#Dispute resolution & regulatory investigations
Remuneration of the french press: Meta challenges a decision, appeal on 17 September
A Meta spokesperson announced that the company had appealed the decision of the French Competition Authority (Autorité de la concurrence) of 8 July 2026, which ordered it to negotiate in good faith with the French press regarding compensation under neighboring rights. Since the expiration of agreements concluded with the French General Information Press Alliance (APIG) and Droits voisins de la presse (DVP), publishers belonging to these organizations had no longer been receiving payments from Meta, even though the company was still using their content. This situation was described by the French competition Authority as a serious harm to the French press, potentially constituting an abuse of a dominant position. The appeal will be examined by the Paris Court of Appeal on 17 September 2026. > Read the article.
Google AI Overviews : French General Information Press Alliance refers matter to French Competition Authority
The French General Information Press Alliance (APIG) filed a complaint with the French competition regulator (Autorité de la concurrence) on 11 August 2026 against Google, following the rollout in France, on 22 July, of AI-generated summaries, which can notably be based on content offered by press publishers. APIG argues that Google unilaterally deployed of this new feature without prior transparent negotiations or dedicated remuneration. The Alliance also regrets that the only alternative offered to publishers is a technical opt-out that would affect their visibility. The Alliance is demanding that Google comply with the commitments it made in 2022 regarding neighboring rights, which allow publishers to be compensated when their content is used. > Read the article.
#Litigation and International investigation
Bashar al-Assad sentenced, in absentia, to death in Syria for “War Crimes” and “Crimes Against Humanity”
On 11 August 2026, a Syrian court sentenced former President and dictator Bashar al-Assad to death in abstentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the outset of the Syrian civil war in 2011, in the context of the “Arab Spring”. The former leader and his family had fled Syria for Moscow after Damas was taken over by a coalition led by Islamists in December 2024. The transitional authorities intend to deliver justice by prosecuting those who took part in the repression of the population during nearly 13 years of civil war. Other officials have already been convicted by the courts, some of them in person. > Read the article.
#Arbitration and Mediation
Clarification and Modernization of Arbitration Procedure
Decree No. 2026-741 of 6 August 2026, introducing various measures to clarify and modernize arbitration proceedings was published in the Official Journal of 7 August 2026 and will enter into force on 1 January 2027. Among its main provisions, the decree facilitates the consolidation of arbitral proceedings, encourages the use of proportionate procedural measures, and strengthens the powers of the supporting judge. It also allows arbitral tribunals to liquidate penalty payments they have imposed and recognizes electronic arbitral awards and their enforcement. The decree further amends the procedural framework governing challenges to arbitral awards, notably by removing the automatic suspensive effect of actions to set aside awards and appeals in domestic arbitration, while allowing the First President of the Court of Appeal to stay enforcement where execution of the award could seriously prejudice a party’s rights. In addition, the text modernizes the definition of international arbitration by incorporating the concept of “economic interests” and, under certain conditions, permits the submission of documents and the conduct of proceedings in a language other than French. > Read the article.
