News

The fourteenth Competition Law Congress in the beautiful interiors of Warsaw’s Polonia Hotel is behind us. Topics varied greatly – from analyses of why and what penalties are imposed by the OCCP, to discussions of new trends – the liability of a parent company for the actions of a subsidiary, and whether artificial intelligence can create cartels. Attorney Sroczynski tried to tackle the task of presenting the main principles on which the new EU vertical regulation is based. The discussion included whether the Polish Vertical Regulation, which expires in 2023, should be replaced by a new piece of legislation? If so, how should it be structured? We are becoming more and more convinced of the idea that such a legal act should contain only one sentence, namely, that the OCCP’s assessment of vertical agreements will be carried out on the basis of the principles set forth in the EU regulation. That’s all and that’s all. We would like to thank the Participants for their presence and discussions, the Colleagues for interesting papers, and Ms. Editor Renata Grzeszczak for creating an excellent atmosphere for the meeting.

How to get a feel for IP? A workshop on copyright law was held for the staff of the Main Library of the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow on November 16 and 30, 2022. Attorney Marcin Mioduszewski – legal counsel led a lecture covering issues related to copyright law for artistic achievements and publication achievements. We would like to thank the Organizers and Participants of both meetings. To present copyright law in the beautiful edifice of the Academy of Fine Arts Main Library in front of such an exceptional group is a great honor for our team.

It was an eminently “timely” conference. The current questions kept coming up: what’s next for the energy industry, will we have electricity and gas, how much will we pay, when will the crisis end? The panel of Attorney Sroczynski included a discussion of new technologies – in the context of competition, technology and the regulatory environment. Is the future nuclear and hydrogen, or maybe ammonia? The prevailing view (fortunately) is that the crisis should intensify competitive efforts, not be an excuse for command-and-control solutions. Thank you very much to the panelists for the discussion, and to the organizers for the invitation – especially to Professor Marzena Czarnecka and Dr. Marcin Kraśniewski. Of course, also Ms. Elżbieta Sługocka-Krupa, President, for moderating the panel with inspiring questions.

Alumni Thanksgiving 2022 at the Brussels office of Cleary Gottlieb. An occasion to meet and reminisce. It was there almost 30 years ago that I began to learn the legal-practice profession (still at Loi 23). The office at Loi 57 fresh from a general remodeling, the effect is amazing. The “New York” meeting room (and table!) so huge that you can make a parliamentary session there. Atmospheric artwork, including an installation made by Fred Eerdekens, that reminds us that “sometimes you see something hardly visible that will change your days and nights.” Thank you Cleary Gottlieb Brussels for the invitation, the tour of the art collection and the wonderful atmosphere!

We are proud to admit that our law firm has been servicing the music and film industry for years and, more recently, supporting the world of football. “This Is The Moment” co-written by MaRina and Wojciech Szczęsny is the anthem of the Polish National Football Team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar which kicked off on November 20, 2022. It is great to report that we have a legal contribution to this. To quote MaRina: “I intend through this piece and the promotional activities around it to remind people that this is a representation of guys who started from scratch, but believed in their dreams and worked hard to perform at the Championships, measuring themselves against the best teams and players in the world. That’s also what this piece is about – this will be their moment and let’s support them in this adventure until the end.” Link to “This Is The Moment” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me-TuIXDAKQ

We invite you to read another article by Dr. Michał Markiewicz on Rzeczpospolita. This time the author indicates how to react when someone registers a trademark infringing our rights. “Business. Legal Guide – Safe Company” is a fortnightly Tuesday special supplement aimed at entrepreneurs. Our regular column presents content related to securing the interests of entrepreneurs from the perspective of intellectual property rights. We invite you to read it! Full article available to Rzeczpospolita subscribers at the following link: https://www.rp.pl/biznes/art37451201-swoje-prawa-mozna-obronic

How to deal with the organization of musical performances without being a lawyer, check and negotiate the right contract and not have unpleasantness later? We would like to invite you to the next edition of the course “Workshops for Musicians: Legal Aspects of Concert Contracts” organized by Mec. Marcin Mioduszewski – legal counsel together with Music Studios – a project of the PMMI Foundation. Our course is three substantive workshops held online on the following dates: December 1, 2022, December 8, 2022, December 15, 2022, as well as an informational and introductory meeting, about which more soon…. We warmly invite all those interested in IP in the world of music! Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/3051580118321350/3051580124988016