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Tax Reform As A Modernization Catalyst: PASYDY And KEVE Applaud Progressive Change

Stakeholders Hail A New Era In Cyprus Tax Policy

The recent passage of the tax reform bills has been met with optimism by key industry organizations. Both PASYDY and KEVE have welcomed the legislation, praising it as a significant step toward modernizing Cyprus’ tax framework—with PASYDY emphasizing fairness and economic stability, and KEVE focusing on competitiveness and investment confidence.

Pasydy Celebrates A Modern And Equitable System

PASYDY expressed satisfaction with the executive initiative to enact an all‐encompassing tax reform, highlighting the importance of a modern and equitable tax system as a cornerstone for economic stability, social justice, and sustainable growth. The association underscored that the new legislation will contribute substantially to curbing tax evasion while strengthening the state’s revenue collection mechanisms.

Notably, PASYDY recalls its March 2022 submission to the Minister of Finance, which recommended adjustments to personal income tax brackets—citing deflationary effects from the previous revision nearly two decades ago. Several of its proposals were incorporated into the final bill, including the expansion of tax brackets and income criteria for tax deductions, particularly benefiting families with children. These measures are expected to offer annual savings of between €500 and €2,000, providing significant relief to the middle class.

Keve: A Milestone For Transformation And Competitiveness

KEVE, representing the broader business community, has characterized the reform as a transformational milestone. The chamber’s leadership believes the overhaul aligns the tax system with the demands of a modern economy, thus enhancing Cyprus’ international competitiveness. KEVE sees the reform as a historic opportunity to fortify the country’s economic stability, transparency, and appeal as a destination for business and investment.

KEVE’s response highlights several key enhancements, including the elimination of the imputed dividend distribution and a reduction in the Extraordinary Defense Contribution on dividends to 5%. In its strategic dialogue with policymakers, the chamber placed a premium on legal certainty and a stable business environment—ensuring that revenue collection is balanced with judicial oversight, and that administrative provisions remain clear to foster both international outreach and investment attraction.

Moreover, the reform is lauded for its substantial societal impact. KEVE pointed to the increased tax-free threshold and targeted support measures for families as instrumental in bolstering disposable income and addressing declining birth rates. The chamber has committed to closely monitoring the implementation of the reform as it continues to serve as a key institutional partner in advancing economic progress and prosperity across Cyprus.

Copyright Law Struggles To Keep Up With AI Training

Courts Are Still Applying Old Copyright Rules To AI

AI companies train models on enormous amounts of published material, including books, articles and academic research. Whether using that content without authors’ permission violates copyright law remains unresolved.

Much of the debate centres on fair use, which allows copyrighted material to be used without permission in certain circumstances. Courts consider factors such as the purpose of the use, how much material was involved and its impact on the original market.

Anthropic Case Sets An Important Precedent

A major case involving Anthropic and a group of authors provided one of the clearest rulings so far. Judge William Alsup found that using copyrighted books to train AI models was lawful, comparing the process to people reading and studying literature before creating something new.

Anthropic was nevertheless ordered to pay $1.5 billion in a settlement. The penalty concerned books the company had obtained from illegal online libraries rather than the AI training itself.

For AI companies, that distinction could prove significant because it separates studying copyrighted material from directly copying it.

Competition Could Be The Key Issue

A case involving Thomson Reuters and Ross Intelligence offers a different perspective. A court ruled that Ross could not claim fair use after using Reuters’ copyrighted material to develop a competing AI-powered legal research platform.

The decision suggests courts may be less willing to consider AI training fair use when copyrighted content is used to build a product that directly competes with the original.

For authors, an unresolved question is whether AI-generated content should be considered competition for the works used to train these models.

The Law Has Yet To Catch Up

US copyright law predates generative AI by decades, leaving courts to apply old principles to new technology. Questions also remain over copyright protection for AI-generated works. In Thaler v. Perlmutter, a court ruled that material created entirely by AI cannot receive copyright protection.

Major AI companies remain involved in copyright litigation, and different courts could reach different conclusions. For now, there is no universal rule: the legality of AI training will depend on the circumstances of each case and how courts ultimately interpret copyright and fair use.

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