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16 June 2023
Issue: 8029 / Categories: Legal News , Technology , Cyber
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NLJ this week: Staying ahead of the game on NFTs

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Fortnite fans take note. Sony has made a ground-breaking patent application to make non-fungible tokens (NFTs) transferable between games and consoles. Shoosmiths partners Prakash Kerai and Joe Stephenson explore this move by Sony and explain why it is potentially revolutionary for the gaming industry, in this week’s NLJ.

Kerai and Stephenson write: ‘Sony seems to have identified opportunities to harness the power of metaverse and Web3 technologies to embark towards a new world of interoperability as it develops its vision for the future of gaming. Yet, the use of NFTs within the gaming industries will not come without challenges, and Sony and others should be alert to the legal considerations which surround NFTs.’

Legal hurdles include anti-money laundering regulations, financial regulation, data protection, and intellectual property rights.

Whatever the future holds for the gaming industry, it’s a fascinating area for lawyers—read more here.

Issue: 8029 / Categories: Legal News , Technology , Cyber
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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