On 12 September 2023, eight French members of parliament submitted a bill to the French National Assembly aimed at establishing a copyright framework for artificial intelligence[1].
The bill aims to regulate the creation and use of works of art generated by artificial intelligence (AI) systems by amending the French Intellectual Property Code to provide greater protection for the rights of artists and authors.
Women have a lot of times been the underdog in history. Women artists, for instance, are underrepresented in museums, and women philosophers have also only been researched since the 20th century. Hence, on International Women’s Day, it is good to reflect on an important, yet relatively unknown, female figure in history: Olympe de Gouges. Along with Mary Wollstonecraft, she was one of the leading feminists at the time of the French Revolution.
The daughter of a butcher and a servant, Marie Gouze married the much older Louis-Yves Aubry against her will at the age of 16. When he died soon after the birth of their first child, she refused to bear her husband’s name. She resolved never to marry again. She changed her name to Olympe de Gouges and left for Paris. There she told everyone that her father was the writer Jean-Jacques Lefranc, marquis de Pompignan. In the village she came from, this story had been going around for quite some time. As the daughter of a respected lawyer, her mother had had a lot of contact with Jean-Jacques Lefranc and was even going to marry him, were it not for the fact that Jean-Jacque Lefrancs’ family did not consider her a suitable candidate because she was not of nobility. Lefranc then left the village but returned just before De Gouges was born. Be that as it may, in Paris she could make good use of these rumours as an entry point to Paris’ elite. Read more
International Students Day celebrates its annual debut on 17 November. The reason for its introduction was the constant reminder of the student protests in Prague against the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939, which were, however, violently put down. Students Day has always served to recognise all the difficulties faced by students and young people around the world.
Compared to the wartime period, students today face different problems in shaping their future. The world of work is becoming more and more digital and international. Most (office) jobs can now be done easily and flexibly from home or other places on earth thanks to remote working, so that some colleagues never get to see each other in person.
However, the demands on junior staff have also changed. Now, good and versatile language skills (or at least good English), openness towards international partners and clients as well as stays abroad through work & travel or for at least one semester during their studies are required. During the legal clerkship in Germany, there is the possibility of completing the three-month elective station abroad. Read more
3rd Chamber of Paris Judicial Court’s verdict – Friday 8th of July 2022.
Sculpture-maker Daniel Druet made sculptures for artist Maurizio Cattelan’s artworks’ projects for over twenty years. Now, he wants to be recognized as sole author for eight artworks credited to Maurizio Cattelan.
The case was brought to the Paris Judicial Court.
Maurizio Cattelan – Him, 2001, wax, human hair, suit, polyester resin and pigment, 101 × 43.1 × 63.5 cm, photo: Christie’s
On 30 June 2022, we celebrate the annual World Social Media Day. The introduction of the holiday honours the impact of social media platforms on people’s global communication, and not without reason.
Today, almost everyone in the world uses internet platforms to connect and share with others – be it friends, family or even complete strangers we meet on the internet. Social media makes our everyday lives easier, but also open up previously unknown perspectives for the future with new career directions. Read more
On 26 April 2022, the ECJ ruled in Case C-401/19 that the disputed Art. 17(4)(b) and Art. 17(4)(c) last sentence of Directive (EU) 2019/790. c, last sentence, of Directive (EU) 2019/790, which regulates the use of so-called upload filters and which Poland sought to have annulled, does not violate the right to freedom of expression and information enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.
The Court pointed out in its decision that Internet platform providers must prove that they meet all the conditions for exemption provided for in Article 17(4) in order not to be held liable for uploads of unlawful content by users for which they do not have the permission of the right holders. Read more
On 26 April we celebrate the annual World Intellectual Property Day. The event was launched in 2000 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to “raise awareness of the impact of patents, copyrights, trademarks and designs on daily life” and to “celebrate the creativity and contribution of creators and innovators to the development of societies around the world”.
This year’s theme is “IP and Youth: Innovating for a better future”. Young people have high ambitions to work for a sustainable future. They are also the ones who keep innovating, but still need a lot of financial and social support to develop and protect their ideas and creations. Read more
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), celebrated annually on 6 April, is an opportunity to celebrate the positive role of sport and physical activity in communities and in the lives of people around the world.
Sport in all its forms is highly valued at the professional level or in everyday life, serves to fundamentally strengthen social bonds and promotes sustainable development and peace, as well as solidarity and respect for all. These values are passed on and fundamentally borne by athletes and spectators all over the world, especially at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
International Women’s Day is just around the corner. On 8th March of each year, women around the world are celebrated and paid tribute to the struggle and emancipation of women.
What is Women’s Day?
The holiday finds its roots in the early 20th century before the beginning of the First World War. At that time, women had been fighting for equal rights and emancipation of women and workers, as well as for equal voting rights for women in a male-dominated society. Read more
