Intl guidelines to ease impact of fishing in deep sea areas
Two years of negotiations have resulted in the adoption of new international guidelines to limit the impact of fishing on fragile deep sea fish species and habitats. 4 Sep 2008 14:11

Consumer bill needs ‘further work'
[Linda Ensor] The franchising industry would be thrown into disarray by the Consumer Protection Bill that would make franchisors liable for the products and services supplied by franchisees, Parliament's trade and industry committee heard this week. 4 Sep 2008 11:24

Advertise: Implications of Insolvency Act on commercial transfers
The downturn in economic conditions is forcing numerous businesses to close, claiming insolvency. However, there are various implications to the Insolvency Act of which owners trying to sell their businesses are unaware, including the fact that failure to adhere to section clauses may render the sale invalid. Simphiwe Maphumulo of the law firm Garlicke & Bousfield Inc explains. 3 Sep 2008 12:30

New PCI security standards: Lock it down, lock it tight
[Jack M. Germain] USA: New Payment Card Industry (PCI) regulations are just around the corner, and retailers dealing with credit cards will need to tighten up their standards in order to comply. For instance, your firewall performance will be reviewed more often, and you'll have to use anti-virus protection even on non-Windows platforms. Also, if you're still using WEP encryption, better get ready to chuck that and move to something better ASAP. 3 Sep 2008 11:24

P&G files suit against over similar shampoo packaging
[Linda Casey] The Procter & Gamble Co. (P&G) tells private label manufacturer RNA Corp. to keep its distance from Clairol Herbal Essences shampoo's intellectual property. 25 Aug 2008 11:42

China takes its hammer to iTunes
[Erika Morphy] China has apparently blocked access to Apple iTunes, perhaps in response to the publicity surrounding a pro-Tibet album that was released about a month ago and just recently made its way onto the much-trafficked website. 25 Aug 2008 11:10

Lawsuit takes a swing at Wii motion controller
[Jeff Meisner] Japanese video game giant Nintendo has been hit with a lawsuit alleging patent infringement. 22 Aug 2008 10:16

Are business methods patentable?
The US federal courts have embraced various interpretations of patent law as it applies to business methods over the years. With In re Bilski, heard 8 May, the court again took up the issue, and its ruling will have a major impact on patent law, writes Greg Reilly of Morrison & Foerster. 21 Aug 2008 06:15

Open source wins landmark legal validation
Just because open-source software is free, doesn't mean that you can change it. 15 Aug 2008 06:36

Study: Mature-rated games worry parents more than beer, porn
If the video game watchdog group What They Play has it right, parents are more worried about their kids being exposed to adult-themed video games than they are about kids drinking alcohol or viewing pornography. Some have questioned the study's use of "Grand Theft Auto IV" as an example; the researchers say they had to pick a specific, known game in order to avoid misleading survey takers. 14 Aug 2008 08:26

Read the labels on all green products
Have you heard of "nutrition fatigue"? It is a term for the problem faced by nutrition advocates after years of telling people so many things are dangerous to human health. This article refers to the US, but could it also be applicable to SA? 13 Aug 2008 06:12

NCR, credit providers agree on cost of distribution of payments
Hard-pressed consumers will no longer have to carry any costs of payment distribution following an agreement between the National Credit Regulator (NCR) and credit providers regarding the cost of distribution of payments to credit providers. 12 Aug 2008 11:20

Another "plan" for the SA Clothing and Textile Industry?
[Renato Palmi] An "action plan" is to be launched to assist South Africa's beleaguered clothing and textile sector in November - one month before the quotas on Chinese imports are meant to end - it was reported¹ yesterday, 11 August 2008. 12 Aug 2008 10:08