30 Aug 2021

Instagram Reels vs TikTok – an IP perspective

The struggle for existing and new users between companies that develop applications is relentless as our lives have been practically moved to the Internet over the years.  It seems that the opposing sides do not choose the means anymore, so this is an IP perspective on Instagram Reels vs TikTok. Back in 2010, when Instagram was launched, social media (“SM”) networks were used to post personal content and maintain contacts, and Instagram focused on creating a photo-sharing platform.  As the popularity of SM networks increased, sales came into focus and advertising content became a widespread feature.  An SM network collects […]

Details
23 Aug 2021

Schrems, Facebook and Data Privacy

Why Schrems?  The EU’s trust in the processing of personal data seems to be shaken. With the famous case Maximillian Schrems v Facebook Ireland Limited pending before the Austrian Supreme Court (“Court“) for a while now, Maximillian Schrems requested the Court to refer four questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU“) concerning the lawful use of personal data of all Facebook users from the EU.   So, who is Maximilian Schrems? Maximillian Schrems is a law student from Austria and a personal data protection activist who has been extremely vocal about data protection before EU authorities. […]

Details
20 Aug 2021

(Un)limited possibilities for digital assets placement

We live in the era of digitalization.  Changes in technology inevitably affect our lives.  One such innovation in Serbia are digital assets, which can be virtual / cryptocurrencies or digital tokens.  Although the local legislation has only recently recognized this institute, an increasing number of companies that operate in Serbia now work in the sphere of cryptocurrencies.  The Digital Assets Act (the “Act”) provides options and opens many doors for the use of digital assets, primarily cryptocurrencies. Therefore, the question whether cryptocurrencies are our future or our present arises.  Opportunities for the use of cryptocurrencies are yet to be fully […]

Details
16 Aug 2021

No imposition of vaccination, raise the awareness of your employees, Ministry says

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our usual work habits changed completely.  From the well-established mechanism of going to the office, we moved to an armchair in our living room.  Are we now returning to work from business premises?  What are the conditions for us to return to the office?  What are employers allowed to do to implement occupational health protection measures and what are they not allowed to do?  All these issues have not yet been fully resolved, although it is evident that their resolution is becoming increasingly important day by day. For this reason, the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans’ […]

Details
13 Aug 2021

ESL: Football Saga Shifts to the Court(s)

In April, the Commercial Court of Madrid (“Court”) granted provisional measures forbidding FIFA and UEFA to adopt, any type of actions against the so-called European Super League (“ESL”) or against the teams and players participating in the newly proposed European football competition during the course of the main proceedings (Gecic Law has already given legal insight on this topic).  Before the measures, the ESL sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA officials calling for cooperation, but also warning that they had taken legal actions to prevent and nullify any efforts to block their project.   The Madrid Decision The Court […]

Details
11 Aug 2021

The Clash Between Brussels and Germany: The Battle for Legal Supremacy or Just a Procedural Quarrel?

The German Constitutional Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) have been at odds lately.  In June 2021, the European Commission brought infringement proceedings against Germany over an alleged breach of the principle of primacy of EU law by the German Federal Constitutional Court. Namely, the German Federal Constitutional Court has delivered a landmark decision that is precedent-setting and has tremendous repercussions for the question of the power dynamics between the European Union (“EU”) and a Member State.  Before getting into the nitty-gritty details of this legal conundrum, let us take a look at how things played […]

Details
09 Aug 2021

Hydrogen Economy – a New Hope for a Polluted World?

It is almost impossible to remain unfazed by the increasing detriments of global warming.  To make matters worse – the worst is yet to come, and we can only mitigate the unavoidable consequences.  To this end, the European Union (“EU”) has sought to develop a strategy for combating climate change and global warming.  The children of this effort are several significant legal acts. As part of the “Fit for 55” initiative, the EU wants to reduce net greenhouse emissions by 55% by 2030.  So, here’s where we get to the hydrogen economy. The global economy is currently based on hydrocarbons […]

Details
03 Aug 2021

Cryptocurrencies, digital currencies – changes in financial systems, or a whole new world?

Cryptocurrencies, digital currencies, electronic money… are the talk of the world.  A common question these days is what cryptocurrencies are and how they work.  This question now has a more recent addition – what are digital currencies?  Is digital currency a synonym for cryptocurrency?  If not, what is the difference?  If you are a fintech enthusiast, you may think that this is a great time to be alive.  But if you are not, it is perfectly ok to be confused, even a bit scared by the changes happening this fast.  The only thing we can do is to keep up […]

Details
26 Jul 2021

State Aid and Climate Change: The Challenges

Here we go again, fighting climate change.  This time, we are focusing on State aid and climate change, and discussing an important question – how green is State aid? Back in 2019, Europe ushered the European Green Deal.  The European Commission published a Communication on the European Green Deal in its tenacious efforts to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges.  This Communication is the EU’s attempt to work on the transition to a future where there will be no “bad emissions”, to put it plainly.  If we were to get more technical, to create a Europe with net-zero emissions […]

Details
22 Jul 2021

Internet of Things: A New Brainiac in the Hood

A phenomenon known as the Internet of Things (“IoT”), which has been at the forefront of the global tech changes, recently caught the European Commission’s (“Commission”) attention.  The Commission’s Preliminary Report and Q&A on this tech & business sector is a big step towards acknowledging IoT as a market of the future, while simultaneously pointing out some potential dangers of this groundbreaking technology. Internet of Things – a Brief Explanation Let’s imagine this situation: you are not only an ardent coffee drinker but also a sleepyhead.  Your alarm wakes you up at 7.00 am.  You have little precious time to […]

Details