newtech.law - legal aspects of new technologies

Work on the new Trade Secrets Directive is approaching the end. One of the most contro­versial provisions of the proposal concerns information obtained through reverse engineer­ing—examining a product to determine how it was made and how it works.

In computer games and apps, the use of images of nature, like mountain streams, does not raise doubts in terms of copyright. But the use of architectural structures, such as bridges, monuments or buildings, can be problematic, because they are generally regarded as “works” for copyright purposes.

Protection of possession of real estate against drones as a form of necessary defence is permissible only under exceptional circum­stances.

Controversies surrounding application of money-laundering regulations generate legal uncertainty for businesses operating in the field of digital currencies.

Several regulations setting maximum levels for interchange fees have entered the legal system recently. It is already clear that these regulations are having a major impact on the market, causing some enterprises to revise their business model. An interesting issue from the point of view of the law of new technologies is whether these regulations are technologically neutral, or apply only to a selected group of payment instruments.

Despite introduction of new commercialisation rules in 2014, there are still legal barriers to implementing projects.