As we gear up for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s first full public hearing on 13 June, here is a reminder of what has been covered to date, followed by a list of issues to be covered within the scope of the first (Module 1) investigation. Inquiry to date the Inquiry was formally established by the Chair (Baroness Heather Hallett) on 28 June 2022, at which time the final Terms of Reference were published by the Government (UK COVID-19 Inquiry: terms of reference - GOV.UK (www.gov ...
The latest reforms to Law No. 19,496 Consumer Protection Act, introduced mainly by the "Pro-Consumer" Law and the E-Commerce Regulation, will force companies to be more vigilant in the 2023 version of CyberDay. During the event, which will be held from May 29th to 31st, the National Consumer Service ("SERNAC") will be supervising that companies comply with their e-commerce obligations ...
Open Finance is becoming a pivotal element in the evolution of the European Union’s regulatory framework for payment services, most notably embodied in the anticipated Third Payment Services Directive (“PSD3”) ...
The hemp industry's explosive growth following the 2018 Farm Bill has produced a number of consequences, some intended and many more almost certainly never considered by lawmakers. The development of THC acetate ester (THCO), a synthetic substance created from hemp, almost certainly falls within the latter category. Recently, THCO has gained substantial popularity. In a Feb ...
Two months ago, we published an article speculating how the UK government may look to regulate generative AI such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, as part of its broader approach to AI regulation in the UK. On 29 March 2023, the government unveiled its White Paper entitled ‘A pro-innovation approach to AI regulation’ ...
Progression of developments in technology have always led to impacts on the general workforce. With increased international focus on the speed of AI development and use, what could the impacts be of AI be on today’s workforce? The BBC have recently covered that “a March 2023 report from Goldman Sachs estimated that AI capable of content generation could do a quarter of all the work currently done by humans ...
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 ...
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has issued a report which provides guidance on supporting employees who are experiencing fertility issues. The report surveyed 300 workers who experienced difficulties with fertility while in employment within the last five years, as well as over 2,000 senior HR professionals and decision makers ...
SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (SyCipLaw) has just published the SyCipLaw TMT and Data Bulletin covering significant Philippine legal and regulatory developments in the technology, media, telecommunications and data space, from late 2022 to the first quarter of 2023. It also notes links to podcasts and materials relating to TMT and dataPLUSa commentary on whether AI can replace a local counsel ...
In recent years, China is continuously exploring the regulations of LDT (Laboratory Developed Tests, as defined below). With the introduction of a series of new regulations, many outstanding multinational and local companies have participated in the research of LDT. At this stage, general provisions can no longer meet the demand of the practice of LDT industry ...
Gone are the days when satellite communication was limited to those brick phones with long antennas. Satellite communications services are gaining traction globally as they offer alternative ways of connecting end users to the Internet and other related communications services. However, as electronic communications services via satellites become more popular and accessible, service providers are met with regulatory challenges ...
Have you ever browsed one of your favourite online retail platforms and noticed an entirely new clothing collection launched by the brand for your metaverse avatar? In February of this year, we stumbled upon Zara’s Valentine’s Tale range. The collection comprised 22 digital assets which included necklaces, earrings, rings and bags that could be purchased for your avatar through Zepeto, which is Asia’s largest metaverse platform ...
The Financial Market Commission ("FMC") has announced a process of consulting roundtables for the implementation of Law No. 21.521, known as the "Fintech Law" (Fintech in Spanish). Last May 15, an informative webinar was held where the CMF informed about the general guidelines for the operation of the consulting roundtables that will address aspects of the implementation of the Fintech Law. The FMC authority to carry out this process comes from Article 20 of Law No ...
As highlighted in our previous article, the Infected Blood Inquiry’s first interim report established considerable liabilities in relatively short order, recommending that £100,000 be paid “without delay” to victims and partners bereaved by infections transmitted by blood transfusions and blood products. Sir Brian Langstaff, former High Court judge and current Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry, released his second interim report on 5 April 2023 ...
May 15, 2023 By: Meghna Parikh The expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (“PHE”) on May 11, 2023 could have created a “prescription cliff” leaving patients without access to controlled substances. During the PHE, telemedicine flexibilities allowed patients to have access to Schedule II and narcotic controlled substances via telemedicine without a prior in-person medical evaluation ...
Although NFTs have existed for a number of years, and have changed the world of merchandise and art, it is worth considering how intellectual property (IP) rights interplay with this asset class. This article considers NFTs in their component parts with a view to understanding how IP law, and specifically the areas of copyright and trade marks, apply. What is an NFT? An NFT stands for non-fungible token and is a digital asset with a unique digital identifier, recorded on a blockchain ...
By imposing the obligations, the regulation aims to end unfair practices and conduct which is harmful to competition and end users by the companies acting as gatekeepers in the online platform economy. Under the DMA, a firm will be considered as a designated gatekeeper if three criteria are met. First, the company must have a significant impact on the European market which is determined by the company’s turnover ...
The end of the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, 2023 has left many healthcare facilities confused about whether the vaccination mandate for Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) certified healthcare facilities still stands ...
The Metaverse, retail and brand protection When first confronted with concepts such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs, it took most of us quite some time before we felt it was “safe enough” to make our first online purchase. For some, it was a case of calling a friend to find out if their experience was legitimate before taking that leap! Well, safe to say this is no longer the case ...
With cloud technology becoming increasingly important, data centres provide services critical to many businesses. Given the strategic value of data center to digital transformation, it is essential that data center vendors have a clear plan to manage the risks they face. What are some of the key risks for data center vendors Security Digital and physical security risks have been listed as the top 5 data center security risks for 2023 ...
Generative AI has become a worldwide sensation recently with the launch of ChatGPT, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and other eye-catching products. Large language models such as ChatGPT have shown their phenomenal capacity for human language comprehension, human-machine interaction, text writing, programming, reasoning, etc. by generating output that is often on a par with the level of human intelligence, if not better ...
Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs) are financial institutions that offer electronic money services to customers. Legislation on EMIs is partially harmonised in the EU as there is only an Electronic Money Directive (Directive 2009/110/EC) (“EMD”) rather than a regulation. In Malta, the EMD is transposed in the Financial Institutions Act, Chapter 376 of the Laws of Malta ...
The EU regulator has harmonized the maximum levels for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in hemp seeds throughout the Union within the food contaminants framework. This EU harmonization puts pressure on conservative national food laws such as the Belgian Royal Decree of 31 August 2021, which treats hemp seeds as a prohibited food.The situation in Belgium, however, is changing to better align it with EU law ...
The SEC Division of Examinations (“Examinations”) issued a Risk Alert on April 26, 2023 to highlight the importance of establishing written policies and procedures for safeguarding customer records and information at branch offices. Examinations provides that a branch office includes any location other than a firm’s main office, including offices of any independent contractors through which a firm may offer investment products and services ...
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is a UK independent agency established by legislation that ‘must seek to promote competition…for the benefit of consumers’. To do so the CMA may carry out research. The CMA announced on 4 May 2023 it is opening an initial review of competition and consumer protection considerations in the development and use of AI foundation models ...
