Tech & Sourcing @ Morgan Lewis

The Bank of England (Bank) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published their final report of discussions from the UK Artificial Intelligence Public-Private Forum on February 17. Over quarterly meetings and several workshops conducted since October 2020, the Bank and the FCA jointly facilitated dialogue between the public sector, the private sector, and academia in order to deepen their collective understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) and explore how to support the safe adoption of AI. This initiative was incorporated into the UK National AI Strategy.

The German Conference of DPAs (the DSK) has released new (legally non-binding) detailed Guidelines dated February 18, 2022 with respect to direct marketing in Germany.

The unfolding conflict in Eastern Europe is likely going to cause a wide-ranging impact to companies with business operations or personnel in the region. For technology and commercial contracting professionals, this means potential contract disputes, force majeure issues, business continuity implications, and cybersecurity concerns.

Rights holders are almost always looking for ways to monetize the intellectual property (IP) that they own or license. For owners of rights in popular logos; characters from TV shows, movies, or video games; or similar IP, one way to generate a revenue stream is to enter into merchandise license agreements.

In this edition of our Spotlight series, we welcome David Plotinsky to discuss key issues that technology lawyers and professionals should keep in mind regarding tech transactions, foreign investment, and review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

The Morgan Lewis M&A Academy continues on February 22 with the next presentation in “Track 2 | Getting the Deal Done – Specialists Matter” regarding key issues and considerations when companies are buying or selling technology assets. As technology and sourcing professionals, it is important to stay up to date on M&A market trends and deal issues relating to technology transfers.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have exploded in popularity over the past year. Use cases for NFTs have been growing as more industries are realizing the benefits they present. A report by blockchain specialist Chainalysis found that almost $41 billion was spent on NFTs in 2021—a number that is likely to continue growing.

Join us on Tuesday, February 22 as our Digital Innovation and Disruption Webinar Series continues with “A Focus on Outsourcing in Financial Services: Digital Transformation and Innovation.”

As technology and the use of the internet continue to evolve, lawmakers remain focused on setting a legal framework for businesses operating “online” in Russia. In 2021, the Russian regulatory landscape underwent significant changes, which will no doubt have an impact on how tech and media companies conduct their business in Russia.

On Tuesday, February 8, Morgan Lewis partner Doneld Shelkey and associates Christopher Archer, Oliver Bell, and Benjamin Klaber will discuss Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the legal issues they present as part of the Digital Disruption and Innovation webinar series.