Home
Insights
Talking Shop: Retail and Consumer Roundup April 2018

Talking Shop: Retail and Consumer Roundup April 2018

Welcome to your Retail & Consumer monthly news round-up. This newsletter focuses on key news and updates for retail and consumer-facing businesses around the world. At the end of the newsletter, you can also find details of some of our upcoming events, which we think might be of interest to you and your team.

Please get in touch, or visit our webpage for more information about Bird & Bird's Retail & Consumer Group.

In this newsletter:

Brexit
Data Protection
IP
Tax
Tech
Events and Activities

Brexit

Protecting design post-Brexit: some small steps in the right direction?

On 19 March 2018, the European Commission published an updated version of the "Draft Agreement" on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU. Amongst other areas, the Draft Agreement addresses intellectual property rights in Title IV, and design rights as part of that. With regard to design rights, a number of issues have been "agreed", although it should be kept in mind that nothing is binding unless and until a final Withdrawal Agreement is actually entered into by both the UK and EU.

How to Brexit-proof your boiler plate clauses

Brexit-proofing the boiler plate clauses in your commercial agreements is probably the last thing on your 'let's get ready for Brexit' to do list, yet just spending a few moments thinking about these aspects of your commercial arrangements could save you time and more importantly money in the long term.

Will your .eu domain name be revoked post-Brexit?

If you're a UK entity or resident and you are the holder of a .eu domain name, then the European Commission has news for you. In a recent Notice, the European Commission announced that, subject to any transitional arrangement, .eu domain names will no longer be available for UK residents and entities post-Brexit. Should this be the case, over 3,000 .eu domain names will potentially be affected.

Data Protection

GDPR for HR: an 8-step compliance guide for HR functions

With only a few weeks to go until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes directly applicable on 25 May 2018, many organisations are entering a crucial period as they seek to 'upgrade' their privacy and data protection standards to meet new and enhanced legal requirements.

IP

IP in the fashion industry: what to look out for in 2018

With new trends, technology, trials and tribulations on the horizon, we take a look at what this year might bring for IP in the fashion industry.

This article first appeared in the February 2018 edition of Intellectual Property Magazine.

Tax

Electronic registration of sales is introduced in the Czech Republic

Electronic registration of sales is a system of online communication between entrepreneurs and financial authority established in the Czech Republic by Act No. 112/2016 Coll., on Registration of Sales, as amended. Apart from the prevention of fiscal evasion and guaranteeing the tax revenue of the state, the electronic sales registration helps to restore fair competition among businesses. Moreover, business entities would not be burdened with random tax controls, and overall tax administration related to such controls would be reduced.

Tech

Personalisation in retail: what are the key legal issues?

The retail sector increasingly feels like the stereotypical crowded bazaar as traditional retailers and online-only players struggle for attention from fickle consumers. Even when a consumer has been tempted to view your wares, conversion rates continue to be a concern, and can be as low as 2% for online sales. This explains why creating a truly personalised shopping experience has become the holy grail for many retailers.