ECJ: Storing Cookies Requires User’s Active Consent
On 1 October 2019, the European Court of Justice (the “ECJ”) handed down its long-awaited preliminary ruling on the meaning of consent regarding cookies following a request from the German Federal Court of Justice during a case between the Federation of Consumer Organisations and the lottery services provider Planet49 GmbH (Case C673/201, Planet49 GmbH v. Bundersverband der Verbraucherzentralen und Verbraucherverbaende – Verbraucherzentrale Bunderverband e.V). In a nutshell, Planet49 GmbH operated an online lottery scheme which (i) asked via a pre-ticked box for user’s consent for placing web analytics cookies and (ii) required users to provide mandatorily their consent to receiving marketing emails by third parties as a precondition for their participation in the lottery.
Tax Reform to Affect Serbian IT Industry
On 23 September 2019, the Serbian Prime Minister announced a reform of the taxation of self-employed sole entrepreneurs. The new rules are supposed to become effective as of 1 January 2020. If enacted in the present form, they will affect sole entrepreneurs who are engaged in service contracts exclusively with one employer. The largest effect will be on the IT industry.
National Operating Broadband Plan
National Operating Broadband Plan (April 2019) includes completion of several targets.
The Google Cases Sequel of the European Commission
Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm analysed the reasons for the European Commission to fine Google a total of EUR 8.25 billion for abuse of dominant position in the respective Google shopping, Google Android and Google AdSense (online advertising) cases.
BDK Advokati at Tarabica IT conference
Partner Bogdan Ivanisevic and senior associate Milica Basta represented BDK Advokati at this year’s edition of Tarabica IT conference, held on 25 May in Belgrade. The event is traditionally dedicated to topics relevant to the IT industry and as such, it mainly gathers IT professionals from major Serbian companies and institutions.
Three SEE Legal Members Advise Link Mobility Group AS (Norway) on the Acquisition of Teracomm
Europe’s leading and fastest growing provider of B2C messaging services is expecting competition clearance in Bulgaria in order to proceed to the acquisition of South-Eastern European mobile messaging activities, currently owned by Allterco (a Bulgarian listed company) and operated under the brand “Teracomm”. Teracomm is among the leading providers of B2C messaging services in the region, offering sound technical solutions to respond to the business needs of its clients and partners.
Software Group to Obtain an Investment Loan from the European Investment Bank
The global technology company Software Group signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank to obtain an investment loan of EUR 18 million. The European Investment Bank chose Bulgaria to fund a project with money from the European Strategic Investment Fund. Funding will be used in two areas - R&D and Innovation, Business Development and Marketing. Over the next three years, the company will focus on developing new technologies, platforms and products in the field of insurance, factoring and Internet of Things (IoT).
BDK Advokati about Tension between AI and Data Protection
Marko Popovic, associate at BDK Advokati, spoke at the Winter Vivaldi CFO & Legal Forum, organised by Mokra Gora School of Management at Mecavnik, western Serbia, on 30 November 2018. The forum attracted more than 60 participants, mostly CEOs and CFOs of a host of Serbian companies and start-ups alongside software developers, lawyers, accountants, and other professionals. The main topic of the forum was Conducting Business without People – Financial and Legal Consequences.
Together with four other lawyers coming from Serbia’s leading law firms, Marko participated at the panel on the EU…
NNDKP at IP and Interactive Entertainment Conference
Between 24-25 October 2018 NNDKP was at the IP in the Digital Economy for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Conference IP and Interactive Entertainment, organised by the The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in cooperation with the Romanian Copyright Office (ORDA) and the Romanian Patent Office (OSIM) in Bucharest.
Cosmina Simion was invited as a speaker in the panel “Romanian Game Developers: Ownership of Intellectual Property and the Rise of Independent Video Game Studios” and delivered a presentation on the topic “When gambling and games collide”.
BDK Advises the Shareholders of Frame on the Sale to Nutanix
US-based Nutanix has signed definitive agreements to buy US-based company Mainframe2 Inc, known as Frame. SEE Legal's Serbian member, BDK Advokati, is proud to have been a part of the legal team led by Orrick that advised Frame on this deal.
Frame is a cloud-based Windows desktop and application delivery leader, founded in 2012 in US by Serbian entrepreneur Nikola Bozinovic. The company has a subsidiary in Serbia with locations in Niš and Belgrade. Nutanix is a cloud computing software company that went public in 2016 and is valued today at USD 9 billion. The combination will allow the companies…
The 10th edition of the Balkan Legal Forum in Vienna – A Tremendous Success
The 10th edition of the Forum (14th – 15th June, Park Hyatt), titled The Future of Law: Technology and Legal Services in South East Europe: 2018-2028, was held with great interest among over 150 delegates and speakers from 30 countries from five continents including, beside the European countries, Jamaica, USA, Singapore and Australia.
BOYANOV & Co. Advised Vivacom
BOYANOV & Co.’s finance team, led by Partner Damian Simeonov and Senior Associate Ralitsa Nedkova and Freshfields’ Vienna-based English law finance team, led by Blair Day advised Vivacom, a leading Bulgarian telecommunications business, on the successful refinancing of its EUR 400m senior secured notes. The refinancing involved EUR 345m of debt from a syndicate of more than a dozen financial institutions, granted on more favourable terms. For more information, please see the press release of Vivacom by clicking here.
