The results of an undercover report on the unregulated private detective industry by Dispatches was shown on Channel Four last night.  The programme highlighted the ease and extent by which private investigators are able to obtain personal information about their targets.

The programme demonstrated private detective firms paying for highly sensitive personal information, some of which is only stored on government databases, including criminal records, national insurance numbers and medical histories.

The report revealed a number of different methods used by the investigators including obtaining data by pretending to be the target on the phone (known as "blagging") and using ...

Today saw the publication of Lord Neuberger's report on "Super Injunctions, Anonymised Injunctions and Open Justice".

This Report could not come at a more pertinent time as more and more celebrities are obtaining super injunctions and court orders are being flouted on Twitter and by MPs hiding behind parliamentary privilege.

A committee was formed in April 2010 chaired by Lord Neuberger to investigate and report on the use of super injunctions and gagging orders and the effect they are having on open justice.

The Report provides guidance for lawyers and journalists on the procedure to be followed when applying for a super ...

LGBlogsIP has kept readers in the loop with regards to the relatively new legal creature the 'super injunction' since we started blogging. However, for those that are new to this phenomenon, in brief, it is a type of injunction which not only gives anonymity to the claimant but also prevents the fact that the injunction even exists being reported. So far, according to reports, it has mainly been celebrities and wealthy individuals that have obtained this type of injunction, our previous blogs on the matter can be found here.

The UK press have also picked up on the newsworthy ...

Whilst a number of Mr Clegg's statements have grabbed the headlines such as "we will tackle libel tourism" and we will transform" English libel laws from a laughing stock to an international blueprint", the devil is in the detail, and there is little detail but just broad based principles. The changes Clegg currently proposes to existing libel laws are:

• A new statutory public interest defence;
• Changes to the existing defences of fair comment and justification;
• The right for newspapers to report the proceedings of foreign parliaments;
• the restriction on "libel tourism"; and
• bolstering a defence ...

Foxtons, the well known estate agent chain, is suing a former senior director and his business partner, for allegedly stealing Foxtons client list and using it to set up a rival property business. 

Foxtons claim their former director, Mr Hassell, misused confidential information relating to 2,500 clients - including addresses of properties, landlords' bank and contact details, rental figures, fees charged and start and end dates of leases.  Foxtons allege that Mr Hassell secretly copied sections of the database before leaving the company and used these details when establishing his own property business.

The claim is for breach of ...

MGA Entertainment and Mattel are embroiled in another legal fight which is more befitting to the fantasy world of the "Rat Pack".  Claims of IP theft, stealing confidential information and spying have been made by MGA.

The fight between Barbie and Bratz continues.  Last year Mattel Inc., owners of Barbie was successful  in the USA in suing MGA Entertainment Inc., the owners of the Bratz dollfor copyright infringement.  The injunction imposed against Bratz was overturned at the end of July 2010 allowing MGA to continue selling Bratz and earning up to $1 billion per year from the glitzy dolls. 

Now ...

Stop Press - there is a new must have for our super rich celebrities and sporting stars this season – it's the super injunction and its becoming somewhat of a status symbol for the rich and famous much like the ASBO is for the not so rich and famous! 

Apparently, John Terry, former England Captain, Colin Montgomerie, golfing legend and Wayne Rooney, Manchester United ace have all obtained super injunctions (which were later set aside) in the interests of protecting their private lives.

Super injunctions are highly secretive injunctions which prevent the press from even referring to the fact that ...