On Tuesday, July 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that it has finalized a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) to establish clear technical accessibility standards for state and local governments’ websites and mobile applications (“apps”). Although the text of the proposed rule
FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel Announces Proposed Voluntary Cybersecurity Labeling Program for Smart Devices
On July 18, 2023, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that she has circulated a proposal to the FCC’s commissioners to create “a voluntary cybersecurity labeling program that would provide consumers with clear information about the security of their Internet-enabled devices.”
EU Talking Life Sciences Audiocast: The UK’s Medicinal Product and Medical Device Reliance Routes
Tune into this episode of Covington’s Life Sciences Audiocast, where Grant Castle, Marie Doyle Rossi, and Ellie Handy discuss the UK’s recent announcement of new international reliance routes for medicinal products and medical devices. The speakers will discuss existing EU reliance procedures offered by the UK. They will then set out the
Sector Inquiries and the German new (and complicated) Competition Toolbox
Based on the 11th Amendment to the German Competition Act (Gesetz gegen Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen, “GWB”) that was passed by the German parliament (Bundestag) on 6 July 2023, the GWB will undergo significant reform (the “Reform”). Among other Reform amendments, attention has focused on the Federal Cartel Office’s (Bundeskartellamt, “FCO”) new powers in the context of sector
UK House of Lords Announces Inquiry into Large Language Models
On July 7, 2023, the UK House of Lords’ Communications and Digital Committee (the “Committee”) announced an inquiry into Large Language Models (“LLMs”), a type of generative AI used for a wide range of purposes, including producing text, code and translations. According to the Committee, they have launched the inquiry to understand “what needs to
NHS Data Partnerships Guide – unlocking the benefits of data partnerships
The NHS has issued guidance on effective data partnerships, this blog summarises key terms for parties looking to collaborate on data driven projects with the NHS.
European Commission Publishes New Strategy on Virtual Worlds
In a new strategy published on July 11, the European Commission has identified Web 4.0 and virtual worlds—often also referred to as the metaverse—as having the potential to transform the ways in which EU citizens live, work and interact. The EU’s strategy consists of ten action points addressing four themes drawn from the Digital Decade
EMA Releases Reflection Paper on AI/ML in the Medicinal Product Lifecycle
Hot on the heels of recent announcements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (see our prior blogs here), the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) has joined the conversation on the use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and Machine Learning (“ML”) technologies in the medicinal product lifecycle.
AI and ML have the potential to enhance every
U.S. Antitrust Agencies Propose Major Changes to Merger Guidelines
On July 19, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (collectively, “the Agencies”) issued a new set of merger guidelines in draft form for public comment (the “Draft Guidelines”). The Draft Guidelines, if adopted, will replace the Horizontal Merger Guidelines issued in 2010 and the Vertical
SEC to Consider Cyber Rules Next Week
According to a recently-released meeting agenda, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) upcoming July 26, 2023 meeting will include consideration of adopting rules to enhance disclosures regarding cybersecurity risk management, governance, and incidents by publicly traded companies.
The SEC initially proposed these rules in March 2022. If adopted as proposed, the new rules would