Law and Innovation

Robots will one day live among us. That’s not a secret anymore. Just like couples, when people live or work together, a legal framework is required or at least, highly recommended. Even better if it can be adopted at the EU level. Indeed, robots, drones, smart cars, etc. raise numerous liability issues, but not only. In February, the European Commission voted in favour of a new proposed legislation. But is the law ready for it? You are certainly a big fan of the HBO's sci-fi/western drama TV show : "Westworld”; the amusement park where robots and humans live together, until the day a “bug” disrupts the robots and detracts the functioning of the park. This park is perhaps the European Union of tomorrow... (and I’m not talking about Brexit) ; an anticipative legislative instrument in robotics would therefore be welcome. Recently, the European Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs ("JURI") asked the European Commission in a Report to look at new EU-wide rules...

For more than one hundred years, generations of FC Barcelona fans have witnessed amazing players wearing the famous Blaugrana shirt with garnet and blue vertical stripes. Adidas’s three-stripe mark is also particularly well-known among professional soccer players, fans, and consumers of soccer apparell. Over the years, the German company made headlines for filing a number of lawsuits in connection with its famous trademark; and this time, it’s against Futbol Club Barcelona! What’s the case all about? It’s not a secret, with football kit partnerships large sums of money are involved. On October 30, 2016, FC Barcelona ratified the record-breaking 10-year Nike kit deal, which is worth up to 155 million Euro annually from 2018. And guess what, the day after (on October 31) Adidas filed its opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). Coincidences of life or difference of opinion? Let’s take a closer look… Adidas has been for years (and still is) one ...

Fresh and interesting article posted on < Re/Code > about the first of a series of discussions (hosting by Google) on how one person's right to be forgotten should be balanced with the public's right to information, following a May 2014 court ruling that reinforced Europeans' "right to be forgotten". The discussion is streamed online at: https://www.google.com/intl/en/advisorycouncil/ Happy reading and discussion! "A panel appointed by search engine Google will hold the first of a series of meetings on Tuesday to debate the balance between privacy and the free flow of information after a May court ruling reinforced Europeans’ “right to be forgotten”. The event in Madrid will be the first of seven meetings in European capitals, as the Internet giant struggles with thousands of requests a month to remove from its search results everything from serious criminal records, embarrassing photos, instances of ...

A fter almost half a century of striving for unified patent protection throughout the European Union, one of the biggest single markets on the planet, the creation of a single EU patent system is within reach and should be a reality in 201 7 . However, the Unified Patent Court system still needs to be completed  [1] . With less than a week to go before October 1 , 2013 (deadline for the public, i.e. international companies, to submit their suggestions on the Unified Patent Court's Rules of Procedure  [2] )  things are getting a little more interesting. On Wednesday September 25, 2013 a group of 14 global innovators and users of the European patent system (among others, Google, Microsoft, HP, Intel, Yahoo, Apple, Samsung, and also non-IT companies such as Adidas and DHL), has sent an open letter   [4] to European Officials and decision-makers outlining their concerns about the coming change of this new Unified Patent Court. As innovators, these tech com...