Law and business: commercial news round-up 04.04.14

Sally forth! Continue your quest to get a grip on the way in which law and business intersect with this week’s collection of interesting news stories:

• Ding! Here they go again - old adversaries Apple and Samsung prepare for yet another protracted legal battle, with claims and counterclaims that each stole the other’s patents. 
• The BBC's Robert Peston commented on the news that worker productivity is up for the first time in ages, which could lead to a "meaningful improvement in living standards".
• The National Audit Office released a scathing report into the Royal Mail sell-off, emphasising that in undervaluing its shares, £750 million of taxpayers’ money was lost.
• Do you want the good news or the bad news? RBS is to close 44 of its bank branches (bad), but Vodafone is to open 150 new shops and create 1,400 jobs (good).
• Glug, glug, glug… There are tentative talks between Jack Daniels’ manufacturer and Rémy Cointreau as to a possible takeover, driving Remy shares up by 10%. 

Be sure to check the LC.N Says section every Friday afternoon for this weekly commercial news round-up, produced by LawCareers.Net editor Isla Grant.

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