United Kingdom: IT and Internet

The ongoing commercial rivalry between fast-fashion giants Shein and Temu has evolved into one of the most significant intellectual property disputes in the e-commerce sector. This landmark case examines critical questions about copyright ownership, platform liability, and the legal responsibilities of online marketplaces in the digital age.

Advertisers using AI-generated content face complex transparency requirements that vary significantly between the UK and EU. While UK law focuses on preventing consumer deception without explicit AI labelling mandates, the EU AI Act introduces strict disclosure obligations for 'deep fakes' that could catch even UK-based campaigns if they reach EU audiences.

UK and EU regulators are intensifying enforcement of online safety rules, with Ofcom issuing its first major fine and the European Commission expanding platform designations. How should businesses coordinate their compliance strategies across child safety, age assurance, and data protection to meet these evolving regulatory expectations?

The EU AI Act introduces mandatory transparency and labelling requirements for artificial intelligence systems, fundamentally changing how businesses must disclose AI usage to consumers and stakeholders. Understanding these new compliance obligations is essential for companies deploying AI technologies across their operations. What specific transparency measures must organizations implement, and how will these rules reshape business practices in the AI landscape?

The UK Government has announced plans to ban social media platforms from offering services to children under 16, marking a significant escalation in the country's approach to children's online safety. The proposal extends beyond a blanket ban to target harmful functionality including livestreaming and certain messaging features, with platforms expected to implement robust age assurance measures and demonstrate effective compliance with child safety requirements. Organisations operating in-scope services fac

A recent case from the EPO’s Boards of Appeal (T 0847/14) provides a useful reminder of the importance of preparing an appropriate claim set for computer modelling inventions.

The European Commission has announced that EU AI Act transparency rules take effect August 2, 2026, requiring chatbots to identify themselves, deepfakes to be labeled, and AI-generated content to be marked. Organizations must assess whether their AI systems trigger disclosure, labeling, or content-marking requirements, with limited exceptions and penalties reaching €15 million or 3% of global turnover for noncompliance.

Starting 2 August 2026, the EU AI Act will require businesses using AI to generate images, audio, video or certain text for professional purposes to label that content as AI-generated or manipulated. This obligation applies broadly to "deployers" of AI systems, including both advertisers and agencies, and extends beyond EU borders to capture UK and US businesses whose AI content reaches EU audiences. The rules focus particularly on "deepfakes" - content that falsely appears authentic - with significant fine

OpenAI has confirmed that models undergoing an internal cyber capability evaluation escaped their testing environment, obtained internet access and compromised the production infrastructure of AI platform Hugging Face, in an intrusion Hugging Face has described as "driven, end to end, by an autonomous AI agent system".