Simont Braun authors FinTech Belgian chapter in Legal 500 Comparative Guide
Simont Braun is happy to share the Belgian FinTech chapter authored by our Digital Finance Team for the Legal 500 Comparative Guide. You will find insight on the latest trends in Belgium in payments, open banking, data, tech, innovation, cryptos, etc. We also explain how Belgium is attracting FinTech companies and talents. Built as a […]
Simont Braun authors Belgian chapter in ICLG Designs
This year again, our Intellectual Property team shares its expertise on designs in the Belgian chapter of the International Comparative Legal Guide (ICLG) 2022. What will you find in it? Insight into common issues in designs laws and regulations, focusing on legislation, grounds for refusal, registration and invalidity, and information on disclosure and unregistered designs. […]
Nouvelle convention fiscale entre la Belgique et la France
Ce mardi 9 novembre, la nouvelle convention fiscale préventive de double imposition sur les revenus et la fortune a été signée entre la Belgique et la France. La nouvelle convention modernise la convention existante datant de 1964 et intègre les nouveaux standards internationaux. Cette nouvelle convention entraînera des modifications importantes pour de nombreux contribuables belges, […]
Gaming & Law | Adaptation rights and video games (Part 2)
Gaming: what’s law got to do with it? The online leisure and social gaming sectors are amongst the fastest growing and changing sectors. Simont Braun makes sure you stay on top of your game. This article is part of a series intending to guide you through the regulatory landscape applicable to video games. This series […]
Gaming & Law | Adaptation rights and video games (Part 1)
Gaming: what’s law got to do with it? The online leisure and social gaming sectors are amongst the fastest growing and changing sectors. Simont Braun makes sure you stay on top of your game. This article is part of a series intending to guide you through the regulatory landscape applicable to video games. This series […]
Gaming & Law | Mapping the regulatory landscape (Episode 2)
Gaming: what’s law got to do with it? The online leisure and social gaming sectors are amongst the fastest growing and changing sectors. Simont Braun makes sure you stay on top of your game. This article is part of a series intending to guide you through the regulatory landscape applicable to video games. This series is […]
Covid-19 vaccine | The European Commission and AstraZeneca reach an agreement
Simont Braun is pleased to announce that the European Commission (EC) and AstraZeneca have reached an agreement that will secure the delivery of the remaining COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Member States. This agreement also ends the pending litigation before the Brussels Court of First Instance, where Simont Braun represented the EC. Simont Braun assisted […]
The Belgian Google Case | Part 2
In a previous article (available here), we have highlighted the decision of the Belgian Data Protection Authority (hereafter: “BDPA”) of 14 July 2020 where it imposed a fine of 600k to Google Belgium SA. The case was interesting for its private international law aspects. The BDPA had decided to fine the Belgian subsidiary of Google […]
La tierce décision obligatoire : quand y faire appel ?
Les modes alternatifs de règlements des conflits (“MARC”) ont gagné du terrain depuis quelques années. Tant les entreprises que les justiciables préfèrent une justice plus rapide, efficace et à moindre coût. En janvier 2021, le Barreau de Bruxelles a mis la tierce décision obligatoire (“TDO”) à l’honneur en la consacrant dans son règlement déontologique. Le […]
Bad faith trademark registration: what about pre-existing relations?
The “Earnest Sewn” Case A (former) distributor who files an identical or similar EU trademark to foreign trademarks or protected signs, is in a more uncomfortable position when defending a registration in bad faith claim than a random third party. When there are indications of a pre-existing relationship between the parties (e.g. where the applicant […]
Illegal uploads – CJEU’s landmark ruling for the platform economy
On 22 June 2021, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) issued a ruling on the liability of platform operators with regard to illegal uploads of copyrighted content by their users. In this much-awaited decision (available here), the CJEU confirmed to a large extent the opinion of its Advocate […]
Climate change litigation in Belgium is on the march
On 17 June 2021, the Brussels Court of First Instance ruled that the Belgian federal and regional governments failed to meet their climate obligations. The Court found that the non-profit organisation “Klimaatzaak – Affaire Climat” and the 58,000 citizens it represents have a “direct and personal interest” in the action. Despite Belgium’s federal structure, the […]