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Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation

Top News

Antitrust

December 18, 2024 | Lewis Crofts

Europe

Apple must further open iPhone interoperability under EU ‘gatekeeper’ law
Senator Thom Tillis talks to reporters

Intellectual Property

December 18, 2024 | Nick Robertson

North America

Senate Judiciary debates eBay’s impact on patent law at hearing

Antitrust View More

Standards expert Ian Opperman appointed to head Australian digital ID body

December 19, 2024

Oceania

MLex Summary: The former chair of Australia’s Data Standards Body, Ian Opperman, has been appointed as the country’s new data standards chair for digital ID and Consumer Data Right for a two-year period, start... (more story)

Hong Kong antitrust, anti-graft regulators sign MOU to boost cooperation

December 19, 2024

Asia

MLex Summary: Hong Kong's Competition Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding with the city's anti-graft regulator to strengthen cooperation and exchanges between the two agencies. The MOU establis... (more story)

Wang Tiehan appointed as chief antitrust inspector at China's SAMR

December 18, 2024

Asia

MLex Summary: Wang Tiehan has officially assumed the role of Chief Antitrust Inspector at China's State Administration for Market Regulation, according to a recent update on the regulator's official website. W... (more story)

Artificial Intelligence View More

Report highlights gaps in data, IP protection among China's leading AI models

December 19, 2024 | MLex Staff

Asia

A recent report from a Chinese research center highlights deficiencies in the protection of personal information and intellectual property rights among China's leading domestic large artificial intelligence mo... (more story)

Philippine privacy regulator issues AI guidelines

December 19, 2024

Asia

MLex Summary: The Philippine privacy regulator has published guidelines on how the country’s Data Privacy Act applies to artificial-intelligence systems. It outlines the need to clearly inform data subjects of... (more story)

Global AI safety institutes actively seeking stronger cooperation: South Korea

December 19, 2024 | Choonsik Yoo

Asia

A recently established network of global AI safety institutes is actively discussing how to strengthen the network as a more efficient organization in order to help address common issues arising from the devel... (more story)

Mergers and Acquisitions View More

Australian review of Viterra-Cargill grain deal ends, as buyout called off

December 19, 2024

Oceania

MLex Summary: Viterra Operations’ move to acquire a mobile ship loader and various grain silos from Cargill Australia and AWB Grainflow has been aborted, prompting the competition watchdog to suspend its revie... (more story)

Japan's Toppan to acquires US Sonoco Products' packaging business for $1.8 billion

December 18, 2024

Asia, North America

MLex Summary:  Japan's leading printing company, Toppan Holdings, has announced an agreement with US-based Sonoco Products to acquire certain packaging businesses for approximately $1.8 billion. By acquiring ... (more story)

Tempur Sealy-Mattress Firm judge intends to rule on US FTC injunction bid by Jan. 30

December 18, 2024

North America

MLex Summary: The US federal judge overseeing the Federal Trade Commission's request for a preliminary injunction against the Tempur Sealy-Mattress Firm deal intends to issue an order by Jan. 30, 2025, accordi... (more story)

Data Privacy and Security View More

Australia's privacy watchdog announces appointment of key enforcement official

December 19, 2024

Oceania

MLex Summary: Australia’s privacy regulator has announced appointments to its enforcement and freedom-of-information divisions, in what it has described as “an organizational redesign.” The Office of the Austr... (more story)

Ryanair faces GDPR complaint by digital rights organization Noyb

December 19, 2024

Europe

MLex Summary: Ryanair is facing a second EU data protection complaint from an Austrian digital rights organization, over its practice of forcing customers to create accounts and undergo a mandatory verificatio... (more story)

Ryanair breaks EU privacy law with forced accounts, biometrics, Noyb argues

December 19, 2024 | Júlia Tar

Europe

Ryanair faces a GDPR complaint from Austrian campaign group Noyb over its mandatory account creation and verification process, which includes the use of biometric data. Ryanair is unlawfully pushing users to p... (more story)

Intellectual Property View More

Japan's newspaper association calls for IP-law reforms in AI era

December 19, 2024

Asia

MLex Summary: Japan’s news industry association called for intellectual property law reforms to better protect rights holders in the face of exponential growth and use of artificial intelligence. The Japan New... (more story)

China reports US cyberattacks on major tech firms for trade-secrets theft

December 18, 2024

Asia

MLex Summary: China has identified and countered two US cyberattacks targeting major Chinese tech firms, according to a statement from the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team/Coordinati... (more story)

Chinese copyright group urges balance in China's copyright-regulation overhaul

December 18, 2024 | MLex Staff

Asia

The ongoing revisions of two sets of Chinese regulations relating to copyright law should be structured to guarantee the protection of rights holders while supporting the development of artificial-intelligence... (more story)

Financial Crime View More

OECD corruption report on New Zealand is opportunity to improve, top official says

December 19, 2024

Oceania

MLex Summary: A review of New Zealand’s anti-corruption preparedness by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development offers “a valuable opportunity” to enhance the country’s existing framework, a ... (more story)

Argentina strengthened laws against money laundering, FATF says

December 18, 2024

Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North America, Oceania

MLex Summary: Argentina has strengthened its laws and processes on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, but it faces shortcomings in delivering effective outcomes apart from coopera... (more story)

Musical instruments producer settles US allegations of Iran sanctions violations

December 18, 2024

North America

MLex Summary: The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a settlement with Córdoba Music Group, a manufacturer of musical instruments based in California, after the company ... (more story)

Financial Services View More

US OCC issues order against USAA Federal Savings Bank

December 18, 2024

North America

MLex Summary: The US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency announced a comprehensive cease-and-desist order against USAA Federal Savings Bank to require the bank to correct a range of deficiencies. The ord... (more story)

WealthTek's Dance charged with fraud and money laundering over UK wealth manager's collapse

December 18, 2024 | Martin Coyle

Europe

WealthTek executive John Dance has been charged with nine criminal offenses, including fraud and money laundering, as part of a Financial Conduct Authority probe into the collapsed wealth manager. The action f... (more story)

European banks saw slight rise in return on equity in third quarter, EBA says

December 18, 2024

Europe

MLex Summary: European banks saw a slight increase in their return on equity in the third quarter of 2024 while the net interest margin slightly declined, according to the quarterly risk dashboard published to... (more story)

Trade View More

US battery producers petition for duty orders on Chinese active anode material

December 18, 2024

Asia, North America

MLex Summary: The American Active Anode Material Producers coalition petitioned the US Commerce Department and US International Trade Commission to impose antidumping and antisubsidy duty orders on active anod... (more story)

USTR announces three Mexican enforcement actions under USMCA

December 18, 2024

North America

MLex Summary: US Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced three new enforcement actions under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s Rapid Response Labor Mechanism against the Pirelli Neumaticos, Bader de Mexico... (more story)

California ban on polluting cars greenlighted by US EPA

December 18, 2024 | Stefano Porciello

North America

US carmakers will face clean car sales targets in standard-setter California after the Environmental Protection Agency formally allowed the state to mandate that all new vehicles be zero-emission by 2035. The ... (more story)

State Aid View More

German support for synthetic aviation fuel project wins EU approval

December 18, 2024

Europe

MLex Summary: Germany has secured EU approval to grant 350 million euros to Concrete Chemicals to produce synthetic aviation fuels. The European Commission said the support was in line with EU state aid rules ... (more story)

German-Dutch support plan for renewable fuels wins EU backing

December 18, 2024

Europe

MLex Summary: Germany and the Netherlands have won state aid approval for their plan to introduce a joint program worth 3 billion euros to support the production of renewable fuels of non-biological origin. Th... (more story)

French support for companies under Emissions Trading Scheme gets EU green light

December 18, 2024

Europe

MLex Summary: French plans to give up to 3 billion euros in state support over the next 15 years to companies subject to the EU Emission Trading Scheme has won EU approval. The European Commission said the Fre... (more story)

Energy View More

Australian regulator consults on supermarkets' cooperation for environmental cause

December 18, 2024

Oceania

MLex Summary: The Australian competition regulator is seeking public feedback on a proposal that would allow the country’s major supermarkets to collaborate on environmental initiatives. In a statement today, ... (more story)

New guide to clarify Australian competition law risks for sustainability collaborations

December 17, 2024

Oceania

MLex Summary: While many sustainability collaborations are lawful, businesses may require authorization when there is a potential risk of breaching competition laws, Australian regulator has said. In a stateme... (more story)

Don't water down sustainability reporting requirements, left-wing EU lawmakers say

December 17, 2024 | Jean Comte and Nicholas Hirst

Europe

Representatives of the social democrat group in the EU Parliament expressed "deep concerns" over an upcoming legal text announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which aims to simplify s... (more story)

Technology View More

Vietnam's new Data Law published by National Assembly

December 19, 2024

Asia

MLex Summary: Vietnam's recently passed Data Law has been published by the National Assembly, which applies to both domestic and foreign entities engaged in digital data activities in Vietnam. The law governs ... (more story)

Google seeking early class certification exit in California AI copyright litigation

December 18, 2024 | Mike Swift

North America

Google hopes to use class certification as an early exit ramp in copyright litigation accusing the company of illegally using copyrighted works to train its AI models, telling a judge in San Jose today that it... (more story)

Nvidia’s anticompetitive conduct, dominance should be probed, groups tell US state AGs

December 18, 2024

North America

MLex Summary: Nine advocacy groups have urged members of the antitrust subcommittee of the National Association of Attorneys General and 10 state attorneys general to initiate antitrust enforcement action aga... (more story)