Joris Deene
Obtaining a favorable verdict against a competitor can feel like a victory you want to shout from the rooftops. The temptation is to share this news with your clientele and business associates. However, this is ...
Can a duty of confidentiality permanently restrict your freedom of expression?
A settlement agreement, entered into to end a protracted conflict, often contains a strict confidentiality clause. But what if, years later, you still want to tell your story and invoke your freedom of...
Can a younger Union trademark ban an older, licensed product name?
You have been using a product name for your veterinary drug for years, approved by the competent authorities. Suddenly, a competitor with a more recent European trademark demands that you stop using your name. This...
May a webshop continue to send emails about my medical purchase?
A medical device purchase is often a private matter. Therefore, receiving follow-up emails that reveal the nature of your purchase may feel like an invasion of your privacy. The...
May my employer send a judgment with my name to all colleagues?
A workplace conflict fought out in court is tough enough. But what if your employer then emails the ruling, with your name and even your private address, to the entire staff...
Is the AI Act really risk-based?
The European AI Act is proposed as legislation with a risk-based approach: the higher the risk of an AI system, the stricter the rules. In theory, this sounds like a balanced and proportionate...
May a politician send me unsolicited election emails?
You open your mailbox and find an e-mail from a politician asking you to vote for him or her. You don't remember ever subscribing to his or her newsletter. Is this allowed? No, the unsolicited...
May a journalist share your personal data for a news article?
In the digital age, the protection of personal data is a fundamental right. However, what happens when this right clashes with the freedom of the press? A ruling by the Antwerp Court of Appeal from 12...
Who is responsible if your loyalty card violates the GDPR?
Creating a loyalty card by simply inserting your electronic identity card (eID) into a reader is convenient. But what exactly happens to your data? And who is responsible if this process causes the...
Can an adblocker violate a website's copyright?
Adblockers are an integral part of the Internet landscape, beloved by users but a thorn in the side of publishers dependent on ad revenue. The legal debate over this became...
Can a judge use AI to reach a verdict, and will you still have a fair trial?
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT raises fundamental questions within the courtroom. While AI can increase efficiency, its unregulated use by judges poses a direct...
Can a competitor have my trademark declared revoked due to non-use?
Yes, a competitor can seek revocation of your trademark for products or services for which you have not used the mark in a "normal" manner for a continuous period of five years. In a...
Can the Data Protection Authority set its own rules?
In a Dec. 18, 2025 ruling (No. 119/2025), the Constitutional Court tightened the limits of the Data Protection Authority's (GBA) regulatory autonomy. Although the GBA as an independent...
AI is taking over sports: are you legally prepared for tomorrow's game?
Artificial intelligence (AI) has definitely broken through in sports. We see it in the advanced data analysis that Liverpool FC uses to optimize corner kicks , in the AI-powered video systems that...
Is a company bound by an unreasonable B2B contract?
Many business owners face standard contracts imposed by a supplier or partner. You will recognize it: a "take it or leave it" proposal full of clauses that seem detrimental...
Complaint about cookies withdrawn: may you omit an 'reject all' button anyway?
Many Internet users are annoyed by cookie banners that make refusing tracking cookies unnecessarily difficult. The question, then, is whether a clear "refuse all" button is mandatory. The answer is ...
May you present new evidence to defend your patent after its application?
A competitor challenges the validity of your patent, claiming that your original patent application did not contain sufficient evidence. Can you still use data you collected only later to defend the invention....
Can an attorney apply the favorable copyright tax regime?
Can lawyers have a portion of their income tax-favorably taxed as copyright compensation? This question has occupied the legal and tax worlds for years. Yes, in theory legal writings ...
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