In On Tower UK Limited v British Telecommunications Plc [2024] UKUT 51 LC, the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) was asked to address key aspects of the Electronic Communications Code ...
The Online Safety Act 2023 (the "OSA") became law on 26 October 2023 and will affect over 100,000 organisations. Here, we focus specifically on the overlaps between the OSA and data protection legislation, outlining the synergies (and differences) in key areas, together with some practical tips. This firm has been a consistent source of commentary and practical guidance on the new Online Safety Act 2023 (the ‘OSA’) ...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a campaign highlighting the risks of food labelled as vegan to people with allergies. Research from the FSA has shown that 62% of consumers with an animal-based allergy were confident that products labelled as ‘vegan’ were safe to eat. The FSA says this confidence is incorrect and is putting people at risk ...
The Bitcoin ‘halving’ event is rapidly approaching, anticipated to occur around the 19th or 20th of April. Currently, there’s an unprecedented level of attention on Bitcoin due to this event. So, what exactly does ‘halving’ entail, and why is there such a buzz surrounding it? The term itself evokes the intrigue of a suspenseful horror film, one that could be straight out of a Stephen King story ...
On March 26th, 2024, the President of the Republic enacted the Framework Law on Cybersecurity and Critical Information Infrastructure (the "Law"), after having been generally approved by the Chamber of Deputies, and the preventive control of constitutionality carried out by the Constitutional Court was concluded ...
In a move aimed at protecting Americans’ data security, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14117 on “Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern” (the “Order”) ...
Shoosmiths’ mobility partner, Ben Gardner, was a speaker at SMMT Connected 2024, hosted in London. Ben moderated a panel discussion focused on the remaining challenges to a safe and responsible commercial rollout of automated vehicles. The summit was aimed at addressing the latest advancements in connected and automated vehicle technology. The UK’s automotive sector leads the charge in this transformative revolution, making substantial investments in cutting-edge technologies ...
Governments around the world are thinking about encouraging data sharing on a larger scale by using regulation. In the EU we have the EU Data Act, which will take effect in 2025 so is fast coming around the corner. It’s a juggernaut, and once it hits things may never be quite the same again. So what effect will it have? A recent CJEU ruling illustrates some of the problems it is likely to cause ...
Episode 8 of the Journey Through a Contract series highlights the key considerations when a business is entering into a contract with a consumer. This podcast examines the key considerations parties should give to contractual rights and obligations as they flow through a supply chain. A supply chain can consist of a number of different contracts, including those with raw material suppliers and manufacturers at the start, to distributors and customers at the end ...
Succession of digital assets in Guernsey What are digital assets? The term "digital assets" does not yet have a legal definition in Guernsey but it can broadly be understood to mean any asset that is represented digitally or electronically.[1] Digital assets include: cryptocurrencies; NFTs; social media accounts; photos, audio files and video stored in the cloud; reward cards/loyalty programmes; online bank accounts; email accounts; eBooks; websites ...
We all know how important advertising is in the business world. Traders use advertisements as marketing tools to inform customers and consumers about their products. With the rise of technology and social media, advertising is now taking diverse forms. Companies are increasingly turning to a more powerful tool, the ‘influencer’, to advertise their products. This phenomenon is also evident locally ...
Since 2010, the Danish toy giant Lego has had a registered design right in the EU to the toy brick, commonly referred to as «the Lego brick»: Photo reference: View More
Packaging and packaging waste has been regulated by the European Union (“EU”) since 1994. As consumers, we all know that most goods are sold in packaging, and that there may be various packaging at the several stages of the product’s life. Packaging comes in a diversity of material (glass, paper, cardboard, metal, plastics, wood, corks, textile, ceramics or porcelain…) and items (cans, tubes, boxes, films and bags) ...
On November 23, 2023, the State Council published theOfficial Reply of the State Council on the Work Plan for Supporting Beijing in Promoting the Construction of a Comprehensive Demonstration Zone for Further Opening up the National Service Sector(the "Reply") ...
Following an antitrust investigation, in 2017 the European Commission had fined Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. a record €2.4 billion for abuse of Google’s dominant position. In brief, it found that Google was self-preferencing, by presenting results from its own Google Shopping first upon a so called “Google search”. On appeal to the General Court, the fine was confirmed in 2021 ...
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), at its open meeting on December 13, 2023, approved new rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) regarding texting that will alter the landscape of lead generation practices ...
Since its enactment on July 1, 2021, the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act (FTSA) has become a significant pain point for businesses, leading to extensive class action exposure, particularly for those involved in telephonic communications. The FTSA, which initially granted consumers the right to take legal action against unwanted calls and texts, led to an influx of over 500 complaints in its first year ...
On Dec. 13, 2023, in a 4-1 vote, the Federal Communications Commission finalized new rules to close the so-called lead generator robocall and robotexts loophole, marking a significant paradigm shift in lead generation practices. On Dec ...
Another great year for the Ocean team at SVW has ended. The Shipping industry had a great year, as we have witnessed it through our clients’ engagements. More steps have been taken toward environmentally smarter investments by many clients, not only within the fuel engine options in new-building orders, but also piloting strategic joint ventures and collaborations in the fuel terminals infrastructure (hydrogen/ammonia), as well as power plants ...
On 9 December 2023 the European Parliament and the Council managed to reach a provisional agreement regarding the AI Act, which is expected to be adopted early 2024. Within two years from adoption the AI Act will apply to all businesses introducing or using AI in the EU. Given this timeline, EU businesses should already be planning and adjusting their strategies to comply with the new AI regulation ...
