Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones have ended one of the most acrimonious copyright disputes in British pop by granting Richard Ashcroft all future royalties from his 1997 song Bitter Sweet Symphony, performed by the Verve. Bitter Sweet Symphony reached No 2 in the UK and had a distinctive string motif. Those four seconds…
As a family solicitor specialising in the financial aspects of relationship breakdown I work closely with my colleagues in our Wills & Probate team, led by Partner Rachel Damianou. Clients often require help from both teams to ensure their interests are taken care of fully. A relationship breakdown (be the parties married or not) is…
Singer Britney Spears father, Jamie Spears is suing a blogger, Anthony Elia, creator of the Absolutely Britney blog and social media accounts, for claiming that he has been mistreating his daughter. Britney Spears was committed to a conservatorship in 2008 after her mental health breakdowns, which means that her father is legally responsibility for her…
In March this year, Jack Osbourne, finalised his Divorce from wife Lisa. Jack was spotted out and about in LA with 2 of his 3 children he shares with his ex-wife. Minnie, his 1 year old did not accompany dad on the outing. Jack, the son of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, held hands together with the…
Following the recent discovery of handwritten Wills being found in Aretha Franklin’s home last month, her family has been arguing with each other over the validity and requests of Wills allegedly handwritten by Franklin before she passed away in 2018. . One of the Wills named her youngest son, Kecalf Franklin as the executor of her…
Airbnb has threatened legal action against a Scots firm named Hairbnb, which offers holiday homes for dogs. It connects licensed dog sitters, boarders and walkers with people who need their pets looked after. Allan Ritchie set up the dog boarding business in 2018 and applied for a trademark from the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Airbnb were given…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We have recently seen an increase in clients seeking advice regarding a relationship breakdown due to domestic abuse that is not physical but falls into the category of behaviour referred to as “coercive control” Coercive control is defined as “an act or a pattern of acts of assaults, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Australian Leather, an Australian shoe company has been ordered to pay $450,000 to Deckers, the maker of the UGG boot. A jury for the US District Court found 12 pairs of sheepskin-lined boots sold by Australian Leather infringed US-based Decker’s ‘UGG’ trademarks. Deckers first filed an action against Australian Leather in 2016, asking the US court to limit the…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has invalidated the UK-based supermarket chain Iceland Foods Ltd EU-wide trademark for the word “Iceland” in 2014. It may not register a trademark on the word “Iceland” within the European Union following the Icelandic authorities who sued to have invalidated on the basis of being far too broad…
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]William Grant & Sons the makers of Glenfiddich has lost a legal battle against an Indian firm, producing a Scotch whisky named Glenfield after it accused it of copying its brand. William Grant & Sons tried to block Glenfield’s attempts to trademark the whisky, saying it uses the same green and gold colours and stag…