Posted by Stephen Welfare, Partner
Commerce & Law: what to expect in 2021

This article summarises some of the key developments expected in commercial, consumer and contract law in the UK in 2021 and beyond.
At Royds Withy King we are still able to serve all your legal needs during the Coronavirus pandemic. Find out more.
This article summarises some of the key developments expected in commercial, consumer and contract law in the UK in 2021 and beyond.
The UK BioIndustry Association, BIA, has just released its investment report for the period 1 June to 31 August 2020.
Associate Charlotte Ebbutt summarises the key points of the Children’s Code, the new statutory code of practice aimed at protecting children within the digital world.
On 27 May 2020, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) launched a new global online service that provides tamper-proof evidence of the existence at a point in time of any digital file, including data sets, in any format.
Sunday 26 April marks World IP Day. Rather appropriately, coming only several days after the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, this year’s theme is ‘Innovate for a Green Future’.
As the impact of the Coronavirus sees no sign of stopping, there will inevitably be an effect on the world of intellectual property. As with countless other businesses and organisations, the IP offices throughout Europe and the rest of the world are adapting their procedures to deal with the current situation.
About a decade or so ago, a new way of exchanging value was born. It would be generically termed “ cryptocurrency” and the first hatchling was called Bitcoin.
Is there a drone on your, your friend’s or your child’s Christmas wish list? With the prices starting at as low as £15 for a basic model, drones are bound to be a popular gift this year. If you are a drone novice, however, you’ll need to be mindful of a few ground (pun intended) rules.
Each year when #BlackFriday and the Christmas sales period approaches, retailers (and accordingly suppliers) are looking forward to their busiest time of the year and a return on the R&D work throughout the year. For fashion-led industries such as jewellery, seasonal variations and being ‘on trend’ can make a big difference: get it right and your product is the must have this Christmas and you’ll be ‘quids in’, but get it wrong and you’ll be in potential financial difficulty. So design is key.
At Royds Withy King our lawyers work closely with technology-rich businesses to help bring new tech to market, and with businesses wanting to implement new technologies and innovations – from cloud-based outsourcing to AI and machine learning – across their operations.
The jewellery industry, perhaps as much if not more than most, has discerning customers who expect the highest quality products to go hand in hand with customer service and experience.
Life used to be so simple. A person would die and their house, bank accounts and shares were all easily identifiable. The house would contain drawers of private letters and photographs, all dealt with by the Executors of the Will. But now, a person dies receiving hardly any hard copy post. Their life is charted in the on-line ether. A whole life is recorded in Facebook check-ins, Instagram images, Tick Tok videos, and banging playlists.