UK Knowledge Collection | Employment reforms, AI and IP rights, and force majeure

Employment reforms, AI and IP rights, and force majeure

Next week sees the King's speech, in which the new government will set out its legislative agenda. Ahead of that, our employment experts have analysed the government's proposals for employment law reform, setting out what is expected in twelve areas, including dismissal, employment status and pay.

It is not currently clear how much immediate priority the government will give to resolving the conflict between IP rightsholders and developers of artificial intelligence systems over the use of content to train AI systems. However, the Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee has urged for a sustainable solution to be found, which it suggests be through a licensing framework. Our Insight looks at the approaches taken to date, and at what is needed to provide clarity on the issue.

Our Litigation Brief considers a number of interesting cases, including a recent Supreme Court case containing some welcome guidance on how English courts will interpret force majeure clauses. The decision emphasises fundamental principles of freedom of contract, including the freedom not to accept non-contractual performance.

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The nature of the relationship between IP rights and AI innovation is currently being tested before the UK courts, but it is likely that the government will need to take decisive action too. 
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Upcoming Events

Essential safeguards | Preparing for your licensor's bankruptcy in licence agreements

16 July | 16:00-17:00
Our experts from Germany, the UK and China, with guest speaker Michael T Delaney from BakerHostetler in the US, will provide valuable insights and practical strategies to secure IP assets in licence agreements.
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