When Ursula von der Leyen announced the composition of her proposed European Commission, the announcement contained an interesting innovation. For several decades, the Competition Commissioner has had a slightly distinct position from the other members of the College. The Competition Commissioner has been responsible both for the policy framework governing competition, and for approvals of … Continue Reading
On Thursday 11 July 2019, the UK government confirmed that it will bring forward legislation for a new Digital Services Tax (DST) to take effect from April 2020. Squire Patton Boggs’ Tax team have prepared an alert, analysing the proposed legislation and assessing its possible impact and wider implications, which can be downloaded here. For more information, please contact Jeremy … Continue Reading
On 13 June 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU“) published its ruling on the classification of Gmail in the EU following a request for a preliminary ruling from the German Courts. Gmail is a web-based email service, and is a type of “Over-The-Top” (“OTT”) service. The CJEU determined that Gmail is … Continue Reading
On 5 June 2019, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) published its ruling on the classification of SkypeOut in the EU following a request for a preliminary ruling from the Belgian Courts. Skype is a Voice over IP service (VoIP) and the ‘SkypeOut’ component is an interconnected VoIP service that allows the service … Continue Reading
Last month, Chris Stevens-Smith wrote about football cards’ new lease of life through the use of blockchain for our sister blog Sports Shorts. The article looks at the use of crypto trading cards, and how football clubs are using technology to engage with their fans. You can read the blog here, and subscribe to Sports Shorts … Continue Reading
In a press release published on February 14th, 2019, the European Commission announced, as part of the Digital Single Market strategy, a draft regulation aimed at creating a fair, transparent and predictable business environment for businesses and traders when using online platforms. The new rules are underpinned by an impact assessment that incorporates evidence and … Continue Reading
Cryptoassets are coming out of the shadows. Slowly but surely. Over the past decade or so, perhaps principally driven by huge gains (and losses) in the value of Bitcoin, there has been a palpable dawning recognition that cryptoassets, and the distributed ledger technologies (DLT) that underpin and encrypt them (such as Blockchain), are here to … Continue Reading
If you keep an ear tuned to recent developments in digital currency and blockchain, you’ve almost certainly heard the term “Security Token Offering” (or “STO”) bandied about. But what exactly is an STO? Is it legally, functionally, or technologically different than an ICO? Or is this simply old wine in a new bottle?… Continue Reading
In early December 2018, the Geo-Blocking Regulation 2018/302 (the Regulation) came into force across the EU, with the aim of creating a single digital market by banning unjustified geo-blocking (the blocking of access to websites to individuals based in certain territories) and other forms of discrimination based on customers’ nationality, place of residence or establishment … Continue Reading
Using artificial intelligence (AI) and big data is becoming an increasing conundrum in the drive for competitive advantage. Governments and industry are all developing AI plans, but what does this mean and what are the social consequences? If you are an EU or national policymaker, what regulatory framework should you consider? Are the existing liability … Continue Reading
Decree No. 2058-1057 of November 29 2018 on foreign investments subject to prior approval France, who in recent years has been relatively open to overseas investors, has extended its control over foreign investment into certain ‘sensitive’ industries, particularly the IT, cybersecurity, communication and technology sectors.… Continue Reading
The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) – a rather vague collective term for the random mix of new technology which has now infiltrated our lives. In simple terms, it is the group of devices that are connected to the Internet. From the fridge which tells its owner that the milk is running low, the interrupting virtual … Continue Reading
The Law Commission of England, together with the Scottish Law Commission, last week announced a consultation into the laws around the self-driving vehicles, as they help prepare for a ‘safe and effective deployment’ of such vehicles in the UK. The consultation, which is part of a three year review (running until March 2021) looks at … Continue Reading
The UK government has recently published its response to its call for views on illicit Internet Protocol Television streaming devices or “ISDs”. The government describes ISDs as “small plug and play media servers, originally designed to allow consumers to stream legitimate content”, which have been modified with software that enables users to view “illegal content … Continue Reading
In August 2017, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer initiated an investigation to determine whether the acts, policies, and practices of the Chinese Government related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation are unreasonable or discriminatory and either burden or restrict US commerce under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. … Continue Reading
The Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal from the judgment of a High Court case, which concerned the question of whether a licence to use electronically supplied software amounts to the “sale of goods” under the Commercial Agents (Council Directive) Regulations 1993 (“Regulations”). This question is important, given the significant protections and post-termination payouts … Continue Reading
On February 6, 2018, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and CFTC Chairman Christopher Giancarlo provided testimony on virtual currencies to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Below we provide a summary of the written statements and testimony and analysis for participants in the virtual currency and blockchain spaces. New Possibilities, New Risks Takeaway: … Continue Reading
The European Commission has issued a press release announcing that the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have reached a political agreement to end unjustified geoblocking for consumers wishing to buy products or services online within the EU. Geoblocking occurs when a customer is treated differently based on their nationality, place of residence or location … Continue Reading
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) recently released a Report summarizing the comments received during two roundtable discussions that the USPTO hosted in 2016 on patent subject matter eligibility. Since 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued four major decisions that have transformed subject matter eligibility law, and the USPTO has responded with … Continue Reading
In a decision dated 8 March 2017, the French Competition Authority (the “FCA”) fined jointly Altice Luxembourg and SFR Group EUR 40 million on the basis that SFR Group failed to meet its commitments with regard to the deployment of optical fiber. When SFR was taken over by Numericable in 2014, the FCA authorized the … Continue Reading
In earlier posts, we have highlighted the impact of the Digital Republic Bill in France on regulation in the digital sphere, such as open data, the online cooperative economy and access to the internet. This post highlights the changes introduced by the Bill that will particularly affect stakeholders in the telecommunications sector. The key measures … Continue Reading
For those of us who wonder how that Dream Vacation ad follows us from our initial Google® search on our PC to our subsequent iPad searches: the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Staff Cross-Device Tracking Report has some answers, as well as some advice. Released on January 23, 2017, the Report gives insight into legal … Continue Reading
Commercial use of drones is on the rise, with companies like Amazon (which recently filed a patent for a “flying warehouse”) positioning themselves at the forefront of the field. The challenge is to capitalise on drones’ commercial and technological potential, whilst navigating a complex and developing area of law. UK regulation is comparatively flexible, although … Continue Reading
A recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement is a reminder that companies should make sure that they live up to their privacy policies and that their opt-out procedures work as promised. If not, the FTC is likely to claim that the company violated Section 5 of the FTC Act by engaging in unfair and deceptive … Continue Reading
