Harrods Must Disclose; Veeza Licence Terms

Post-breach of confidence disclosure available to back upward 'public interest' defence

Harrods Ltd v Times Newspapers Ltd together with others, a Chancery Division determination of Mr Justice Warren today, has so far been picked upward entirely past times the Butterworths All England Direct subscription service (well done!).

The defendants published an article inward The Lord's Day Times paper inward which an unnamed ex-director of Harrods made for certain revelations most his utilization sense inward that famous emporium. Harrods complained that the article disclosed confidential data relating to its internal operations together with sued for breach of confidence on the ground that the paper knew, or should get got known, that the data inward the article was confidential. The paper argued that Harrods was projecting a mistaken populace icon every bit a benevolent employer when its civilization was autocratic together with at that spot was a high turnover of staff (particularly senior employees). The paper also sought disclosure of details concerning the difference from Harrods of for certain senior members of staff subsequently the appointment of publication of the article.

In these proceedings Warren J was asked to dominion on whether a accused relying on a populace involvement defense was express to what he knew at the appointment of publication or whether he could rely on matters which had come upward to low-cal since that date.

Warren J ordered the disclosure that the paper sought, holding every bit follows:

*If the paper could rely on matters that came to low-cal subsequently publication of its master copy article, the courtroom had jurisdiction to lodge disclosure nether the Civil Procedure Rules;

* Although at that spot had to move something to justify the allegations made past times the defendant, at that spot was goose egg to advise that he could entirely base of operations a populace involvement defense on what was known at the appointment of publication;

* As to proportionality, it would move incorrect to lodge disclosure that was disproportionate to the data reasonably expected to move discovered.

thinks this must move right - populace interest, every bit a defence, cannot move natural springtime past times mere considerations of time. If it were otherwise, it would move inward Harrods' involvement to ensure that articles allegedly inward breach of confidence were published every bit shortly every bit possible, thus limiting the orbit of its pre-trial disclosure.

History of Harrods here
£8.50p for a loving cup of Harrods tea here


Veeza carries licensing terms

Royal Philips Electronics, on its Veeza webpage, carries a link to the details of its Veeza licensing system for its CD-R disk patents. The society says:

"With this innovative organisation ... Philips helps the manufacture fight unfair contest from merchandise inward unlicensed CD-R discs.

Veeza makes it uncomplicated for everyone involved inward the merchandise of CD-R discs to recognize unlicensed goods. With traditional patent licensing methods, traders together with retail companies tend to get got difficulty inward verifying that the goods they get got purchased are licensed together with royalties get got been paid. Veeza volition come inward easier to sell licensed CD-R discs together with to a greater extent than hard to sell unlicensed discs. Discs distributed nether a Veeza-license tin move easily move traced together with recognized past times iii clear marks: a logo that is embedded inward the disc, a series issue on each packet carton together with an authenticity document, called Licensed Status Confirmation Document (LSCD). These iii marks render uncomplicated proof that a shipment amongst CD-R discs is licensed nether Philips’ patents.

Manufacturers participating inward Veeza aid promote the transparent together with fair merchandise inward CD-R discs past times using the Veeza logo together with Veeza LSCD amongst their products. Veeza-compliant companies volition thence exercise goodness from a 44% reduction inward the royalty, which goes downward from 0.045 to 0.025 USD per CD-R disc.

'The merchandise inward unlicensed CD-R discs is undermining the possibility of CD-R disc manufactures to compete on quality, manufacturing expertise, together with logistics excellence’, said Ruud Peters, CEO of Philips Intellectual Property & Standards. ‘Veeza aims to promote fair contest past times creating a grade playing acre inward the CD-R market, which volition aid construct a to a greater extent than favorable line of piece of job organisation environs for the CD-R industry’.

Philips co-invented the CD-Recordable disc organisation inward the early on 1990s together with has a portfolio of patents essential for manufacturing together with selling CD-R discs. Philips successfully promoted the worldwide adoption of CD-R past times making these patents available on reasonable together with non-discriminatory conditions. Likewise, Philips has successfully promoted the DVD together with DVD+RW standards. Currently, Philips is a major driver of project design inward Blu-ray technology together with many other technologies.

To safeguard an appropriate render on investment made inward R&D, Philips places corking value inward protecting its innovations through intellectual belongings rights (IPRs). The society currently holds most 115,000 patent rights, 26,000 merchandise grade registrations, 15,000 pattern registrations, to a greater extent than or less 1,600 domain shout out registrations".

notices how derisory the per-disk royalties are (there's non much you lot tin move purchase for US$0.045 to 0.025). However, amongst consumers stampeding away from CD together with into the arms of iPod, he wonders if it isn't a example of 'too little, besides late' ... Merpel commends Philips on their openness together with says, if IP owners come inward actually slow to get got licences together with rest tough amongst fakes, fifty-fifty infringers may come upward to run across that lawful manufacture is inward their best interests.

Veeza FAQs here