Airbus has won a patent for a hypersonic plane, but Concorde’s hydrogen-powered successor is unlikely to leave the drawing board any time soon. The European planemaker’s proposal would slash the journey time from Paris to Tokyo to under three hours, from 12 hours.

The US Patent Office has ruled that the Washington Redskins nickname is “disparaging of Native Americans” and that the team’s federal trademarks for the name must be cancelled.

Affable children’s character Winnie the Pooh has found himself at the centre of a legal battle as a film company takes on Disney for ownership rights to the bear and his friends.

TOP of the pops and Ireland’s biggest-selling brand, Coca-Cola, has no fear of losing its fizz.