At the end of November 2020, the European Commission published a plan for getting the EU out of the mess that it’s in as a result of COVID-19. The report is entitled “.” Although the report is aimed at European authorities and businesses, there are aspects of the plan that have general application ...
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) – which is underpinned by competition law - allows access to third parties to data previously held only by ‘Gatekeepers’, namely, large digital platforms, such as Google or Facebook ...
On 23 February 2022, the EU Commission proposed measures regulating the use and access of data, not being ‘personal data’ as understood by the GDPR, within the European Union across all economic sectors. The regulation of the use of data is essential given that data continues to be generated yet underutilised. The draft Regulation is to be read in conjunction with the EU’s Data Governance Act ...
The new year, 2022, will be the year in which cryptocurrencies gain more legitimacy worldwide through government regulation, oversight and further acceptance. Indeed, in December 2021, the Dubai World Trade Centre announced that it will become a crypto zone and a regulator for cryptocurrencies and other virtual assets - including digital assets, products, operators and exchanges. In September 2021, the country of El Salvador officially recognized Bitcoin as legal tender ...
The Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (“Cape Town Convention”) and Protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment (“Protocol”) were concluded in Cape Town on 16 November 2001, and entered into force on 1 March 2006. They are to be read and interpreted as one instrument ...
The world’s energy shortage crisis immensely affects the fluctuation of prices of natural gas and fuel, as well as the global economy. Many leading countries have encouraged and promoted the development and use of clean and renewable energy for sustainability ...
The EU strives to become carbon neutral by 2050. This objective has been formally regulated through the EU Climate Law[i] and is enshrined in the European Green Deal[ii], being also in line with the EU’s commitment to global climate action according to the Paris Agreement[iii] and Glasgow Climate Pact[iv] ...
On the 28th of February 2023, the European Data Protection Board (hereinafter referred to as the “EDPB”) issued its Opinion on the European Commission’s draft adequacy decision regarding the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework ...
Due to Norway’s status as a non-EU member, and instead member of the European Economic Area (the EEA), implementation of the Directives is delayed compared to the rest of the EU. For comparison, the original deadline for the implementation of the DSM Directive in the EU was 7 June 2021. Some of the proposed amendments to the Norwegian Copyright Act include: New obligations for providers of online content sharing platforms (such as Youtube, Facebook etc ...
By Board Resolution Nº 368-2021-MINEM/DGH and Board Resolution Nº 369-2021-MINEM/DGH, published on September 21, 2021 in the Official Gazette “El Peruano”, the drafts of the “Operating Procedure for the electronic market of the auctions for the transfer of natural gas supply volume and/or transport capacity (MECAP)” (“MECAP Operating Procedure“) and of the “Operating Procedure for the Transfer of Information in the Natural Gas Market&rd
On 15 June 2018, exactly one year to the day after the publication of the previous draft, the new South African Minister of Mineral Resources, Gwede Mantashe (the “minister”), published for public comment the Draft Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Charter for the South African Mining and Minerals Industry, 2018 (the “Draft 2018 Mining Charter”) ...
The first industrial revolution, which began in the 1750s, lasted for between 80 to 100 years. The pace of technological change today encourages us to believe that the second industrial revolution (IR2) will be completed at much greater speed. So if we take the mid-1980s as a starting point, with the emergence of optical disk technologies into consumer markets, you would expect us to be well on the way to completion, 30 years into IR2 ...
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (the Bill) completed the legislative process and received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024 and is now law. The changes introduced by the Bill include better protection for consumers in relation to subscription contracts, regulation of fake reviews, the display of ecommerce pricing information (to avoid ‘drip pricing’) and enhanced enforcement measures (including GDPR style fines) against non-compliant traders ...
The wait is finally over as the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (Bill) passes through Parliament with aims of introducing numerous protections for consumers, including powers to clamp down on fake reviews. The pandemic was the catalyst in the rise of online shopping meaning that consumers rely heavily on online reviews, more so now than they used to ...
On 18 July 2022, the UK government introduced the new Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (Bill). What is the Bill? The new Data Protection and Digital Information Bill contains the government’s proposals to reform the UK’s data protection regime. The Bill quickly follows the government’s publication in June of its response to its consultation on the Data Reform Bill carried out in Autumn 2021 ...
I. INTRODUCTION The post-Soviet states, including the Russian Federation, are mired in corruption across all levels of government-the judiciary, parliament, executive and executive agencies.' Naturally, a "culture of corruption" within government distorts several necessary components that make up the rule of law. Corrupt parliament members will not be responsive to the citizenry ...
The South African President has signed the Cybercrimes Bill into law, which means it is now an Act of Parliament. The date on which the Cybercrimes Act, 2020 comes into force is yet to be announced, but there are a few key things to note: The majority of the offences created by the Cybercrimes Act relate to data, messages, computers, and networks involving hacking, the unlawful interception of data, ransomware attacks, cyber forgery and uttering, and cyber extortion ...
The Current Mineral Licensing Regime in Nigeria
Shoosmiths’ Public Inquiries team is delighted to present a series of podcasts in respect of reflections and experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted by Hayley Saunders and Alex Friston, we are delighted to be joined by a variety of speakers, each bringing something different to the table in relation to impacts, views and then thoughts towards the Public Inquiry, which is set to commence its first public hearings on 13 June ...
In the most recent ruling arising from the now infamous Sabine case (In re Sabine Oil & Gas Corp., 547 BR 66 (Bankr. SDNY 2016)), in which New York bankruptcy Judge Shelley Chapman held in favor of Sabine Oil & Gas Corp ...
The full-text judgement in English has not yet been released, but the press release with a summary of the judgement and its result can be accessed here. The case concerns an action brought by Poland seeking annulment of Article 17 of Directive (EU) 2019/790 on Copyright in the Digital Single Market ...
On April 29, 2005, the Court of Appeal rendered a judgment in Pharmascience Inc. v. Option Consommateurs et Piro1 on the constitutionality of the amendments made to the Code of Civil Procedure on January 1, 2003 regarding authorizations to institute class actions. Contrary to the arguments of the appealing pharmaceutical companies, the Court of Appeal held that the amendments are constitutional and do not violate the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms in any way ...
Class Action 30633-05-18 Smuelitz v. Korean Air Co., Ltd Our firm successfully represented Korean Air in a motion to certify a class action suit alleging a failure to refund airport taxes on unused flight tickets. As part of its motion, the plaintiffs requested that Korean Air automatically reimburse airport taxes for unused flight tickets, and pay substantial monetary compensation, for failure to reimburse ...
