Status Updates - 23 July 2014

On July 22, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) adopted a Third Report and Order and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (covered separately here) in which the Commission advances its ongoing efforts to secure the U.S.

California has enacted a groundbreaking AI disclosure law requiring advertisers to clearly identify when synthetic performers appear in their marketing materials. The legislation, set to take effect in 2027, includes a private right of enforcement that could potentially open the door to class action litigation against brands using AI-generated performers without proper disclosure.

On September 10, 2026, Governor Newsom signed SB 1119, known as Adam’s Law, substantially expanding California’s requirements for companion chatbots when used by children.

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted sweeping new restrictions targeting equipment containing components from entities on its Covered List, fundamentally reshaping how manufacturers, online marketplaces, and equipment modifiers must approach FCC compliance. These rules establish unprecedented prohibitions on logic-bearing hardware components, impose strict display requirements for e-commerce platforms, and clarify when existing authorizations can support equipment modifications.

California has enacted the nation's most comprehensive online child safety legislation, banning addictive social media features for minors under 16, establishing strict companion chatbot regulations, and imposing enhanced civil penalties for platforms that harm children. Companies operating social media platforms or chatbots accessible to California children must now assess their products, audit features, and prepare compliance programs ahead of the laws' effective dates.

FEMA and the FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on November 17, 2026, requiring participation from all radio and television stations, cable systems, and satellite services. EAS Participants must file three separate forms through the EAS Test Reporting System, with specific deadlines ranging from October 30, 2026, through January 2027. Certain translator and repeater stations are exempt from the registration and filing requirements.

On October 5, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published its revised Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction against Perplexity AI, determining that when an AI agent acts at a user's direction, it is the user—not the AI company—who "accesses" computer systems under federal and California computer fraud statutes. This landmark appellate decision addresses how existing computer-access laws apply to agentic artificial intelligence and has significant implications...

Generative AI is transforming litigation defense by enabling in-house legal teams to manage costs and complexity more effectively across the entire case lifecycle. From early research and drafting through expert witness strategy and trial preparation, AI tools are helping defense teams work faster and more consistently. How are these technologies reshaping the way sophisticated counsel approaches multidistrict litigation, mass torts, and large-scale document management?

On September 4, 2026 – the first day of the lowest unit charge (LUC) window for the November general election – the U.S. Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of the Fourth Circuit’s order in Brown v. FCC, thereby reinstating the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) Media Bureau’s March 2026 Public Notice on LUC for political party ads.

Designed for busy in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and anti-corruption lawyers, this newsletter summarizes some of the most important international anti-corruption law and enforcement...

On 30 September 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) circulated for public comment the Measures on the Administration of Data Security in the Industry and Information Technology Sector

On December 18, 2025, President Trump signed into law the BIOSECURE Act as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is the U.S. Congress's annual defense policy bill.

Japan is widely perceived as one of the least corrupt countries in the world. In 2020, Transparency International ranked Japan as the 19th least corrupt country out of 180 countries in...

A recent proposal issued by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, along with various other current private- and public-sector initiatives, signals a strong interest in promoting investment in and the growth...

On May 27, 2019, the Japanese government published amended rules[1] that aim to tighten the regulatory requirements applicable to foreign direct investment (tai nai chokusetsu toshi or FDI)

On June 30, 2017, the Wuhan Intermediate People's Court (the "Wuhan Court") issued a decision recognizing and enforcing a civil money judgment issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court arising out of...

The new Enterprise Bankruptcy Law of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) (Bankruptcy Law) was adopted on August 27, 2006 and will take effect on June 1, 2007, superseding the 1986-enacted Enterprise Bankruptcy Law (Trial) 1986, governing the bankruptcy of State-owned Enterprises . The Bankruptcy Law offers for the first time a unified regime applicable to all types of enterprises in China and also provides a more robust and detailed regime for enforcement of creditors’ claims. We discuss below

On 25 July 2018, the European Commission ("the Commission") published its decision on the Altice/PT Portugal gun jumping case. The Commission concluded that various contractual clauses allowed Altice N.V. ("Altice") ...

Like the COVID-19 virus, COVID-related contract claims have not gone away. In "Contracting in the Fog of War: Recovering Costs Caused by an Epidemic," we reported on Pernix Serka Joint Venture v. Department...