such as an oral hearing or the presence of legal representation—the content of a fair process is defined by the nature of the rights being determined and the broader context in which the decision is taken. In this instance, no enactment expressly required a parent to be accompanied by a solicitor at an IDP review meeting, and nothing in the surrounding circumstances made that necessary. The claimant sought to draw support from authority in a different educational setting, R ( Kumar) v...
Mergers The Commission has been notified of Oakview/ Fortress/ SPP ( M.12009) under the simplified merger procedure The Commission has been notified of Varo Energy/ Preem ( M.11976) under the simplified merger procedure State aid Under EU State aid rules, the Commission has authorised a Polish measure worth €192m for the development of the Gaming and Technology Hub in Katowice—see further, Midday Express The Commission has confirmed that a Romanian recapitalisation of €250m for the majority state-owned Exim Banca Românească does not qualify as State aid within the meaning of EU State aid rules—see further, Midday Express NOTE— For all live State aid decisions and live formal State aid investigations, see further, EU State aid decisions—ongoing cases tracker Foreign Subsidies Regulation The Commission registered the notification regarding Door Dash/ Deliveroo ( FS.100226)...
In this issue: JCT contracts Building Safety Litigation Planning Infrastructure projects Construction industry news Daily and weekly news alerts Construction trackers JCT contracts JCT announces conclusion of latest new edition and forthcoming publication of TCC The Joint Contracts Tribunal ( JCT) has introduced the JCT Target Cost Contract as the closing addition to the JCT 2024 Edition. The suite will comprise a main contract, a sub-contract and their companion guides, with publication set for 25 June 2025. See: LNB News 16/06/2025 17. Building Safety MHCLG publishes guidance on the terms of reference for the Building Control Independent Panel After confirming the membership of the Building Control Independent Panel, MHCLG has released the Terms of Reference, outlining the scope and remit for delivering the review. See: LNB News 16/06/2025 15. HSE updates guidance on registered building...
In this issue: Practice Compliance forecast Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Practice Compliance forecast New Practice Compliance forecast as at 17 June 2025 Our latest Practice Compliance forecast (as at 17 June 2025) is now available. This month we cover: (1) the SRA’s annual AML and sanctions data-gathering exercise, (2) the Data ( Use and Access) Bill moving through Parliament, (3) the LSB’s enforcement against the SRA following the Axiom Ince review, and (4) changes to the SRA’s first-tier complaints handling requirements. See News Analysis: New Practice Compliance forecast as at 17 June 2025. Financial sanctions OFSI publishes guidance on sanctions compliance threats for art market and high-value goods The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation ( OFSI) has issued guidance...
Lawyers say the outcome of the three-year High Court battle over 147 planes and 16 engines has global implications for insurers facing demands for billions of dollars in repayments in multiple jurisdictions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. On 18 June 2025, Judge Christopher Butcher ruled that ‘the aircraft have been lost’, meaning the providers of war risk cover must pay out to the owners and lessors under the relevant war risk policies. Aaron Le Marquer, a partner at Stewarts Law LLP, said the decision ‘will be directly relevant to other disputes over losses flowing from assets stranded in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine’, noting that outside aviation such claims are typically brought under political risk policies. A consortium of six leasing companies, among them Aer Cap, issued proceedings against AIG, Lloyd’s of London and Chubb after Russian carriers refused to return their jets,...
In this issue: Planning Social housing Children’s social care Education Judicial review Environmental law and climate change Public procurement Governance Social care Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Planning Modernising planning committees—proposed reforms and implications On 28 May 2025, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government ( MHCLG) opened a technical consultation on changes to planning committees in England, which runs until 23 July 2025. Sitting within implementation of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the measures are designed to update how planning choices are made. The package is intended to improve the efficiency, reliability and calibre of decisions nationwide. Through consistent delegation, streamlined committee arrangements, compulsory training and sharper performance measures, government intends to deliver a more agile planning service that underpins sustainable development and boosts economic growth. See News Analysis: Modernising planning committees—proposed reforms and implications. Planning reform working paper—reforming site thresholds The government has issued a working paper on...
In this issue: Trade marks/passing off Copyright & associated rights Patents IP and technology Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Trade marks/passing off Court refuses Getty Images’ appeal in trade mark row over CSAM claims ( Getty Images ( US), Inc v Stability AI Ltd) The Court of Appeal ( Civil Division) has upheld a decision against the Getty Images companies in their trade mark case involving Stability AI, the developer of the Stable Diffusion image generator. Getty asserted that Stability’s training data purportedly included child sexual abuse material ( CSAM), allegedly risking unsafe synthetic outputs and harming Getty’s established reputation. Stability argued these CSAM assertions were not properly particularised in the pleadings. The trial judge agreed, concluding that an amendment referring to...
In this issue Nationally significant infrastructure projects Housing Marine planning Heritage and natural environment Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Related Documents Nationally significant infrastructure projects Infrastructure Consent ( Compulsory Acquisition) ( Wales) Regulations 2025 SI 2025/691: This instrument outlines, among other matters, the pre-application steps to be undertaken before submitting to the Welsh Ministers any infrastructure consent application that includes a compulsory acquisition request. It comes into force on 15 December 2025. See: LNB News 17/06/2025 3. Infrastructure Consent ( Examination and Decision) ( Procedure) ( Wales) Regulations 2025 SI 2025/692: These Regulations provide for the examining authority, arrangements for preparing and carrying out the examination of applications, and the processes that follow the examination. They also set out additional and supplementary procedures where the proposed infrastructure consent order would authorise compulsory acquisition of land or rights over land. They take effect on 15 December 2025. See: LNB News...
In this issue: Key developments UK immigration control: how it works Sponsored work Work sponsorship: sponsors Business, investment, and non-sponsored work Students EU law rights and EU Settlement Scheme Challenging immigration decisions and enforcement Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Key developments Future developments— Immigration calendar Please note that our Immigration calendar highlights key upcoming developments of relevance to business immigration advisers. UK immigration control: how it works Immigration ( Exemption from Control) ( Amendment) Order 2025 The Immigration ( Exemption from Control) ( Amendment) Order 2025, SI 2025/663, revises the Immigration ( Exemption from Control) Order 1972, SI 1972/1613, by introducing further specified classes of person—namely qualifying employees of the Taipei Representative Office and their family members. Under SI 1972/1613, art 4, specified classes are excused from provisions of the...
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When evaluating a general damages claim, the practitioner ought initially to refer to the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG)...
This Practice Note This Practice Note reviews mechanisms used in settling litigation. A Tomlin order consists of a consent order paired with a schedule. It operates to stay proceedings on terms that have been agreed. The provisions contained in the schedule may remain confidential. This Practice Note describes the scope of confidentiality attaching to the schedule and sets out how it differs from a standard consent order. Sample wording for a Tomlin order is included, alongside links to precedents, as well as guidance on court approval. It also addresses varying, setting aside and enforcing a Tomlin order, including the considerations the court will take into account when handling applications for each. Further guidance is provided on interpreting and applying the relevant provisions of the CPR; however, some courts and divisions impose very specific requirements for both drafting and approval, and for approaching the schedule and confidentiality issues. Accordingly, you must consider the particular rules and court guide provisions in the forum where your claim is proceeding when drawing up the Tomlin order...
Date [ date ] Parties [ name of Landlord ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Landlord) [ name of Tenant ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Tenant) [ [ name of Guarantor ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Guarantor) ] [ [ name of Mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Mortgagee) ] Definitions Within this Deed, the terms below shall be interpreted as follows: [ Annual Rent • the annual sum reserved under the Lease; ] [ Insurance Rent • the Tenant’s share of the Landlord’s costs of insuring the Property (as set out in the Lease); ] Lease • the lease of the Property dated [ date ], entered into between (1) [ the Landlord OR [ name ...
I, [ name ], of [ address ], solemnly and sincerely state that: [ Matters to be verified, set out in numbered paragraphs ] I make this solemn statement in good conscience, believing it to be true, and pursuant to the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835. DECLARED at [ details ] this [ day ] day of [ month and year ] Before me ................................................................................ [ signature of the person before whom the declaration is made ] A [ commissioner for oaths OR [ solicitor OR [ insert other qualification ] ] authorised to administer oaths ]...
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