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Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation

Top News

Google & Meta icons on iPhone on table. IT web based data collection from users, privacy law in cyberspace concept

Data Privacy and Security

February 05, 2025 | Jenny Lee

Asia

Google, Meta take fight over digital-ad sanctions to South Korea's high court
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Data Privacy and Security

February 04, 2025 | Mike Swift

North America

DOGE access to US Bureau of Fiscal Service data violates Privacy Act, unions say
UK car insurance

Antitrust, DealRisk®, Mergers and Acquisitions

February 04, 2025 | Jon Menon

Europe

Aviva’s buyout of UK car insurer Direct Line must face regulatory mood music

Antitrust View More

Japan's antitrust regulator starts survey on freelance workers to detect violations

February 05, 2025 | Sachiko Sakamaki

Asia

Japanese companies outsourcing work to freelance workers will be the focus of a Japan Fair Trade Commission survey that will evaluate their compliance with a newly introduced freelance-worker protection law. U... (more story)

New Zealand ophthalmologists criticized over optometrist training refusal

February 05, 2025 | James Panichi

Oceania

In a dispute over who should perform certain types of laser eye surgery, New Zealand ophthalmologists have attracted an angry warning from the country’s antitrust watchdog, amid concerns over their apparent re... (more story)

Google engaged in self-preferencing in Australian adtech market: court documents

February 04, 2025 | Saloni Sinha

Oceania

Google contravened Australian competition law by engaging in conduct that resulted in online publishers receiving significantly lower revenue from the sale of their advertising space through various advertisin... (more story)

Artificial Intelligence View More

China issues payment-data security guidelines for facial recognition

February 05, 2025 | MLex Staff

Asia

China's cybersecurity standard-setting body has released guidelines detailing protection requirements to safeguard personal information in facial-recognition payment scenarios. The guidelines serve as a refere... (more story)

DeepSeek privacy and security concerns continue to mount in Australia

February 05, 2025 | James Panichi

Oceania

The banning of DeepSeek products, applications and web services from Australian government devices, coupled with concerns expressed by the country’s top privacy official, are pointing to a growing unease about... (more story)

Amid DeepSeek, South Korea calls on public-sector workers to be careful of AI

February 04, 2025 | Choonsik Yoo

Asia

The South Korean government issued an instruction this week calling for public-service employees across the country to exercise care when using generative AI services in their work, amid increasing concerns in... (more story)

Mergers and Acquisitions View More

Banco BPM files Anima deal for EU foreign-subsidy approval

February 05, 2025 | Andrew Boyce

Europe

Italian bank Banco BPM has sought EU foreign-subsidy approval for its plan to buy Italian asset manager Anima. The European Commission has set a March 11 deadline to decide on the deal, which has already been ... (more story)

Midea’s takeover of Teka open for comments in EU

February 05, 2025

Europe

MLex Summary: Parties interested in Chinese home-appliance maker Midea's plan to buy rival Teka now have 10 days to provide comments to the European Commission. The merger regulator has set a provisional March... (more story)

Honda, Nissan to announce future plans later following reports of integration-plan cancellation

February 05, 2025

Asia

MLex Summary: Following Japanese media report that Honda Motor and Nissan Motor have decided to cancel their business integration agreement, both companies, in separate statements, said that the news did not o... (more story)

Data Privacy and Security View More

Japan takes steps to regulate AI amid growing public concerns, global trends

February 04, 2025

Asia

MLex Summary: A Japanese government panel has finalized its proposals for new legislation to regulate artificial intelligence, amid rising public concerns about AI-mediated frauds and scams. Taking into accoun... (more story)

More details needed in NetChoice age verification law challenge, Mississippi argues

February 04, 2025 | Madeline Hughes

North America

NetChoice must specifically describe all the ways a Mississippi law requiring people verify their age to access websites — primarily social media websites — would violate the First Amendment, Mississippi Solic... (more story)

DeepSeek banned from Australian government devices, amid security concerns

February 04, 2025

Oceania

MLex Summary: Australian public officials have been ordered to remove all DeepSeek products, applications and web services from government systems and mobile devices, amid security concerns over the Chinese ar... (more story)

Intellectual Property View More

Unified Patent Court receives 700 cases since going live

February 05, 2025

Europe

MLex Summary: The Unified Patent Court has said that since it went live — in June 2023 — it has received 700 cases in the Court of First Instance. According to the end-January 2025 release of the UPC's monthly... (more story)

Shein shouldn't be allowed to sell its 'Dazy' brand in Australia, IP lawsuit says

February 04, 2025 | James Panichi

Oceania

Shein is locked in a trademark court battle with Australian apparel retailer The Iconic over the use of the brand name “Dazie,” with documents filed to a court in Sydney outlining a lawsuit seeking to shut dow... (more story)

JPO commissioner, Japanese housing equipment maker Lixil discuss IP strategy

February 04, 2025

Asia

MLex Summary: The Japan Patent Office, or JPO said its commissioner Yota Ono met with executives from Japanese housing equipment maker Lixil to discuss the company's intellectual property plans. The JPO commis... (more story)

Financial Crime View More

UK fraud agency to get multi-million-pounds advance to fund 'complex' probes

February 05, 2025 | Martin Coyle

Europe

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office is set to receive a 15-million-pounds cash ($18.8 million) injection from the government to fund its biggest probes, the third advance it has had over the last three years. The mo... (more story)

Seizure of USAID puts anti-corruption initiatives on the brink

February 04, 2025 | Samuel Rubenfeld

North America

An Elon Musk-led takeover of the lead US development aid agency could wreak havoc on global anti-corruption initiatives. By law, the president cannot abolish, move or consolidate USAID, but Musk and Trump admi... (more story)

US SEC’s `Crypto Mom’ asks for industry patience on regulatory framework

February 04, 2025 | Neil Roland

North America

US Securities and Exchange Commission member Hester Peirce, head of the agency’s cryptocurrency task force, asked for industry patience as her panel prepares to recommend a regulatory framework with anti-fraud protections.

Financial Services View More

Many EU banks lag in assessing physical risks of climate events, EBA told

February 05, 2025

Europe

MLex Summary: Several European banking regulators on the European Banking Authority's board of supervisors said the majority of banks in their jurisdictions haven't fully incorporated physical risks from clima... (more story)

US Fed terminates two enforcement actions against Wells Fargo

February 04, 2025

North America

MLex Summary: The US Federal Reserve announced that it is terminating two enforcement actions against Wells Fargo that were issued in 2011.

US senators introduce stablecoin framework legislation

February 04, 2025

North America

MLex Summary: US Senators Bill Hagerty, Tim Scott, Kirsten Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis introduced the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, legislation to establish a ... (more story)

Trade View More

Exporting producers see EU court overturn changes to rainbow trout tariffs

February 05, 2025

Europe

MLex Summary: The Aegean Exporters Association and other parties saw the EU's lower-tier court annul a 2022 European Commission regulation that lowered duties applicable to them that were set up to tackle unfa... (more story)

China's Mofcom extends antidumping measures on EU potato starch for third time

February 05, 2025

Asia

MLex Summary: China's Ministry of Commerce has announced its decision to extend antidumping duties on potato starch imported from the EU for an additional five years, effective Feb. 6, according to the ministr... (more story)

FCC announces new General Counsel Candeub, other staff additions

February 04, 2025

North America

The US Federal Communications Commission announced a series of staff additions under Chairman Brendan Carr, including naming new General Counsel Adam Candeub.

State Aid View More

Ryanair loses EU court challenge to renewed approval of aid for Portugal's TAP

February 05, 2025

Europe

MLex Summary: Ryanair today lost its legal challenge to renewed EU clearance for Portuguese rescue aid of up to 1.2 billion euros to its flag-carrier airline in light of the pandemic. In 2021, the EU General C... (more story)

Czech Post universal service compensation gets EU approval

February 03, 2025

Europe

MLex Summary: The Czech government has won approval for its plan to compensate Czech Post for its universal service mission for the period covering 2023 and 2024, the European Commission said today. The measur... (more story)

French aid for chemical recycling of plastic waste gets EU approval

February 03, 2025

Europe

MLex Summary: Companies in France will be eligible for direct grants to support the chemical recycling of plastic waste under a plan worth 500 million euros (around $520 million), which has been cleared under ... (more story)

Energy View More

EU industries need incentives to adopt cleantech and cut emissions, sector says

February 05, 2025

Europe

MLex Summary: The upcoming Clean Industrial Deal must provide incentives for EU industries to adopt cleantech to facilitate "their transition toward decarbonized, circular, and innovative business models," rep... (more story)

Contact Energy-Manawa Energy deal faces regulatory headwinds in New Zealand

February 05, 2025

Oceania

MLex Summary: Electricity wholesaler Contact Energy’s attempt to acquire a 100 percent stake in Manawa Energy could lead to a substantial lessening of competition in certain New Zealand electricity markets, th... (more story)

Trafigura’s Swiss conviction sends strong message, but appeal could bite back

February 04, 2025 | Martin Coyle

Europe

Switzerland has sent a strong message with the conviction of Trafigura and former senior executive Mike Wainwright on bribery charges, and the case piles increased pressure on commodities companies operating i... (more story)

Technology View More

Antitrust subcommittee chair Fitzgerald to prioritize efficiency, clarity

February 04, 2025 | Wesley Brown

North America

Efficiency and clarity are key points of focus for Republican Representative Scott Fitzgerald in his new role as chair of the House subcommittee on the administrative state, regulatory reform and antitrust, ac... (more story)

OnlyFans UK investigation into under-18s access dropped; response probe continues

February 04, 2025 | Frank Hersey

Europe

OnlyFans has seen two of the three strands to an investigation by the UK media regulator dropped. Last May, Ofcom began investigations into whether it was complying with duties to restrict materials to users u... (more story)

EU Digital Fairness Act consultations due in coming months, official says

February 04, 2025 | Júlia Tar

Europe

Public consultations on the planned EU Digital Fairness Act will take place in coming months, seeking input on key consumer protection issues in the digital space, a senior European Commission official said to... (more story)