Reputational harm on social media: court intervenes in RealityFBI gossip-channel dispute
A recent Rotterdam District Court judgment involving TikTok influencer Cha Chi Versaci and the popular gossip channel RealityFBI addressed how far publishers may go when reporting alleged wrongdoing on social media.
Part 1 – The Netherlands Commercial Court: what is the NCC and why was it established?
When can you use the Netherlands Commercial Court? Read about jurisdiction, written agreements and English-language litigation in the Netherlands.
Dutch Data Protection Authority: online shops often cannot require customers to create an account
Many online retailers recognise the dilemma: should you ask customers to create an account, or also let them check out without registering?
What does the new draft code of practice mean for transparency in AI-generated content?
Artificial intelligence offers opportunities for innovation, efficiency and growth. Those opportunities also bring responsibility. On 17 December 2025, the European Commission published the first draft of a new code of practice on transparency in AI-generated content. The code is an important step towards implementing Article 50 of the AI Act, which becomes applicable on 2 August 2026.
Registering a famous name as a trade mark: why George Orwell was refused
Many businesses want to register their business name, product name or even a person’s name as a trade mark. Understandably so: registration provides legal protection, grants exclusive rights and assists enforcement. But what if the public already knows the name, for example as that of a famous author? Can it be registered?
Julia van Leeuwen speaks on Legal Tech & Mental Health at the AIJA Half-Year Conference in Hamburg
In early December 2025, lawyer Julia van Leeuwen attended the Half-Year December Conference in Hamburg, organised by the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA).
Puma v Monshoe in the Dutch Supreme Court: no link, no confusion
Another substantial trade mark dispute concerning stripes on shoes has reached the Dutch Supreme Court. This time it was Puma, rather than Adidas, seeking to protect its distinctive design. Puma has registered its Formstrip for sports shoes and related products since the 1960s. When Dutch footwear business Monshoe launched women’s trainers bearing an elongated, curved stripe, Puma considered it too similar. On 7 November 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the outcome that Monshoe had not infringed Puma’s trade marks.
When does your product look too much like someone else’s? Lessons from Birkenstock v Scapino
Last week, the court in Utrecht delivered a detailed judgment in a dispute between Birkenstock and Scapino concerning several sandal designs. Although the case concerns footwear, its conclusions matter to any business involved in product design, lookalikes, private labels or product development in a competitive market.
This update explains the judgment’s principal findings and their relevance to businesses.
Getty Images v Stability AI: when is an AI model a copy?
The long-awaited judgment in Getty Images v Stability AI has arrived, largely in favour of the AI developer. The English court held that the image-generation model Stable Diffusion did not infringe copyright on the basis argued, despite having been trained on millions of images in which Getty holds rights.
New forms of exploitation, old contracts: the dispute over streaming income
Agreed terms cannot simply be reversed because success arrives, perhaps unexpectedly, or because changes in the music industry create new ways to exploit recordings.
