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In a recent judgment with implications for all sections of the media, the High Court of Ireland granted an appeal by the Minister for Education and Science against a decision of the Information Commissioner ordering the disclosure of certain information. The Information Commissioner had decided that three newspapers should, under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, 1997 (see IRIS 1997-10: 8), be given access to certain Department of Education records relating to the results of the Leaving Certificate Examination (the State examination which takes place at the end of the second-level education...

Recently, the High Court restricted the parties' use of the media while proceedings were still ongoing. The plaintiffs were Microsoft Corporation and Symantec Corporation, companies incorporated in the USA, involved in publishing, developing and producing computer software programs, and Business Software Alliance, a trade association of software publishers incorporated in the USA. The defendant was Brightpoint Ireland Ltd., a company incorporated in Ireland, engaged in distributing, incorporating and installing telephones. The plaintiffs began proceedings for copyright infringement, trademark...

In October 2000, the Irish High Court issued a temporary order to restrain a company from using a domain name on the grounds that it would be likely to cause confusion. The second-named plaintiff is a company that provides information relating to Ireland to Internet users in a simple manner and free of charge. In 1997, the company registered with an international control organisation a number of domain names, using various combinations of the words "Local" and "Ireland". These domain names, together with other intellectual property rights, were subsequently transferred to the first-named plaintiff,...

The Irish Film Censor, Sheamus Smith, has made changes in two audience classification certificates for films released for cinema exhibition in Ireland. The new 12 PG certificate (replacing the Over 12's certificate) indicates that the film is suitable for persons of twelve years and older and for children under that age, provided they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. The new 15 PG certificate (replacing the Over 15's certificate) indicates that the film is suitable for persons of fifteen years and older and for those under that age, provided that they are accompanied by a parent or guardian....

The recent referendum in Ireland on the question of whether to accept the Nice Treaty re-awakened some of the controversy surrounding political advertising. In the referendum campaign, activists from both sides of the debate were prevented from placing advertisements relating to the campaign on national and local radio and television. Section 10 subsection 3 of the Radio and Television Act, 1988 prohibits the broadcasting on radio or television of advertisements directed towards any religious or political end, or related to an industrial dispute. Earlier challenges to the constitutionality of...