Correspondence: Ewan Nettleton, Bristows, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DH, UK. Tel: +44 20 7400 8000; Fax: +44 20 7400 8050; e-mail: ewan.nettleton@bristows.com

¹is a senior associate solicitor in the Intellectual Property Department at Bristows. He specialises in Intellectual Property Law with an emphasis on litigation. He has an MA in Chemistry and a DPhil in Protein Chemistry and is particularly interested in matters relating to the IT and pharmaceutical industries.

²is a trainee solicitor at Bristows. He has a BSc and a PhD in Biochemistry.

Abstract

Business contacts are a key resource, and sectors like database marketing where businesses depend on contact information recognise this more than most. The ownership of such information may be a critical issue when employees leave the business and seek to take contact details with them to further their own, competing activities. This paper analyses a recent case on the ownership of contact information, and considers the steps businesses should take to safeguard these precious assets.