The internal whistleblowing system must be adapted to comply with the Law designed to improve the protection of whistleblowers that will come into force on September 1, 2022

Claire Filliatre, Esq.

In order to strengthen the protection of whistleblowers and prevent the risks of retaliation measures within their company, Law No. 2016-1691 of December 9, 2016 on transparency, the fight against corruption and the modernization of economic life requires companies with more than 50 employees to set up an internal whistleblowing system.

Law No. 2022-401 of March 21, 2022 designed to improve the protection of whistleblowers requires companies to update their internal whistleblowing system.

Employers will be entitled to pay their employees a purchasing power bonus

Fabien Pomart, Esq., and Matthieu Blaschczyk, Esq. 

The “Protection of purchasing power” draft Bill dated June 27, 2022 reforms the so-called Macron bonus implemented in 2018.

As from August 1, 2022, companies will be entitled to to pay their employees an annual purchasing power bonus exempt from income tax and social security contributions under certain conditions.

An infographic with all relevant details is available on our website.

On your (automotive) (trade)marks, get set, go!

Sandrine Petoin, Esq.

Citroën can count on its chevrons, protected as a figurative trademark and confirmed as having a distinctive character by the Paris Court of Appeals in late 2021 and the EUIPO in April 2022, to block new competitor Polestar. Based in Sweden and car preparer for Volvo company, Polestar was unable to enter the French market of car manufacturers.

Insights on a two-stage legal battle and the distinctive signs that car manufacturers can use to protect their position and the related investments.

Environmental crime in figures

Laure Marolleau, Esq.

The French Ministerial Statistical Department for Internal Security has published, for the first time, a study on environmental damages.

The publication of these figures, which do not, however, cover all environmental crimes, is interesting.

What findings can be made?

International Perspective: The new European patent system

This month, we are pleased to feature a contribution entitled The new European patent system authored by Martin Levinsohn and Anja Siöstedt from the Swedish law firm Setterwalls.

On January 19, 2022, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place for the provisional application of the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) to begin. Preparations are now fully under way to recruit judges, implement case management systems and resolve other practical issues.

A realistic timeframe is that the Unified Patent Court (UPC) will be operational at the start of 2023.