Recent Articles

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  22.03.2023

  Croatia

  Work­ing for a UK em­ploy­er: Croa­tian work­ers fa­cing a dif­fi­cult de­cision: a high­er salary now or a pen­sion to­mor­row?

  Brexit has resulted in significant changes to contribution requirements, registration, and payment obligations for Croatian citizens employed by UK-based employers. The regulation on the coordination of social security systems applies to employment with EU member countries, the European Economic Area, and Switzerland. Croatian legislation applies to workers living in Croatia and employed by UK-based employers, and such individuals are required to make contributions to pension and health insurance in Croatia while being entitled to receive benefits from the Croatian pension and health systems. The...

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  22.03.2023

  Europe

  European Pat­ent Of­fice (EPO) level of dis­clos­ure re­quired for an­ti­bod­ies - first med­ic­al use

  As a complement to the 10th edition of the EPO "Case Law of the Boards of Appeal" (CLB), the EPO has published an Annual Review containing summaries of decisions from 2022. The review provides a thematic overview of selected decisions of the Boards of Appeal published in 2022. There are a number of notable decisions in the summary, although it has been a somewhat quiet year for significant decisions in the antibody area.  Most decisions in this technical area consolidate what is now fairly settled practice at the EPO for antibody cases, where inventive step continues to be a major challenge....

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  22.03.2023

  United Kingdom

  A glob­al move to­wards ban­ning em­ploy­ment con­tract non-com­pete clauses? Re­con­sid­er­ing busi­ness pro­tec­tion op­tions

  What does the future hold for businesses looking to retain lawfully their market positions and prevent unfair competition from ex-employees, shareholders and other stakeholders? Recent developments in the US, as well as potential changes mooted in the UK, may fundamentally alter the way that organisations can impose contractual restrictions on those who hold valuable confidential information and influence. In this article we look at some of the upcoming potential changes and discuss other ways that businesses may need to shore up their business protection practices in the coming years.What’s...

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  22.03.2023

  Europe

  Is a pa­tient in a clin­ic­al tri­al con­sidered to be a mem­ber of the pub­lic in the con­text of nov­elty pri­or art?

  In T 0670/20, the question was whether the internal structure of medicinal tablets had been made available to the public by patients taking part in clinical trials involving administration of the tablets. The Appeal Board found that the patients participating in the trial had entered into a special relationship with the investigators of the trials and were not free to dispose of the tablets. Accordingly, the patients were not members of the public for novelty purposes.However, the Board acknowledged that the patients were not under a duty of confidence with respect to their participation to the...

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  22.03.2023

  Belgium

  Bel­gian Com­pet­i­tion Au­thor­ity pub­lishes amicus curi­ae on ab­uses of dom­in­ance and of eco­nom­ic de­pend­ency in the tele­health sec­tor

  On 20 March 2023, the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) published the amicus curiae rendered in an injunction action brought before the Business Court of Brussels by Tunstall against Victrix in the telehealth sector. Based on BCA’s amicus curae and the facts at hand, in July 2022 the Business Court rejected the claim of abuse of dominance due to the absence of Tunstall’s dominant position, but ruled that Tunstall was abusing the position of economic dependence of Victrix and Télé-Secours.Tunstall supplies telecare software to call centres such as Télé-Secours,...

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  20.03.2023

  Luxembourg

  Vote du pro­jet de loi in­troduis­ant un dis­pos­i­tif re­latif à la pro­tec­tion contre le har­cèle­ment mor­al au trav­ail : quid de l’im­pact sur les em­ployeurs ?

  En date du 9 mars 2023, la Chambre des Députés a adopté le projet de loi portant modification du Code du travail en vue d’introduire un dispositif relatif à la protection contre le harcèlement moral au travail (ci-après le « Projet de Loi ») déposé en date du 23 juillet 2021. La date d’entrée en vigueur n’a pas encore été communiquée, mais celle-ci devrait être imminente.Le Projet de Loi introduit un nouveau Chapitre VI intitulé « Harcèlement...

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