By Greetje van Heezik | Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis | Lorenzo Fiorilli In its landmark judgment of 25 July 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union ("CJEU") confirmed that crops obtained by new mutagenesis plant-breeding techniques are subject to the strict conditions of the Directive on genetically modified organisms ("GMO Directive").  The new mutagenesis techniques make it possible to alter the genome of organisms without the insertion of foreign DNA in a directed way. These techniques can be used to develop seed varieties that are resistant...

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VULCAN VIEW - KEY EVENTS THIS WEEK: BREXIT May to seize control of Brexit negotiations as clock ticks downBritish Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that she will personally take charge of the UK’s Brexit negotiations, in a move that has been described as a “sidelining” of the new Brexit secretary Dominic Raab. The department for Exiting the EU will now be primarily focused on domestic preparations for the impending exit. Approximately 50 Brexit staff will be moved into the Cabinet Office,...

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In partnership with AltaClaro, RPJ Partner Mark H. Moore led a professional webcast discussing how to protect your company's computer software from intellectual property infringement under the U.S. Copyright Act. This free presentation is designed for lawyers and non-lawyers. You can watch the presentation HERE. Proprietary computer software developed by a company is often its most valuable asset. Protecting this key intellectual property from competitors requires planning prior to the existence of a dispute and effective advocacy once a dispute...

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The EACC, in partnership with the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI), wants to keep its members up to date with the latest developments in property taxes both in the USA and Europe. IPTI has put together a selection of brief reports from articles contained in IPTI Xtracts which can be found on its website (www.ipti.org). As far as Europe is concerned, this month’s report includes articles on France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. There is a separate IPTI report on the...

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By Ignacio E. Sanchez | Christine Daya Congress has released the final version of the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA) – a bill to modernize and strengthen the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to more effectively guard against the risk to US national security posed by certain types of foreign investments. FIRRMA is incorporated into the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act for FY19, which Congress expects to pass this week. The House and Senate passed...

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Currently studying? Want to learn more about a future career in corporate finance? We’re looking for women to help us build a better working world. The EY Corporate Finance Woman of the Year competition recognizes talented young women with the potential to have a fulfilling career in EY Transaction Advisory Services (TAS). EY TAS helps companies drive inclusive growth by focusing on their capital and transaction strategy through to execution. In an environment of unprecedented disruption we support the flow of capital across...

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By Elco van Groningen | Neil Pattie | Jordi Manrique People on the Canary Islands will get an even better view of the stars thanks to new astronomy-friendly street lighting from Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting. In Puerto de la Cruz, a city on the north coast of Tenerife, the company is installing smart LED street lights that can be dimmed remotely and which use special optics to reduce light spillage that could interfere with nearby observatories. "The project is an example...

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Last May 2018, the European Commission proposed to amend Regulation (EC) no. 469/2009 on complementary protection certificates (CPC). If adopted, such amendment will affect European patent rights in the pharmaceutical sector. More specifically, the Commission proposed the introduction of Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) to boost investment in the development and manufacture of biosimilars and generics (“the Proposal”). Medicinal products can be marketed in Europe after obtaining an authorization from the competent administrative authority (in Italy, AIFA). Since such authorization generally...

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By Melissa Manna | Ogletree Deakins Effective September 11, 2018, adjudicators for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will have the authority to deny any application or petition that is incomplete or lacks sufficient evidence without first issuing a request for evidence (RFE) or notice of intent to deny (NOID). The new guidelines are a reversal of the current policy, which requires that an RFE be issued unless there is “no possibility” that the deficiency can be remedied. Depending on the vigor with which it...

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By Steve Pasierb | President & CEO | The Toy Association Member concerns about IP infringement and resulting potential risks to toy safety via online platforms are real and mounting. We’ve been working alongside our IP Protection Committee with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Senate Finance Committee staff, and representatives from leading e-commerce platforms, like Alibaba and Amazon, to raise member concerns and explore solutions, with the goal of ensuring that only safe, compliant...

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