A firm specialising in translation services has been awarded £142,000 damages after a rival company infringed its copyright by using similar website names to improve its search engine optimisation (SEO). The case involved Link Up Mitaka Ltd, which traded as the ‘TheBigWord,’ providing translation and interpretation services in the UK and across Europe. A rival
New rules designed to protect more than 800,000 people from poor living conditions in privately rented homes have now come into force. An estimated 4 million people live in private rented homes, including at least 1.1 million who are in licensable ‘houses in multiple occupation’ (HMOs). All landlords who let out a property to
The dismissal of a tanker driver for spilling fuel on a Tesco forecourt was unfair despite him being blameworthy. That was the decision of the Employment Tribunal, which reinstated him and awarded him £23,000 compensation. The case involved Mr D Nolan who had worked for XPO Bulk UK Ltd since 2010. In December 2015, he
A small clothes firm with a turnover of just over £300,000 has won a trademark dispute with the sportswear giant Nike. Frank Industries, based in London, owns the UK and EU trademarks consisting of the letters LNDR. Its sports clothes are sold in stores like Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. In January 2018, Nike launched
New regulations are being introduced to help small businesses recover unpaid invoices from large companies. The changes will make it easier for firms to access invoice finance. Ministers say this could provide a £1bn long-term boost to the economy Currently a small supplier’s contract with a larger company may prevent it from securing invoice finance
The government has continued its crackdown on unfair letting fees by announcing that tenants in the private rented sector will no longer be forced to pay excessive fees for minor damages, The announcement is part of the Tenant Fees Bill and is a further measure to bring an end to costly fees imposed by a
When setting up a partnership it’s essential to have a written agreement outlining how the arrangement is going to work, even when dealing with close family members. Failure to have a firm agreement from the outset can lead to problems further down the line, as illustrated in a recent case before the High Court. It
The best way to incorporate terms as binding conditions is to express them in the contract – that was the advice of the Court of Appeal in a dispute between a large estate agency and one of its franchisees. The case involved C21 London Estates and Maurice MacNeill Iona Ltd. C21 was the master franchisor
Radical reforms to provide a better deal for leaseholders who want to purchase the freehold or to extend the lease of their home have been put forward by the Law Commission. The proposals would: make the process (known as “enfranchisement”) easier, cheaper and quicker improve and enhance the rights of leaseholders to buy their freehold
Two repairmen were unfairly dismissed even though they had broken the terms of their employment contracts by using company vans for personal journeys. Mr M Genus and Mr M Kelly had worked for more than 20 years for Fortem Solutions Ltd, which provides repair and maintenance services for Birmingham City Council. Fortem received an anonymous