Tech & Sourcing @ Morgan Lewis

It has become increasingly clear that improving cybersecurity will be a main focus, and important goal, of the Biden-Harris administration.

We recently issued a reminder of the September 1 effective date of China’s new Data Security Law (DSL) and its potential impact on all business operators in China, including multinational corporations. But the DSL is not the only development from Chinese regulators that affects technology companies operating in the country, specifically ecommerce companies.

Welcome to the third post in our Spotlight series, where we talk with a leader in a particular field or emerging area of interest to technology and sourcing lawyers and professionals.

Draft law “On Activities of Foreign Companies in the Internet in the Territory of the Russian Federation,” introduced to the State Duma, a lower chamber of the Russian parliament, on May 21, 2021, aims to extend Russian jurisdiction to certain non-Russian internet businesses by requiring them to open local offices in Russia and to comply with orders of Roskomnadzor, a Russian internet and data privacy regulator. Failure to do so may result in restrictive measures limiting ability to work with Russian users and businesses.

Maryland enacted a state tax on digital advertising gross revenues on February 12, after overriding the governor’s veto. The passed law, which is the first of its kind in the United States, imposes “a tax on certain annual gross revenues derived from certain digital advertising services in the State” and requires those whose revenues will meet a revenue threshold to complete and file with the state comptroller a specific tax return to reflect such position. Failure to pay such taxes as required could result in interest owed on such unpaid taxes or criminal penalties for failing to file or falsely filing a return.

The United Kingdom’s Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) on March 10 announced in its 2021–2022 workplan that the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will join as a full member from April 1, 2021.

Welcome to the second post in our Spotlight series, where we talk with a leader in a particular field or emerging area of interest to technology and sourcing lawyers and professionals.

The European Commission (Commission) published the first draft of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on December 15 2020. Morgan Lewis previously reported on the anticipated DSA.

Traders selling goods, services, and/or digital content online to consumers in the United Kingdom and the European Union need to comply with laws requiring the provision of certain information as part of the sales process.

This month the European Commission (Commission) is expected to publish the Digital Services Act (DSA), a package of EU legislation intended to modernize the legal framework for digital services in the European Union. The Commission announced the DSA in January 2020 as part of its Shaping Europe’s Digital Future initiative.