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  • Disputes and Procedures, Trademark law
  • Update  /
  • June 19, 2026

LEGO® vs. ‘concrete Lego bricks’ – Riding on the coattails of well-known brands

The LEGO Group takes action not only against counterfeit building bricks, but also against the (commercial) use of its word mark ‘LEGO’ outside the toy market. A recent substantive case before The Hague District Court centred on the fact that Boon Beton was offering concrete stacking blocks online using terms such as ‘Lego’, ‘concrete Lego bricks’ and ‘concrete Lego blocks’. The crux of the matter: LEGO is challenging, on the basis of its word mark, the way in which Boon Beton presents its products and makes them discoverable, in particular through the excessive and SEO-driven use of “LEGO/LEGO blocks” in web content.
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This update is written by:

Thomas Kriense
c
  • Contracts, Disputes and Procedures, International disputes
  • Update  /
  • June 11, 2026

Forum selection clauses: why a single sentence in your contract could save you thousands of euros

When drawing up a contract, attention is often focused on price agreements, delivery times and liability. This is understandable, as these are the issues that the parties usually negotiate. However, a clause that often appears at the bottom of the contract is regularly underestimated: the choice of forum clause. A choice of forum clause determines which court has jurisdiction to hear a dispute between the parties. This may seem like a minor detail, but in practice this provision can have significant consequences. A well-drafted choice of forum clause can prevent uncertainty, limit legal costs and ensure that a dispute is resolved more quickly. Conversely, the absence of a clear choice of forum can lead to protracted disputes over which court has jurisdiction.
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This update is written by:

Sascha Lang
c
  • Disputes and Procedures, Trademark law, Trademark registration
  • Update  /
  • June 9, 2026

When is a ‘red ball’ on the packaging a trademark (and when is it simply decoration)?

A striking red ‘ball’ on a package may be a powerful point of recognition for marketers, but in trade mark law this is by no means a given: the question is whether the average consumer actually perceives such a simple visual element as an indication of origin and not merely as packaging decoration. A recent ruling by the Benelux Court of Justice concerning a shiny red circle/sphere on dishwasher tablets illustrates just how strict that test can be and why market context and sector conventions carry significant weight in this regard. In this blog, I use that ruling to discuss when a sign is intrinsically distinctive, when it is not, and how an initially ‘decorative’ element can nevertheless obtain trade mark protection through acquired distinctiveness.
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This update is written by:

Thomas Kriense
c
  • AI, Artificial Intelligence, Technology
  • Update  /
  • May 26, 2026

Guldemond Advocaten x Recht in je Oor: two-day Claude Code Hackathon for legal professionals and solicitors

On 6 and 7 May, Guldemond Advocaten, in collaboration with Recht in je Oor, organised a Claude Code Hackathon for 60 lawyers and legal professionals. Over two evenings, with pizza, Mac minis and enthusiastic participants with a legal background, we immersed ourselves in the world of ‘vibe coding’.
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This update is written by:

Julia van Leeuwen
c
  • Data Act, Privacy law
  • Update  /
  • May 26, 2026

ACM publishes guidance on the Data Act: what do you need to do if you sell ‘smart’ products?

You have a product that not only works, but also measures. And not only measures, but also communicates: for example, with an app, with the cloud, via a platform. That is exactly the sort of product that many entrepreneurs are making money from today — and which the EU Data Act (Data Regulation) focuses on. The ACM has now published (provisional) guidance on this, intended to explain to companies offering a connected product or related service what they need to do.
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This update is written by:

Thomas Kriense
c
  • AI, Artificial Intelligence, Bar Association
  • Update  /
  • May 19, 2026

“Responsible use of AI in practice” – Advocatenblad

As a lawyer, how do you deal with AI-generated documents from clients? What are the implications of using AI for confidentiality and professional responsibility? And how can you use AI as a tool without relinquishing your own legal judgement? In the latest issue of *Advocatenblad*, our colleague Julia van Leeuwen, as a member of the NOvA’s AI & Digitalisation Project Group, discusses these issues, drawing on practical examples.
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This update is written by:

Julia van Leeuwen
c
  • Copyright, Portrait rights, Trademark law
  • Update  /
  • May 12, 2026

Dua Lipa vs. Samsung: what this copyright case reveals about the commercial use of visual material

The use of photographs, images of artists and famous faces in marketing campaigns may sometimes seem harmless. Yet a single image on a product’s packaging can lead to claims running into millions for copyright infringement, trademark infringement and unauthorised use of image rights. This is evident from the recent lawsuit brought by the famous singer Dua Lipa against Samsung.
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This update is written by:

Julia van Leeuwen
c
gezicht
  • AI, Contracts, Portrait rights
  • Update  /
  • April 15, 2026

Your face is worth money: the new multi-million-dollar deals surrounding AI and portrait rights

It sounds like science fiction, but it’s reality. TikTok star Khaby Lame recently struck a $975 million deal with a Hong Kong investment firm. The reason? They want to use his face. Not just for traditional adverts, but also to create an AI version of him. Welcome to the era in which your likeness has become a commodity.
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This update is written by:

Julia van Leeuwen
c
  • Corporate law, Enterprise Chamber, right to conduct an inquiry
  • Update  /
  • March 31, 2026

When does the Enterprise Chamber find mismanagement in the second phase of the inquiry procedure?

In corporate law, the inquiry procedure is an important tool for shareholders and other stakeholders to have the policy and conduct of a company reviewed. A key question in the second phase of this procedure is whether there has been mismanagement. On 13 March 2026, the Supreme Court clarified once again that this is not an automatic conclusion, even in the case of serious shortcomings in the decision-making process. This is a significant development for companies and shareholders. This blog explains what this ruling means in practice and how the Enterprise Chamber (OK) deals with remedial measures and the required interest in cases of mismanagement.
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This update is written by:

Julia van Leeuwen
c
  • Intellectual Property Law, Trademark law
  • Update  /
  • March 26, 2026

Trademark law and entrepreneurship: what the Katy Perry v Katie Perry case teaches us

For many businesses, a strong brand is one of their most important assets. But what happens if a well-known name has already been registered by someone else? The recent ruling in the Australian case between fashion designer Katie Perry and pop star Katy Perry demonstrates just how decisive trademark law can be. This blog explains what this case means for entrepreneurs and how you can avoid legal risks associated with trademark use.
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This update is written by:

Julia van Leeuwen
c
  • Contracts, Copyright, Music rights
  • Update  /
  • March 16, 2026

Streaming royalties and record deals: court rejects artist’s claim for 50% royalties

Discussions about the level of streaming royalties are becoming increasingly common in the music industry. Many artists signed record deals at a time when digital distribution was virtually non-existent. Now that streaming via platforms such as Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music has become the main source of income, the question regularly arises as to whether those old agreements are still appropriate. The Amsterdam District Court recently ruled on such a dispute between an artist and the record label Armada Music. The artist claimed that he was entitled to 50 per cent of the revenue from streaming his music. The court dismissed this claim. At the same time, the artist was successful on another point: he was permitted to terminate his record contract.
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This update is written by:

Julia van Leeuwen
c