On 5 June, 2014, Hogan Lovells’ Paris office hosted a seminar on the Internet of Things, focusing on product liability, privacy, IP interoperability issues. The seminar featured presentations relating to the French post office’s plans to act as a central hub to facilitate “connected home” technologies.
Everyday products are now able to receive and store information regarding the product itself or the user. The interconnection between connected products allows the gathering, processing and permanent transfer of this information, thereby further blurring the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds. However, the “Internet of things” will likely bring many new and interesting challenges as well as concerns for lawyers and businesses: privacy issues, data protection, potential product liability…
This seminar was introduced by Christine Gateau, a Partner in the Paris Litigation practice of Hogan Lovells, who underlined the actual and prospective importance of smart products.
Stéphanie Dubreuil, Associate General Counsel of the French group La Poste, and Raphaël Basset, Director of strategic marketing and partnerships, DOCAPOST, then presented their views on connected services and products. La Poste is becoming a facilitator for numerous connected home technologies.
Stanislas Roux-Vaillard, a Partner in Hogan Lovells’ IPMT practice, analysed the potential frictions between standards and intellectual property rights in a world of interoperability.
Lionel de Souza, a Senior Associate in Hogan Lovells’ IPMT practice focused on privacy and personal data issues. Indeed, smart products are potentially intrusive given the amount of data collected.
Finally, Christine Gateau and Christelle Coslin, a Senior Associate in the Paris Litigation practice of Hogan Lovells, offered an overview of the liability incurred in relation to the use or dysfunction of smart products.