Following the UK Government’s announcement in January 2020 that it would be moving forwards with regulation on consumer IoT device security, the Government has now published its legislative proposals and is seeking feedback from interested parties by 6 September 2020. The Government’s proposals impose new requirements on manufacturers for the manufacture and sale of consumer smart devices, and also introduce the appointment of a new designated body to oversee compliance and enforcement. What do you…

On Friday 16 July 2020, the UK communications regulator, Ofcom, published a consultation on video-sharing platform regulation, calling for views by 24 September 2020. The UK government intends to introduce a new statutory framework this Autumn to implement the revised Audio-Visual Media Services Directive, including new obligations on UK-established video-sharing platforms (which the consultation says might include platforms such as TikTok and Twitch). This is an interim regime for the regulation of UK video-sharing platforms…

The European Commission (“Commission”) has launched an antitrust sector inquiry into the Internet of Things (“IoT”) sector for consumer-related products and services within the European Union. The Commission is looking to develop a better understanding of how this fast-moving sector works and some of the potential issues that may arise from a competition law perspective. The regulator intends imminently to send requests for information to a range of players in this sector and already plans…

On June 6, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Barr v. American Association of Political Consultants, Inc., et al., settling an issue that has lingered over litigation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) for the past several years. In a badly fractured opinion featuring multiple concurrences and dissents, a majority of the Court held that the TCPA’s federal-debts exemption, which immunizes from liability “calls made solely to collect a debt…

The United States Supreme Court holds that adding a top-level domain, like “.com”, to an otherwise generic term does not automatically result in a generic composite, and that a genericness determination must consider the significance of the term to consumers. The case is U.S. Patent & Trademark Office v. Booking.com B.V., U.S., No. 19-46 (2020). Booking.com – an online travel company that provides hotel and other reservation services – filed four trademark applications for…

Doing business with governments – winning opportunities, negotiating successfully, and delivering profitability – is an art and a science. At a time of unprecedented government intervention, it has never been more important to ensure effective engagement, whether to win new contracts or secure investments, grants, or loans. You know how to succeed in the United States. In this webinar, we want to equip you to navigate the UK government environment by: Highlighting similarities and differences between the UK…

In the context of their return-to-work policies companies are seeking solutions to detect individuals with fever at the entrance of their premises with the aim of preventing further contamination within the buildings. This can be achieved by means of conventional thermometers, digital fever scanners directed at the forehead of the person, or sophisticated thermal camera systems. The Belgian Data Protection Authority has issued a guidance in which it adopts a strict position regarding the implications…