Kelley Drye & Warren LLP (LexBlog France)

On July 10, USTR published a notice of action in the Section 301 investigation of France’s digital services tax announcing the imposition of additional 25 percent duties on certain products from France covering an estimated $1.3 billion of trade. The additional tariffs are effective January 6, 2021, pursuant to a 180-day suspension period. A comprehensive list of...

In July, France signed into law a tax, which targets companies with high digital revenues such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon.  On Monday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced the conclusion of an investigation into France’s digital tax under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (“Section 301”).  The USTR found...

On July 10, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced that his office will investigate under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (“Section 301”) whether France’s new digital tax law unfairly targets American businesses and restricts American commerce.  Section 301 affords the USTR broad authority to investigate and respond to unfair trade practices of...

In response to a long running dispute with the European Union (EU) over subsidies to Airbus, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has proposed additional tariffs on certain products of the EU covering approximately $11 billion in trade.  The proposed list covers 317 tariff subheadings and includes fish, cheese, olive oil, wine, leather handbags, textiles, wool...

On Monday, France’s Data Protection Agency announced that it levied a €50 million ($56.8 million) fine against Google for violating the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  The precedent-setting fine by the Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (“CNIL”) is the highest yet imposed since the new law took effect in May 2018....

In the world of food, 2017 promises to be a busy year across the European Union for regulators and regulated alike.  To the great disappointment of gourmands, farmers and producers, French foie gras exports remain blocked due to spread of avian influenza to wild ducks in France and detection of the H5N8 virus at a...

Over the course of the past two months, three privacy groups in France and one in Ireland filed separate actions for annulment with the European Court of Justice seeking the invalidation of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework. The Privacy Shield honeymoon phase appears to be over, and the first year of the transatlantic relationship may...

Shortly after Lance Armstrong admitted to doping during his seven Tour de France wins, a group of plaintiffs filed a class action against both Armstrong and FRS, the maker of over-the-counter energy products. The plaintiffs alleged that FRS and Armstrong, a former FRS endorser, had engaged in false advertising and breach of warranty when they promoted FRS products as Armstrong’s...

Atari, Inc., the creator of the primordial video game “Pong”, filed for Chapter 11 yesterday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Its parent company, Atari SA, simultaneously sought bankruptcy protection in France. The moves were precipitated by a cessation of funding from Atari SA’s largest shareholder and primary lender. According to issued...