Logged Out Before Lunch You arrive at work on a Monday morning expecting another ordinary day. Instead, your inbox refuses to load. Your work laptop displays an access error. Internal messaging platforms no longer recognise your credentials. A few minutes later, a meeting invitation appears on your personal phone. Human Resources requests that you join an immediate meeting. Ten minutes later, your employment has ended. By lunchtime, you are walking out of the building carrying the belongings that, only an hour earlier, occupied your desk. For many employees, this scenario sounds alarming. Yet over the last few years, it has become increasingly familiar. From large-scale layoffs in the technology sector to restructuring exercises, cost-cutting initiatives, and disciplinary dismissals, stories of employees being locked out before they have had a chance to process what is happening have become increasingly common. The legal question that follows is deceptively simple: Can...
You are humming a Bollywood song you have heard a hundred times. A famous movie dialogue has become a meme. A poster from a blockbuster film hangs on the wall of a café. Someone is selling T-shirts featuring a beloved character, while social media creators use clips from the film to entertain millions. Most people see entertainment. An intellectual property lawyer sees ownership. Every one of those creations belongs to someone. The lyrics were written by a lyricist. The melody was composed by a musician. The screenplay was developed by writers. The film itself required years of creative effort and substantial financial investment. What appears to be a simple song, dialogue, poster, or performance is often protected by a complex web of legal rights. This raises important questions. When creativity becomes part of popular culture, where does appreciation end and infringement begin? Can a famous dialogue be printed on merchandise without permission? Can a social media creator freely use c...