On 19.10.2020 the first project-internal Expert Talk with Prof. Sandra Wachter took place. Prof. Wachter is Associate Professor at the renowned Oxford Internet Institute, which has gained a remarkable interdisciplinary reputation in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning and is outstanding in the information technology field. Prof. Wachter’s current research interests include the governance of algorithms and the development of standards for transparency, explainability and fairness of algorithmic decisions.

The Expert Talk started with a lecture by Prof. Wachter, in which she dealt especially with questions of fairness of algorithmic decisions. It was followed by a lively discussion with the project partners. However, it was not possible to discuss all interesting aspects in detail within the estimated time, so it was agreed to stay in continuous exchange.

The result was a successful start to the expert talks, which offer a good opportunity for networking and exchange. Further talks are therefore already planned for the future in order to further promote research in the project.

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

On October 6, 2020, attorney Hanna Karin Held gave a lecture on “Effective design protection in companies” at the invitation of the ITM (Münster) via Zoom. She had also invited the German Association for Competition Law and the LIDC. Ms. Held is a lawyer and specialist in intellectual property law who has been working in the field of intellectual property for almost 15 years and has a professional focus on European and international design law. She has worked as a lawyer in various law firms and legal departments of international companies.
In her one-hour lecture, Ms. Held emphasized the constantly growing importance of European design law for companies and therefore first of all explained the legal foundations of EU design law in the context of copyright law, unfair competition law and trademark law to the approximately 100 listeners. In the main part of the lecture, she then gave a comprehensive presentation of how the design process can be shaped in companies. The whole thing was illustrated by numerous example cases and a concluding quiz.
We would especially like to thank Ms. Held for the interesting lecture as well as the numerous participants who also diligently took part in the interactive surveys.
The next LIDC webinar is already planned: This will take place on 24.11.2020 with Prof. Dr. Peter Chrocziel on the topic FRAND

ZMMZusammen

In a web discussion with Professor Dr. Thomas Hoeren, Peer Stemmler, who is responsible for Germany at Zoom, reported on the numerous critical data protection inquiries made to the company. In the one-hour conversation, he explained how the company had to make a name for itself in the area of data protection, especially in Germany, and how it had made many efforts towards end-to-end encryption. The discussion also addressed the transparency of the US company. Mr. Hoeren emphasized the need for a clear information policy with regard to data security. It was also discussed whether and when Zoom would cooperate with US authorities. Finally, Mr. Hoeren reported on the legal information center for NRW universities that has been established in Münster for several months. Short excerpts from the interview were made available by Zoom for general viewing on YouTube.

On 06.10.2020 at 12 o’clock a webinar (zoom) will again be organized by the Institute for Information, Telecommunication and Media Law (ITM) – civil law department, Prof. Dr. Thomas Hoeren. All interested parties can take part in the ca. one-hour seminar free of charge.