The European Commission's draft SEP regulation: A slippery slope or a renewed hope?

Standards have long been considered the building blocks of innovation, and central to the standardization process are patents that protect the underlying technologies essential to a standard, also known as standard essential patents (SEPs). Since the beginning of the 90s, licensing of SEPs has attracted a significant amount of discussion involving not just the industry and academia but also courts and competition agencies. While the latter have, time and again, come up with guidelines on SEP licensing, there continue to be questions asked in terms of a global solution to disputes concerning SEPs and the determination of fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) rates. It is to that effect that the European Commission (EC) recently published its Draft SEP Regulation, intending to bring transparency and predictability to SEP licensing. The Draft Regulation drew instant reaction from both licensors and licensees across the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Commentators and academics joined in, with quite a few being critical of the proposed regulation. Against the above backdrop, the present paper seeks to evaluate the Draft SEP Regulation proposed by the EC and further analyze the challenges likely to be posed concerning the implementation of the Draft Regulation. In doing so, it addresses the broader question as to whether the interventionist approach adopted by the EC through the Draft Regulation is likely to help European innovators and aid SEP licensing in Europe? The said question becomes even more relevant, given the recent release of Antimonopoly Guidelines for SEPs by China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)

Media and corruption in Nepal

The role of the media is critical in promoting good governance and controlling corruption. The media raises public awareness by investigating incidents of corruption and reporting them to the public through various channels. The effectiveness of the media depends on factors such as access to information, press freedom, media plurality, and a professional and ethical cadre of investigative journalists. This paper explores the role of media in curbing corruption, focusing on the Nepalese context. It also suggests additional roles and functions that media houses can adopt to strengthen their efforts in combating corruption

Centre–state fiscal relationship mission in light of the national health mission: Is centralisation the answer?

Health care is commonly seen as a state subject in India, but in India’s federal structure, roles and responsibilities are spread across the three levels of governance. Functional responsibilities across the Union, states and local bodies are outlined in the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Major responsibilities of creating, maintaining and managing health institutions rest with the states (State List). Union and states jointly provide public health services and take care of medical education (Concurrent List). The Union’s role on aspects such as family planning, health policymaking and research has been through Concurrent List. As per 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments local bodies are supposed to play critical roles in provision of preventive and public health services

The Impact of Technology on PCK

This study investigates the impact of technology on teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). A case study approach was employed to explore how digital tools and resources influence teachers' content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and their integration. Data was collected through interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Findings suggest that technology can enhance PCK by providing access to diverse resources, facilitating collaborative learning, and supporting innovative instructional practices. However, effective technology integration requires adequate professional development and alignment with pedagogical goals. This research contributes to understanding the complex relationship between technology and PCK, offering implications for teacher education and professional development

How do ESG practices promote collaboration on green investment for supply chain enterprises in China?

The rapid rise and wide penetration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices have promoted the green transformation of supply chains (SC) and provided opportunities for building sustainable SC. Corporate environmental governance is a vital ESG component that requires leveraging the synergy between enterprises in SC. This study constructs a panel dataset of listed corporates and their suppliers and retailers from 2008 to 2022, and explores the peer effect of SC on corporate green investment (CGI) behavior. The findings show that CGI decisions of suppliers and retailers in SC affects that of core enterprises. Thus, CGI behavior has a peer effect in SC. We prove the validity of the conclusion through some robustness tests. Further examination of the influencing factors shows that environmental information transmission and institutional pressure positively promote the CGI peer effect from environmental and social aspects respectively. This research supplements the literature on the study of sustainable SC, broadens the research boundaries of enterprise sustainable development and ESG performance, and has important implications for promoting SC sustainability

An Investigation into Bitcoin Trading: are the bans sufficient to regulate the trade?

Our paper empirically examines whether policy stance on Bitcoin trading affect its actual trading or not. Using data from Coin Dance on trade volumes of Bitcoins and cryptocurrency policy stance of 45 countries, we find that bans on cryptocurrencies lead to a decline in Bitcoin trade more than any other policy stances, legal (countries that consider cryptocurrency transactions in some legal ambit) and neutral (countries that are silent on the policy stance on cryptocurrencies). Further, we find that where some legal recognition has been given to some form of cryptocurrency trade, it has restricted the trade in comparison to those countries where the regulatory bodies are silent on cryptocurrencies

Balancing Convenience & Data Privacy in the Digi Yatra App

This paper introduces a pan-India facial recognition technology (FRT)-led biometric boarding system: the Digi Yatra app (DYA). It outlines the benefits and challenges of the DYA as an AI-driven FRT at airports. The paper discusses key regulatory approaches along with the applicable legal principles to govern FRT-led biometric boarding systems in the context of India and briefly compares it with the European Union (EU) standards on data privacy and artificial intelligence (AI) standards, especially as related to FRT applications for air travel. It provides practical policy recommendations by emphasising a systematic approach which covers the regulatory spectrum from broader regulatory foundations to narrower issues and context-specific applications of certain AI-driven technologies, eg FRT applications for air travel to uphold the constitutional balance between data privacy and convenienc

Elections and Anti-Refugee Violence in Germany from 2014-2020

Electoral violence can influence and even delegitimize electoral contests. Yet, much of the research on electoral violence excludes established democracies. As a result, we know relatively little about the relationship between elections and political violence in these states. This paper explores the relationship between anti-refugee violence, a type of political violence, and elections in Germany during the refugee influx of the 2010s. Despite the heightened tensions, harsh political rhetoric, and polarized environment surrounding elections during this period, we find no evidence that anti-refugee violence increased pre-election or post-election. However, there is robust evidence that violence decreased post-election. This finding demonstrates a societal benefit of elections and has implications for many people concerned about political violence

Investigating Mobile Apps Post-Adoption Behaviour : a grounded theory investigation

Research on information systems has often focused on various post-adoption behaviour, examining how users adapt to using IT artefacts. This study explores such post-adoption practices specifically for discontinuing mobile applications (apps) use. Instead of investigating a particular user’s behaviour, we focus on participants’ lived experiences with discontinuing app use. We employed an inductive grounded theory research approach, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with 38 participants. We identified two key types of post-adoption behaviour, engagement practices comprising workaround and reframing and disengagement practices comprising discontinuance and deferring. Using Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT), we demonstrated how negative disconfirmation can be managed through post-adoption behaviour. Our main theoretical contribution extends EDT to include a new category of disengagement practices called “deferring.” Our findings also provide valuable practitioner insights for app retention strategies

Legal frameworks surrounding the use of AI in online content moderation

The use of AI in online content moderation is a complex issue with significant ethical and legal implications. While AI offers the potential to efficiently identify and remove harmful content like hate speech and misinformation, it also raises concerns about censorship, biased algorithms, and the erosion of user trust. Striking a balance between free speech and user safety is crucial. Ethical frameworks and regulations are needed to guide the development and deployment of AI moderation tools, ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness. However, the lack of global consensus and inconsistencies in national regulations hinder the development of a coherent international approach to AI governance. To address these challenges, this chapter will explore the legal framework and a global approach which is needed to establish standards for transparency, accountability, and fairness in AI-driven content moderation, ensuring that AI serves as a tool for good rather than harm