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As from the 1st November 2013, the UK government has implemented new regulations, The Copyright and Duration of Rights in Performances Regulations (the Regulations), in order to implement Directive 2011/77/EU amending Directive 2006/116/EC on the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights. In accordance with the new Regulations, copyright protection is extended for sound recordings and performers rights in such recordings, from 50 years following publication of a sound recording, to 70 years. The 50 years rule is contained in section 13 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act...

Ofcom’s decision of 23 October 2013, considered that material broadcast on ITV’s daytime programme ‘This Morning’ constituted unjust and unfair treatment by revealing a person’s identity, and not giving the person a right of reply. One of Ofcom’s duties under section 3(2)(e) of the Communications Act 2003 (The Act) is to ensure that programmes broadcast on television adequately protect the public from the inclusion of offensive and harmful material. Also, under section 3(2)(f) of the Act there is a duty to protect persons from (i) unfair treatment in programmes included in a TV broadcast; and (ii)...

The Honourable Mr Justice Birss of the High Court, London gave judgment on 31 July 2013 in a court action between the pop star Rihanna and the United Kingdom clothing store Topshop which confirmed in English law that there is no legal concept of image rights, which is found in certain legal jurisdictions such as the USA. Image (or Personality) Rights is the right of an individual (or a legal entity) to have control over the commercial exploitation of their name, likeness, or other unequivocal facet of their identity; for example if a photographic image of a well-known performer appeared on a T-shirt...

In an ongoing legal dispute involving two prior judgments and a reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), in the latest instalment, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 have won the right to prevent an online streaming service provider from retransmitting the TV programmes they show to users of mobile devices via any "mobile telephony network". The decision is dated 7 October 2013. The March 2013 ruling of the CJEU states, “The concept of ‘communication to the public’ ... covers a retransmission of the works included in a terrestrial television broadcast where the retransmission is...

A radio advertisement for the short-term lender Pounds to Pocket was branded “socially irresponsible” by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on 25 September 2013, and banned from being rebroadcast in its current form. The ASA took action after a listener complained that the advertisement, which featured an alien character called Bert, trivialised the process of applying for credit and taking on debt. The advertisement began with a voiceover saying: “Breaking news. Alien life forms are coming to Pounds to Pocket for help with their finances.” A character with a distorted 'alien' voice then...