On Friday, January 19, 2024, the German parliament passed a new law that will make it easier to become a German citizen. It also will allow Germans to hold multiple citizenships without applying for the Beibehatungsgenehmigung.
The new law is expected to go into effect in April or May.
American football has always been more than just a sport – it's a cultural phenomenon, an event that brings people together, and a spectacle that captivates millions. The National Football League (NFL) is at the heart of this passion. This organization has taken its game beyond American borders, spreading the thrill of American football across the globe.
In Germany, American football was a particular interest reserved for enthusiasts seeking it out. However, we've witnessed a significant transformation over the past few decades. American football, a sport deeply embedded in American culture, has found a new home in Germany. Recognizing the growing interest, the NFL devised a strategic plan to introduce specific teams to different countries. In this venture, Germany proudly welcomed five teams: the Atlanta Falcons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New England Patriots, the Kansas City Chiefs, and our home team, the Carolina Panthers.
The NFL International Series has been a game-changer. Since 2022, Germany has been hosting games as part of this series, allowing fans to witness the excitement up close. The iconic Allianz Arena in Munich and Deutsche Bank Park have become the battlegrounds, witnessing clashes between Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and the Indianapolis Colts.
The response has been overwhelming. Tickets for these games sold out within minutes, underscoring the rapidly growing popularity of American football in Germany.
The NFL's approach goes beyond the games themselves. Recognizing the growth potential, the league has allowed certain teams to market themselves in specific countries freely. This has resulted in an unprecedented connection between fans and teams in Germany, with each game enhancing the bond and expanding the NFL's reach.
While the revenues in Germany are still catching up to the colossal figures generated in the USA, the NFL sees this venture as an investment. Logistics costs remain a challenge, but with every game, the fanbase grows, and the potential for revenue and profits expands exponentially.
As we look forward, the NFL plans more exciting games in Germany. The game scheduled for late 2024 at Allianz Arena Munich promises another blockbuster event.
In conclusion, American football has not just scored touchdowns on the field in Germany; it has scored the hearts of fans, becoming an integral part of the sporting landscape. As the excitement continues, we can only expect the NFL's presence in Germany to reach new heights.
Stay tuned for more thrilling moments on and off the field!
Marius Krause, Law Clerk, BridgehouseLaw Charlotte
Image: ConstantContact
With this new technology, where a third party is given prompts that create a “creative work,” a question must be asked – who made the art? Was it the person who inputted the commands for the released image? Or was it the people who created and programmed the Artificial Intelligence of the owners? Can the Artificial Intelligence in itself be the owner of the work? These questions created by this new type of technology still need to be answered through a new regulation.
Recent history has shown the lengths to which this type of technology has tried to push the boundaries of copyright law. In the US, Kris Kashtanova attempted to get the comic book Zarya of the Dawn protected by the US Copyright Office. She wrote the story and asked Midjourney, an artificial intelligence, to draw the image. The US Copyright Office defended only the story and not the images because there was no “human authorship” in the images (https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/02/us-copyright-office-withdraws-copyright-for-ai-generated-comic-artwork/). In Germany, a photographer, Boris Eldagsen, refused a prestigious award for winning the Sony World Photography Awards with a picture that he “cheekily” created using Artificial Intelligence (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/17/photographer-admits-prize-winning-image-was-ai-generated). In The Netherlands, “The Next Rembrandt” was commissioned by ING Groep NV and created by Artificial Intelligence based on the styling and work of the 1600 artist, using data and facial recognition of 346 of his paintings (https://www.ing.com/Newsroom/News/Rembrandt-goes-digital-.htm).
There needs to be more clarity in the legislation about the authorship of these types of works. The European regulation has established that any generative AI system must publicly disclose a detailed summary of the works used to train the AI. In the US, the Copyright Office has issued a Notice of Inquiry to determine the need for regulation or legislation.
We are at an unprecedented moment as this new technology has come to disrupt the status quo of creative works. The effects of whatever legislation is enacted will have both supporters and detractors, so it is essential to try and understand the reaches of all to see who really will be considered the “author” of an AI-created work.
José Portabella, Abogado, BridgehouseLaw Charlotte
Image: iStock
New films, games, and technologies are always announced with the new year. As I mentioned in my last Newsletter Article, “Mickey Mouse’ Turns Public Domain”, Mickey Mouse (in his original Steamboat Willie era) has officially entered the public domain, and people can profit from this original version.
On January 1st, a teaser trailer for a Mickey Mouse-fronted slasher film called “Mickey’s Mouse Trap” was released, showing the beloved childhood character as a vindictive killer at a carnival (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAg7laUDXX4). A video game called “Infestation 88” was also announced. In it, the player needs to find and destroy Mickey Mouse, the source of a pandemic illness (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jfuqOwhNK0). There is even a digital currency now named $MICKEY (https://www.cryptotimes.io/mickeys-public-domain-status-sparks-mickey-crypto-surge/) as well as a text-to-image model AI named “Mickey-1928” that allows users to develop images based on the iconic original mouse (https://huggingface.co/Pclanglais/Mickey-1928).
Only time will tell how good these works will be or how well they will be remembered.
José Portabella, Abogado, BridgehouseLaw Charlotte
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TikTok, a widespread social media app owned by a Chinese technology company called ByteDance, recently won a point in its ongoing battle against bans on its usage. Certain countries around the world have actively banned the app’s usage; some have banned its use on devices provided by governmental agencies, and others, like the United States, have not taken real action against TikTok’s usage despite many of its politicians’ public stances against alleged information privacy violations by China through TikTok.
In May 2023, the Montana Governor signed a bill to ban TikTok within Montana (the “Bill”). The purpose of the Bill, which would not come into effect until 2024, was to protect American citizens from alleged information privacy violations by China through TikTok, and it was the first bill to outright ban TikTok in the United States.
However, TikTok publicly expressed displeasure at the Bill and took steps to contest its constitutionality. On November 30, 2023, a U.S. District Court judge recently served a preliminary injunction to block the Bill because it is unconstitutional. The Judge agreed with TikTok’s claims, alleging that the Bill violated the constitution and overstepped the State’s power.
On January 2, 2024, Montana’s Attorney General, Austin Knudsen, filed notice that Montana would combat the injunction against the Bill. This development illustrates that Knudsen believes in the legal merits of the Bill’s state-wide ban against TikTok despite the U.S. District Court judge’s statements alleging unconstitutionality. Although 2024 marks the start of a new year, information privacy and consumer protection will likely remain hot topics in law.
Cole Haaf, Associate, BridgehouseLaw LLP, Charlotte
image: FreePik
