Catherine Muyl

Firm/Organization: Foley Hoag LLP

Blogs: Security, Privacy and the Law, Trademark & Copyright Law

Latest Articles

Lessons Learned From The Greek Supervisory Authority’s PwC Decision on Employee Data Under GDPR

October 31, 2019

On 26 July 2019, the Greek Supervisory Authority (SA) found Pricewaterhouse Coopers (“PwC”) not compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in relation to the processing of its Greek employees’ personal data. The SA issued a €150,000 fine and an injunction requiring PwC to take measures to comply within three months (which is has apparently done). A summary of the decision in English is available on the Greek SA’s website. Why is…

Security, Privacy and the Law

EU Commission Issues Communication about GDPR

By Catherine Muyl

July 24, 2019

The EU Commission issued today a “Communication to the European Parliament and the Council” which is entitled “Data protection rules as a trust enabler in the EU and beyond- taking stock”, which outlines the current state of EU data protection, with particular focus on the impact of GDPR. The implementation of GDPR in the EU The Commission notes that all EU Member States have updated their national data protection laws except for three…

Security, Privacy and the Law

Happy Birthday, GDPR!

By Catherine Muyl

May 28, 2019

Dear GDPR, Before you were born, you already attracted a lot of attention, after all, not everyone is born over two years after they are conceived and has 28 parents! And your parents had to ‎resist an enormous pressure from people who predicted that once you were born, you would be a nightmare. Well, now that you have been in this world for one year, your aunts and uncles in California, who called you a…

Security, Privacy and the Law

The Paris District Court Invalidates 38 Clauses of Google+ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

By Catherine Muyl

April 12, 2019

It has been rough weather for Google in France. Three weeks after the French ‎Data Protection Authority imposed a record fine against Google for non-compliance with the GDPR, the Paris District Court (“Tribunal de Grande Instance”) invalidated 38 clauses of Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Google+, the Internet-based social media network owned and operated by Google. This decision was rendered on February 12, 2019 in an action that was initiated against…

Trademark & Copyright Law

EU Parliament Approves New Copyright Rules for the Internet

By Catherine Muyl

March 29, 2019

We had been following on this blog the heated debates around the proposed EU Copyright Directive. These debates now belong to history since on March 27, 2019, the European parliament adopted the Directive with 348 votes against 274 and 36 abstentions. The two most controversial provisions are Article 15 (previously 11) and Article 17 (previously 13). Article 15: Creation of a New IP Right for Publishers of Press Publications Article 15 addresses the issue of…

Trademark & Copyright Law

IP and Social Networks: The Paris District Court Invalidates IP Clauses of Google+ Terms of Use

By Catherine Muyl

March 12, 2019

It’s been rough weather for Google in France. Three weeks after the French ‎Data Protection Authority imposed a record fine against Google for non-compliance with the GDPR, the Paris District Court (“Tribunal de Grande Instance”) invalidated 38 clauses of Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Google+, the Internet-based social media network owned and operated by Google. This decision was rendered on February 12, 2019 in an action that was initiated against Google…

Security, Privacy and the Law

EDPB Issues Opinion on the Interplay between the Clinical Trials Regulation and the GDPR

By Catherine Muyl

February 20, 2019

‎On January 23, 2019, the European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) issued an interesting opinion about personal data processed in relation to clinical trials. The main role of the EDPB – which succeeded the Article 29 Working Party – is to contribute to the consistent application of the GDPR throughout the European Union. Its tasks include providing general guidance to clarify the law and advising the European Commission on data protection issues and new legislations. The…

Trademark & Copyright Law

BIG MAC Trademark Not That Big in the EU: How McDonald’s Failed to Prove Genuine Use of its EU Trademark

By Catherine Muyl

February 11, 2019

On January 11, 2019, the Cancellation Division of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (“EUIPO”) rendered a surprising decision that revoked in its entirety the McDonald’s Company’s BIG MAC trademark registration, which had been registered in the EU since December 1998. This is the latest chapter in a fight between McDonald’s and Supermac’s, a competing chain that operates fast-food restaurants in both parts of Ireland. The fight started in 2014, when Supermac’s wanted to expand…

Security, Privacy and the Law

GDPR Alert: Google Gets Biggest Fine Ever Issued by a European Data Protection Authority

By Catherine Muyl

January 22, 2019

On 21 January 2019, the French Data Protection Authority (the “French DPA”) fined Google LLC 50 million euros for breach of the GDPR. As we reported on this blog, just after GDPR became applicable, noyb.eu (None of Your Business), the non-profit privacy organization set up by Max Schrems, the Austrian lawyer who initiated the action against Facebook that led to the invalidation of the Safe Harbor, and a French organization called “…

Security, Privacy and the Law

Is the Right to be Forgotten National, European or Worldwide? The Advocate General Issues an Opinion in the Google Case

By Catherine Muyl

January 20, 2019

On January 10, 2019, Advocate General Szpunar issued his much awaited opinion in the Google case that was referred to the European Court of Justice by the French “Conseil d’Etat”, the highest administrative court of the country. The Conseil d’Etat basically asked the European Court of Justice to follow-up on its Google Spain decision: is the right to be forgotten – i.e., the right of individuals to request an operator of a search engine…

Catherine Muyl

Lessons Learned From The Greek Supervisory Authority’s PwC Decision on Employee Data Under GDPR

EU Commission Issues Communication about GDPR

Happy Birthday, GDPR!

The Paris District Court Invalidates 38 Clauses of Google+ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

EU Parliament Approves New Copyright Rules for the Internet

IP and Social Networks: The Paris District Court Invalidates IP Clauses of Google+ Terms of Use

EDPB Issues Opinion on the Interplay between the Clinical Trials Regulation and the GDPR

BIG MAC Trademark Not That Big in the EU: How McDonald’s Failed to Prove Genuine Use of its EU Trademark

GDPR Alert: Google Gets Biggest Fine Ever Issued by a European Data Protection Authority

Is the Right to be Forgotten National, European or Worldwide? The Advocate General Issues an Opinion in the Google Case

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