Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation

Top News

Antitrust, Artificial Intelligence, Intellectual Property

October 29, 2026 | Chris May, Nick Robertson and Emma Whitford

Europe, North America

Meta’s global dust-up over scraping, AI showcases legal risks for platforms

Data Privacy and Security, Technology

October 29, 2026 | Patricia Figueiredo

Europe, Latin America, North America

Brazil’s Meta controversy raises wider, global questions about elections
A worker assembles an SUV at a car plant of Li Auto, a major Chinese EV maker, in Changzhou in eastern China's Jiangsu province.

Data Privacy and Security, Energy, Technology, Trade

October 29, 2026 | Bradley Dress

North America

US faces questions as Chinese EVs pressure global markets

Antitrust View More

New deputy chief of China's SAMR meets with platforms, auto and drug companies

October 30, 2026 | MLex Staff

Asia

Pan Xiaodong, the deputy chief newly assigned to oversee antitrust enforcement at China's market regulator, pledged stronger competition enforcement in talks with executives from the internet platform, automot... (more story)

Japan's Nikko receives corrective recommendation over payment cuts

October 30, 2026 | Genta Nakanishi

Asia

Japanese bolt manufacturer Nikko received a corrective recommendation Friday from Japan's competition watchdog for improperly reducing payments to 16 subcontractors. The privately held company has already paid... (more story)

Bunnings faces potential store closure, damages in Australian antitrust lawsuit

October 30, 2026 | Saloni Sinha

Oceania

Bunnings Group could face a bid to close its planned Queensland store shortly after opening if hardware rival Woodman Beenleigh succeeds in its misuse-of-market-power lawsuit. At a Federal Court hearing on Fri... (more story)

Artificial Intelligence View More

Japan's cyberattack surge fuels debate over tighter AI regulation, data-security rules

October 30, 2026 | Sachiko Sakamaki

Asia

A wave of cyberattacks exposing Japanese companies to compensation costs and damages claims is sharpening questions about whether the country needs stronger safeguards against misuse of artificial intelligence... (more story)

ChatGPT, Gemini make up most of Taiwan consumer AI use, regulator finds

October 30, 2026 | Yonnex Li

Asia

OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini capture more than 90 percent of Taiwan's consumer AI usage, but most users say they would switch tools if prices rose or quality declined, a new regulatory survey shows. Th... (more story)

Hyundai Motor Group finalizes plan to build hyperscale AI data center in South Korea

October 30, 2026

Asia

MLex Summary: Hyundai Motor Group said Friday that Hyundai Motor Co and four other group affiliates had decided to join the group’s project to build and operate a hyperscale artificial intelligence data center... (more story)

Mergers and Acquisitions View More

Lufthansa–ITA Airways, HD Hyundai–Lotte deals among Japan's merger clearances

October 30, 2026

Asia

MLex Summary: The Japan Fair Trade Commission on Friday published its quarterly list of merger clearances for July through September, including Deutsche Lufthansa’s acquisition of a 41 percent stake in Italian... (more story)

Philippines antitrust commission fines PEMHI, MGen over late merger reports

October 30, 2026

Asia

MLex Summary: The Philippine Competition Commission on Friday said it has fined Pilipinas Enterprise Management Holdings Inc. and MERALCO PowerGen Corp. 5.8 million pesos ($91,100) for repeatedly missing repor... (more story)

US, European in-depth merger probes rare but fast in 2026, Dechert says

October 29, 2026 | Ilana Kowarski

Europe, North America

The six significant European merger investigations completed so far in 2026 are an exceedingly low volume, according to a Dechert law firm quarterly report, and put the EU on pace for the lowest annual total m... (more story)

Data Privacy and Security View More

Malaysia targets early 2027 for introduction of AI governance bill

October 30, 2026 | James Konstantin Galvez

Asia

Malaysia expects to introduce its proposed AI Governance Bill in Parliament in early 2027, establishing the country's first cross-sector legal framework for managing risks associated with artificial intelligen... (more story)

New Zealand watchdog says Manage My Health breach should be 'major wake-up call'

October 30, 2026 | Sean Maguire

Oceania

New Zealand's privacy watchdog has concluded its inquiry into the 2025 Manage My Health data breach, saying the incident should serve as a warning to agencies about handling personal information. The final rep... (more story)

Indonesia's national data center hosts 69 low-risk government applications

October 30, 2026

Asia

MLex Summary: Indonesia's National Data Center had 69 government applications operating on its systems as of September 2026, with more than 490 government institutions using its services, the Ministry of Commu... (more story)

Intellectual Property View More

China's top court strengthens breeders' hand in plant-variety disputes

October 30, 2026 | MLex Staff

Asia

China’s top court is signaling a tougher stance on plant-variety infringement, easing rights holders’ evidentiary burden, applying punitive damages and tackling attempts to evade liability.

EU's AI training rules face test from Google cases, copyright overhaul

October 29, 2026 | Inbar Preiss

Europe

Three Google Gemini copyright cases could reshape EU rules on AI training as the European Commission considers new licensing, opt-out and payment requirements. The parallel court and legislative processes expo... (more story)

This week at the UPC: Oct. 23-29

October 29, 2026 | Giorgi Dvalishvili

Europe

This week the Unified Patent Court ordered SK Nexilis to pay €1.1 million in costs, including those of an undecided conditional revocation counterclaim. Preliminary injunctions targeted Dreame’s Mira Mop and P... (more story)

Financial Crime View More

Companies use false SEC filings in $130 million fraud scheme, US SEC alleges

October 29, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: The US Securities and Exchange Commission charged two foreign-operated, Colorado-incorporated entities for allegedly orchestrating a fraud scheme that used false SEC filings to boost confidence i... (more story)

Bank of America should face criminal US money laundering probe, Warren says

October 29, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: US Senator Elizabeth Warren, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, wrote to Attorney General Todd Blanche, calling on him to conduct a full criminal invest... (more story)

Smartmatic executives to get US hearing on discovery requests in bribery case

October 29, 2026

Asia, North America

MLex Summary: A US magistrate judge scheduled a hearing in December to address discovery requests from current and former Smartmatic executives who are fighting corruption charges related to an alleged bribery... (more story)

Financial Services View More

EU rules to ease derivative trading collateral open for feedback

October 29, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: The European Commission is seeking feedback on draft rules that would ease collateral requirements for derivatives trades when either trading party falls below a €8 billion activity threshold. Th... (more story)

EU simplification plans raise uncertainty over privacy duties for data sharing

October 29, 2026 | Júlia Tar

Europe

Providers of blockchain-based identity and document verification tools, including digital wallets, could face additional General Data Protection Regulation duties when sharing data about people they can't iden... (more story)

EU banks should face fewer green reporting requirements, banking authority says

October 29, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: EU banks should no longer have to report certain indicators on fees, commissions and trading-book activities under the bloc's green taxonomy rules, the European Banking Authority has told the Eur... (more story)

Trade View More

Cellulose ether imports from China, S.Korea registered by EU Commission

October 30, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: Imports of certain cellulose ethers from China and South Korea will face EU customs registration, allowing anti-dumping duties to be collected retroactively if the legal conditions are met. The E... (more story)

EU imposes duties of up to 48.1% on Chinese PET spunbond

October 30, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: The European Commission has imposed definitive anti-dumping duties of between 39.8 percent and 48.1 percent on Chinese PET spunbond. The duties take effect following an investigation prompted by ... (more story)

EU registers steel-rope imports from Turkey, India, Thailand

October 30, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: Imports of certain steel wire ropes and cables from Turkey, India and Thailand are set to face EU customs registration, allowing anti-dumping duties to be collected retroactively if the legal con... (more story)

State Aid View More

Japan's Rapidus, HCLTech open chip centers in India

October 27, 2026

Asia

MLex Summary: Japan's government-backed chipmaker Rapidus and Indian technology company HCLTech said on Monday that they have opened two semiconductor development centers in Bengaluru and Hubli, India, to supp... (more story)

Greek newspaper Dimokratia sees EU Court referral decision published

October 26, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: The Greek Council of State has released the public version of its decision in August to refer to the EU top court a dispute between the Greek state and the newspaper Dimokratia. The dispute regar... (more story)

Iberian power-price aid approval survives Spanish manufacturers’ EU appeal

October 22, 2026 | Lewis Crofts and Anna Lauwereys

Europe

Five Spanish industrial manufacturers saw their challenge of a state aid measure for power prices dismissed at the EU top court on Thursday. PGI Spain, Berry Superfos Pamplona, Promens Packaging, RPC Envases a... (more story)

Energy View More

Commission electricity reforms face legal, political pushback from EU governments

October 29, 2026 | Louis de Briant

Europe

Proposed EU requirements preventing electricity from being taxed more heavily than gas faced government opposition Thursday, with several countries arguing that the measures require unanimous approval under a ... (more story)

EU ministers debate grid-tariff powers, discuss renewable energy targets

October 29, 2026 | Louis de Briant

Europe

National regulators should not act in isolation, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said Thursday, defending proposed powers over electricity network charges as governments seek greater national discretion. ... (more story)

Australia, NZ deals put EU trade and climate pledges under scrutiny

October 29, 2026 | Cynthia Kroet

Europe, Oceania

Climate commitments are putting pressure on the EU’s trade agenda from opposite directions. Australian opposition politicians want assurances against potential climate-related trade penalties, while an environ... (more story)

Technology View More

Parents urge US judge to reject Roblox arbitration bid in child-safety case

October 29, 2026 | Maria Dinzeo and Mike Swift

North America

A group of parents are trying to convince a US federal judge not to send their claims against Roblox over child safety failures to arbitration, arguing in court on Thursday that the mass arbitration framework ... (more story)

DC AG seeks TikTok CEO’s testimony about child sexual exploitation issues with Live

October 29, 2026 | Madeline Hughes

North America

The Washington DC Attorney General’s Office and others are seeking to depose TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about his knowledge of potential child sexual exploitation issues that have arisen from TikTok Live.

Penske Media, Chegg appeal dismissal of US antitrust claims against Google

October 29, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: Penske Media and Chegg have appealed an order granting Google's motion to dismiss their antitrust claims to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. Penske and Chegg accuse Google of using its... (more story)