April 2026
Content, Media and Technology
EU Intellectual Property Helpdesk reports on Penguin Random House suing OpenAI for alleged copyright infringement
On 12 April 2026, the EU Intellectual Property Helpdesk reported that Penguin Random House has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging copyright infringement linked to outputs generated by ChatGPT.
The claim concerns the German children’s book series “Coconut the Little Dragon” by Ingo Siegner, and alleges that ChatGPT generated text and illustrations that were virtually indistinguishable from the original works when prompted by users.
The publisher also alleges that ChatGPT suggested creating print-ready materials, including cover designs and promotional content, which could encourage distribution of infringing works.
The case is brought before a court in Munich and targets OpenAI’s European subsidiary based in Ireland, and the publisher states it previously requested removal of the content without receiving a response.
Find out more about our predictions for Copyright and AI in 2026 from Dr Gregor Schmid and Louise Popple here.
ASA issues ruling on Ideal World teleshopping watch pricing and availability claims
On 22 April 2026, the ASA published a ruling upholding two complaints against Shop TJC Ltd trading as Ideal World concerning price comparisons, savings claims and product availability claims in two teleshopping broadcasts.
The ASA found that viewers would understand the stated comparison prices and savings claims for Invicta Sea Spider and Roamer Searock watches to reflect general market selling prices at the time of broadcast, but Ideal World relied mainly on manufacturer RRPs and single screenshots, which did not substantiate prevailing market prices as required by BCAP teleshopping price comparison guidance.
The ASA concluded that the ads breached BCAP Code rules 3.1, 3.9, 3.18 and 3.39 on misleading advertising, substantiation, prices and price comparisons.
The ASA also upheld that “last in the world” and “only people” availability claims for the Roamer watch were absolute and unsubstantiated, breaching BCAP Code rules 3.32 and 3.33, and required the ads not to appear again in the form complained of.
For more on ASA rulings in 2026 so far, see our round-up here.
CMA launches five consumer law investigations into online reviews
On 27 March 2026, the CMA launched five consumer law investigations into alleged fake and misleading reviews and star ratings across sectors including funerals, food delivery and car sales.
The CMA is assessing whether companies suppressed moderated 1-star reviews from publication and star ratings, encouraged staff to post positive reviews, inflated ratings, and incentivised undisclosed 5-star reviews with discounts.
The CMA has not yet reached conclusions and is using DMCC Act 2024 consumer powers, under which specified review-related practices have been banned since April 2025.
The CMA can impose remedies and fines up to 10% of global turnover, and expects an update in September 2026.
For more on fake and misleading reviews, see our article by Simon Jupp and Oz Watson, here.
