IT-Enabled Business Change The National Audit Office has recently published a report, 'Delivering successful IT-enabled business change', not an investigation into the high profile and expensive IT procurement failures overseen by government departments in recent years but a report into how IT-enabled business change can be a success 24.03.07 Eversheds, Public Procurement

Copyright on Video Games Appeal Ct has refused appeal in Nova Productions v Mazooma Games and Bell Fruit Games [2007] EWCA Civ 219 (reported 14 March), the Court found that, although there had been copying, it was 'just too general to amount to a substantial part' of Nova's game 22.03.07 Clintons, Copyright, Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property

Govt Admits IT Failure The Identity and Passport Service agency (IPS) report 'Key Projects Implemented in 2006' is a result of its failure to implement the Electronic Passport Application ("EPA2") system and is the first document that openly admits failures on the side of government and outlines areas to improve 22.02.07 Eversheds, Immigration, Public Procurement

How Law Can Deal With Security Breaches Review of privacy and security breach law in Asia showed that, much as in Europe, whilst there is currently little specific law dealing with breaches there are existing laws which are being reinterpreted to deal with security breaches 07.11.06 Eversheds, Cybercrime, Data Protection, Fraud, Identity Theft, Internet Regulation, Privacy

Amstrad Sets Up WEEE Business Michelle Dewberry, winner of The Apprentice, surprised to learn that her new role will involve the WEEE Directive, Sir Alan wants her to launch Amstrad's new business, Xenon Green, disposing of computer equipment, Sir Alan sees this as a major growth area 25.06.06 Eversheds, Environment Law, WEEE Directive

Peregrine -v- Steria A case in the Court of Appeal this March concerning an IT project again highlights the importance of keeping a handle on the legal and commercial issues both at the time contracts are negotiated and during the course of a project 04.04.05 Eversheds, Litigation

Open Source There is little doubt that Linux and other open source software (OSS) is gaining in popularity. This is evident by the increasing number of enquiries we are receiving from clients either licensing OSS or that are carrying out due diligence in relation to a target that uses OSS 28.02.05 Eversheds

Database Right which was thought to provide protection for databases beyond that afforded by standard copyright, has been narrowed, the European Court of Justice finally ruled in the case of British Horseracing Board v William Hil 10.11.04 Michael Simkins, Copyright

Software Ownership In Cyprotex Discovery Limited v University of Sheffield the lesson to be learned is to be crystal clear as to who owns any software in a development contract 07.07.04 Eversheds, Company Law, Intellectual Property

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Email at Work Should be Private ECHR has awarded Lynette Copland £6k, agreed that monitoring of her email and internet use by her employer, Carmarthenshire College, was an interference with her right to private life 18.04.07 BBC, Employment Law, Human Rights, Privacy

Oracle Says SAP Stole Know-How Oracle has filed a suit in California accusing arch-rival SAP of posing as clients to download software and technical documents, these were used to rapidly develop support service for Seibel software 23.03.07 NY Times, Intellectual Property

Microsoft Hit With Huge Patent Award In one of many suits if faces from Alcatel-Lucent, Microsoft has been told to pay $1.5b for infringing patent on technology used to compress MP3 files 23.02.07 Financial Times, Intellectual Property, Microsoft, Patent Law

US Offered UK Hacker Plea Deal Gary McKinnon, bedroom-hacker who allegedly got into Pentagon computers, has revealed 'secret' plea bargain, rejected offer in bid to be tried in Britain The Register Extradition treaty still unequal, US yet to exchange instruments of ratification 16.02.07 Telegraph, Criminal Justice, Extradition, Internet Regulation

English Ct to Hear of Russian Hacker High Court has taken jurisdiction over a claim alleging that an English computer system was being hacked from Russia (Ashton Investment -v- OJSC Russian Aluminium [2006] EWHC2545, 18 October 2006, background is a long running dispute between Ashton and Rusal in relation to a joint venture in Tajikistan 07.02.07 Eversheds, Basic Materials, Data Protection, Legal Privilege, Litigation, Russia

HP Settles Over Boardroom Leaks Hewlett-Packard has settled civil claims with the California attorney general Lockyer for $14m, money will go to fund 'piracy and privacy' investigations, William Keane, partner at Farella Braun + Martel, commented for HP it is 'not a big number' 08.12.06 Reuters, Hewlett-Packard, Privacy

NTP to Sue Palm Over Email Patent Patent holding business NTP is to sue Palm over remote email technology used in its Treo 'smart phone', relates to seven patents, five of which were cited when NTP successfully sued RIM for patent infringement in BlackBerry 07.11.06 NY Times, Blackberry v NTP, Intellectual Property, Patents

Judge Excludes ex-US Claims in Intel Case US federal judge Joseph Farnan has excluded all claims relating to events outside the US in case brought by AMD against Intel, claims anti-competitive behaviour, judge says he lacks jurisdiction 27.09.06 BBC, AMD v Intel, US Competition

Accenture Willing to Sue NHS Over IT Consultant Accenture is preparing legal action against the NHS in bid to withdraw, or 'substantially renegotiate' its contract for National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT), BT and CSC interested in taking over 15.09.06 Guardian, Company Law