The UK Parliament has now published the Digital Economy Bill, which makes a number of controversial amendments to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and includes key provisions relating to the regulation of online file-sharing and copyright protection and licensing generally.

The Registry Trust, a not-for-profit company which operates the Register of Judgments and collates information on a range of court procedure, recently published figures indicating that around 1,000 less judgments were issued in respect of Scottish businesses in 2012.

In January 2010, we told you that Lord Emslie in the Court of Session had rejected a challenge from a group of leading insurance companies in relation to the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions)(Scotland) Act 2009 ("the 2009 Act").

A new website devoted to the judiciary of Scotland has been launched this week in an effort to provide the public with better access to information about judges and their roles in Scottish courts.

Most of us are very much aware of the services provided by the Telephone Preference Service, which allows individuals to register their wish not to receive unwanted sales and marketing calls; however a new Mobile Preference Service is expected to be created later this year in attempts to end text message marketing to those who have opted out of fundraising or marketing contact.

Prison sentences and higher financial penalties for breaches of data protection laws are expected to be introduced in the near future, following discussions between the Information Commissioner's Office and the Ministry of Justice.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has welcomed the recent proposals put forward by the European Commission for a new EU data protection system to be created, in order to meet the needs of the increasingly advanced digital age

Three UK councils – London Borough of Barnet Council, West Sussex County Council and Buckinghamshire County Council – have come under fire from the Information Commissioner's Office regarding their lack of staff training on data protection.

In a fresh warning to be careful what you post online, this week saw two individuals plead guilty to sending threatening tweets to feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez. Isabella Sorley, 23 and John Nimmo, 25, from Newcastle and South Shields respectively, pled guilty in Westminster Magistrates Court to sending messages of a menacing character by a public electronic communications network, contrary to the Communications Act 2003.

We recently issued an e-update regarding the construction opportunities presented by the new MoD Framework Agreements. In addition to the Frameworks, as part of its wider Next Generation Estate Contracts (NGEC) programme, the MoD has announced a single contract for the provision of military housing and related services.

The CBI has recently published its latest 'Access to Finance' survey, the full text of which can be found online at www.cbi.org.uk.

In our e-update of 20 October 2010, we reported on the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Prudential plc and Another v Special Commissioner of Income Tax in which the court decided that legal professional privilege ("LPP") only attached to advice given by lawyers, not to tax law advice given by accountants.

The European Confederation of Directors' Associations (ecoDA) has recently published a report titled "Corporate Governance Guidance and Principles for Unlisted Companies in Europe."

Readers will remember that last year, the CJEU issued a landmark decision that holiday pay must include commission.

The Pensions Regulator has published its first auto-enrolment Section 89 report which highlights key lessons to help employers avoid non compliance.

In seven months' time (April 2017), all UK employers with an annual pay bill in excess of £3m will pay an apprenticeship levy of 0.5% of their annual pay bill through the PAYE system.

The first phase of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) will launch on Monday 28th November.

On 9 July the Inner House of the Court of Session upheld the Scottish Minister's decision to grant section 36 consent for the construction and operation of the 103 turbine Viking Wind Farm in Shetland.

Further to our e-update "Community Trade Mark Registration Price Cut", the Intellectual Property Office have announced further changes to fees for trade marks and patents, which will be effective from 6 April 2010.

A self-regulatory code addressing online behavioural advertising, which has recently been adopted by a number of companies operating in the UK, is raising concerns of non-compliance with the new EU cookie law (for full details of the changes to the law see our previous e-updates "All Eyes on the Cookie Jar" and "Cookie Breathing Space").