Marketing

Unsolicited marketing messages are a modern scourge that causes upset to millions. However, in a case that showed that the authorities are far from powerless to deal with such abuses, a claims management company that sent more than 2.2 million texts received fines totalling £130,000.

Online bloggers can build up phenomenal followings that can be monetized through advertising and endorsements. In a guideline decision, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has considered the extent to which their names, or very often the pseudonyms under which they operate, can be protected by trade marks.

Unsolicited marketing calls are an often unwelcome feature of modern life. However, as one telephone sales company discovered to its cost, public complaints do not go unheard and those who abuse data protection rules can be brought to book.