A publishing company is suing a journalist for ownership of his contacts, in a move which could set a precedent on what constitutes "company property".

Publisher PennWell was in the High Court this week suing former managing editor of Power Engineering International, Junior Isles, alleging that he had removed company property when he stopped working for them.

Isles, a journalist of 17 years, worked for the magazine for nine years and left to help set up a rival company, Energy Business Group. The court heard that he used his sources'