Produits défectueux | Le titulaire d’une marque est responsable du produit revêtu de sa marque
La personne qui appose sur un produit son nom, sa marque ou un autre signe distinctif donne l’impression d’être impliquée dans la fabrication du produit. Par son arrêt du 7 juillet 2022 dans l’affaire « Philips » (C-264/21), la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne décide que l’utilisation de ces signes distinctifs permet d’engager la responsabilité du […]
Simont Braun welcomes Ann Frédérique Belle as a partner in its Supreme Court department.
Simont Braun is delighted to announce the appointment of Ann Frédérique Belle as a partner in its Supreme Court department. Ann Frédérique Belle is one of the twenty lawyers admitted to the Belgian Supreme Court bar. She has been a member of the Brussels bar since 1985. Over the years, Ann Frédérique has acquired extensive […]
Le nouveau Code civil
Un nouveau droit des obligations, ça se fête! Pour l’occasion, tout au long du printemps, Simont Braun a mis en avant 12 articles, 12 grandes nouveautés, 12 changements à venir. Bref, 12 chances de vous préparer à l’entrée en vigueur des nouvelles dispositions, prévue le 1er janvier 2023. Nous vous offrons ici un récapitulatif de […]
PropTechs | Comment se faire une place dans les marchés publics ?
Pouvez-vous nous présenter brièvement votre angle de services, et les possibilités d’aide que peut fournir votre cabinet, afin de soutenir l’implémentation de la proptech en Belgique? Simont Braun est un cabinet d’avocats belge indépendant offrant des services spécialisés dans tous les domaines du droit des affaires. Simont Braun a toujours été pionnier en Belgique en […]
Does Brussels I Regulation now bind arbitrators?
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”) decided that a judgement entered by a court of a Member State in the terms of an arbitral award can in principle be the basis for a refusal to recognize a later irreconcilable judgment of another Member State. However, this rule does not apply when […]
Illegal uploads | Copyright filters and freedom of expression
On 26 April 2022, the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) judged that Article 17 of Directive (EU) 2019/790 (“Digital Single Market” or “DSM”) is compatible with the right to freedom of expression and information. In this much-awaited decision (available here), the CJEU issued useful guidance on filtering tools […]
Belgium about to implement foreign direct investment screening mechanism
On 1 June 2022, the various governments of Belgium reached a cooperation agreement on developing a foreign direct investment screening mechanism. With the adoption of a screening mechanism, Belgium gives effect to Regulation (EU) 2019/452 establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the European Union. Scope of application of the screening […]
Ambiguity in insurance contracts may favour policyholders and insureds
It is common to complain about how puzzling insurance contracts can be. These are often long, complex, and use concepts known only to specialists. However, it is about as common to sign a difficult to read insurance contract as it is to click on “Accept all cookies” while visiting a website. Most of the time, […]
Supply and distribution agreements | Adapted competition rules as from 1 June!
The European Commission has adopted a new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (‘VBER’) accompanied by new Vertical Guidelines. This Regulation (EU/2022/720) enters into force on 1 June 2022. This revised VBER is accompanied by revised Vertical Guidelines, which provide guidance on the application of the rules and also help for self-assessment of the individual exemption of […]
BNPL solutions soon impacted by a new consumer credit directive?
BNPL providers, beware! A new consumer credit directive is on its way and could impact your business. For a few years, ‘buy now, pay later’ solutions (‘BNPL’) have been mushrooming, especially online. The concept is simple: consumers purchase a good or a service but pay for it later (in one or several instalments). Most BNPL […]
Insolvency | Back to the future with the Heiploeg ruling?
After having almost killed the Belgian judicial restructuring procedure by transfer under judicial supervision (see our previous news on the topic), the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”) may have brought it back to life with the long-awaited Heiploeg ruling. Below, we explain the milestones and key takeaways of this evolving procedure. We have also summarised […]
Hague System | International design protection is now available in China
Since 5 May 2022, companies and designers are able to obtain international design protection also in China. In parallel, Chinese residents are now able to seek international protection of their designs in all countries covered by the Hague System, and in particular the European Union as a whole. Upon its accession, China made a series […]