Industry News - Company and Commercial Law - Patent protection for software development

03/07/2009
Redundancy law queries 'could continue to rise'
The number of people seeking redundancy law advice could remain high over the course of the year, new data from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has indicated.

03/07/2009
Discrimination law ruling made by House of Lords
The House of Lords has made a ruling on disability discrimination that may impact divorce lawyers in London.

03/07/2009
Heiress wins in pre-nuptial divorce case
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a German heiress should not have to pay her ex-husband the £5.8 million decided in their divorce settlement because of the pre-nuptial agreement that had been signed beforehand.

02/07/2009
'Dual discrimination' employment law changes proposed
A new employment law has been proposed by the government that it wishes to make part of the equality bill.

02/07/2009
Right to appeal for ex-wife in divorce case
A woman has won the right to appeal against a judge's decision to make her pay £5 million to her ex-husband, whose finances have been hit by the economic downturn.

Industry News

10/10/2008
Patent protection for software development

Technology companies will find it easier to safeguard their innovations in the UK after a court ruled that software should receive wider patent protection.

The Court of Appeal said today (October 10th) that complex software such as programmes designed to make mobile phones and computers work faster can be patented in the UK.

Previously, manufacturers could claim commercial exclusivity for their products under copyright laws but had less legal protection for underlying technical processes.

As a result of the ruling, developers are likely to find it easier to secure approval from the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO), which has traditionally been reluctant to grant patents to cover software.

In related news, a non-profit consultancy, Innovation Partnership, has warned that scientific research is being stifled by "blocking patents" and the company has called for an urgent reform of the system.

According to Innovation Partnership, vital information sharing which could help propel scientific advances into cancer medicine is being thwarted because of the current system. ADNFCR-1805-ID-18821156-ADNFCR

21/05/2009
Britons 'expecting bottom of commercial property market soon'
The bottom of the UK commercial property market is widely perceived as being close, real estate firm Knight Frank has said.

24/02/2009
Commercial property insolvencies 'could hit 1,600'
It has been claimed that insolvencies in the commercial property market will soar this year.

12/02/2009
FSB: Delay new laws
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has urged the government to postpone the introduction of a raft of new laws.

06/02/2009
House of Lords 'blasts the rise of the surveillance nation'
The nation's freedom is being undermined by pervasive surveillance techniques and the building of a DNA database, peers have claimed.

26/01/2009
Children database launches 'despite risks'
A database that holds the details of every child in the UK has been launched today.

News Archive