ICT Lawyer

Welcome to ICT Legal Guide

Your website on the legal world of technology, intellectual property rights, data protection law, artificial intelligence, media law, cybercrime, cybersecurity and so much more. In a world where technology and law are increasingly...

Joris Deene

08/05/2025

New

Read all posts

Labor Law

Is an employee allowed to prepare for a competing business activity while still employed?

Joris Deene

4 dagen ago

129 views

Advertising

Is the Belgian Advertising Code binding on advertisers and influencers?

No. The Belgian Advertising Code, which was launched by the Advertising Council on September 15, 2026, is a self-regulatory framework and not a law. In practice, it binds advertisers and influencers through the Jury for Ethical Practices regarding...

Joris Deene

2 weken ago

160 views

Cybersecurity

Should your company start preparing for the quantum computer now?

Joris Deene

2 weken ago

Privacy

Who will inherit your emails, photos, and crypto wallet? European model rules for digital inheritance

Anyone who wishes to manage a loved one’s emails, photos, social media accounts, and crypto wallet after their death will find that Belgian law currently lacks specific provisions on this matter. The Model Rules on Succession and Access to Digital...

Joris Deene

2 weken ago

187 views

Trademark law

Can a political party use a well-known brand to reinforce its message?

Joris Deene

3 weken ago

162 views

B2B

Can a judge reduce the termination fee specified in a franchise agreement?

Yes, but not under the rules governing liquidated damages. According to the Antwerp Court of Appeals, a stipulated termination fee is not a liquidated damage clause and is therefore not subject to the mitigation provisions of Article 1231 of the former Civil Code...

Joris Deene

3 weken ago

136 views

Can an AI model be trained on copyrighted texts without a license? The U.S. government takes a stand

In the United States, it is—at least according to the U.S. Department of Justice: training a language model on copyrighted texts is, according to the U.S. government, “fair use” in the...

Joris Deene

4 weken ago

176 views

Can a newspaper reproduce a Facebook post in its entirety as news?

Yes, but not necessarily. On September 3, 2026, the Court of Justice ruled that a short Facebook post can be a copyrighted work, and that Directive 2001/29 allows a member state to apply the exception...

Joris Deene

4 weken ago

162 views

Unauthorized payment transaction

Can the bank delay repayment following a phishing incident until the case has been resolved on its merits?

Joris Deene

1 maand ago

271 views

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Procedure

Will artificial intelligence eventually replace judges and lawyers?

No, and that shouldn't be allowed, says the First Advocate General at the Court of Cassation. On September 1, 2026, Michel Nolet de Brauwere devoted his opening address for the judicial year—the so-called "mercuriale"—entirely to...

Joris Deene

4 weken ago

226 views

Artificial Intelligence (AI)DSA

When does an AI chatbot legally become a search engine?

Joris Deene

1 maand ago

Cybersecurity

Is your government agency legally prepared for a cyberattack?

When hackers breached the City of Antwerp’s systems on the night of December 5–6, 2022, service counters, email systems, and even the Zorgbedrijf’s medication registry were down for weeks. Since then, the legal...

Joris Deene

1 maand ago

162 views

Crypto

Which law applies to your crypto assets?

Anyone involved in a dispute over bitcoins or other crypto-assets faces a question that traditional assets never raise: Under which national law does this asset actually fall? The short answer: a definitive...

Joris Deene

1 maand ago

167 views

Intellectual property Procedure

How does Belgium tackle illegal live streams of sports events?

Joris Deene

1 maand ago

164 views

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Procedure

What are the risks for someone who hides AI instructions in their court filings?

Anyone who hides invisible instructions for AI systems in a court document is committing a serious abuse of the legal process and risks sanctions, even if no judge or opposing party ever runs the document through an AI system...

Joris Deene

1 maand ago

187 views

Patent

When are you required to pay damages following an unjustified seizure related to counterfeiting?

Joris Deene

1 maand ago

B2C Contract Law

Can a streaming service exclude its subscribers' right of withdrawal?

No, not exactly. On July 9, 2026, the Court of Justice ruled in the Sky Österreich case (CJEU July 9, 2026, C-234/25) that a streaming subscription with a dynamic selection does not constitute a supply of digital content, but...

Joris Deene

1 maand ago

200 views

Is the bank liable for phishing if I passed on the codes myself?

Victims of phishing often get zero response from their banks when they ask for refunds. The bank then often relies on ‘gross negligence’ because the customer himself passed on codes ...

Joris Deene

10 maanden ago

1,562 views

ICT contracts

What is the ‘Cloud Sovereignty Framework?

The European Commission has published a new ‘Cloud Sovereignty Framework,’ a document that transforms a vague political term - ‘sovereignty’ - into a concrete, measurable...

Joris Deene

11 maanden ago

1,499 views

Unauthorized payment transaction

Does the bank have to reimburse the customer first in the event of a phishing attack, even in cases of gross negligence?

Joris Deene

4 maanden ago

1,033 views

Welcome to ICT Legal Guide

New

Is an employee allowed to prepare for a competing business activity while still employed?

Is the Belgian Advertising Code binding on advertisers and influencers?

Should your company start preparing for the quantum computer now?

Who will inherit your emails, photos, and crypto wallet? European model rules for digital inheritance

Can a political party use a well-known brand to reinforce its message?

Can a judge reduce the termination fee specified in a franchise agreement?

Can an AI model be trained on copyrighted texts without a license? The U.S. government takes a stand

Can a newspaper reproduce a Facebook post in its entirety as news?

Can the bank delay repayment following a phishing incident until the case has been resolved on its merits?

Will artificial intelligence eventually replace judges and lawyers?

When does an AI chatbot legally become a search engine?

Is your government agency legally prepared for a cyberattack?

Which law applies to your crypto assets?

How does Belgium tackle illegal live streams of sports events?

What are the risks for someone who hides AI instructions in their court filings?

When are you required to pay damages following an unjustified seizure related to counterfeiting?

Can a streaming service exclude its subscribers' right of withdrawal?

Most Read

Is the bank liable for phishing if I passed on the codes myself?

What is the ‘Cloud Sovereignty Framework?

Does the bank have to reimburse the customer first in the event of a phishing attack, even in cases of gross negligence?

ICT Legal Guide

Contact details

Where to find us

Disclaimers