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Cyprus President Blocks Majority Of Bills, Refers Four To Supreme Court

President Vetoes Majority Of Parliament’s Bills

Nikos Christodoulides vetoed nine of the twelve laws adopted by parliament during the April 6 plenary session, returning part of the legislation and referring others for judicial review. The measures focused on property auctions, default frameworks, and creditor guarantees, raising legal and constitutional questions.

Dissecting The Legislation: Legal And Constitutional Concerns

Five legislative proposals were returned to parliament for reconsideration. Legal assessments cited issues including potential constitutional conflicts, technical drafting weaknesses, and overlaps with existing regulatory frameworks. Four additional laws were referred to the Supreme Court of Cyprus for review, reflecting concerns over their legal validity. These developments highlight the complexity of reforming financial and legal frameworks tied to debt and property enforcement.

Green Lights Amid Withdrawal: Government Initiatives Endorsed

Despite the broader rejection, two government-backed bills were approved. One introduces a debt confirmation mechanism under the supervision of the Financial Commissioner. Another sets a floor price for property auctions, requiring assets to be sold at no less than 50% of their market value. These measures aim to balance creditor rights with protections for borrowers.

Legislative Returns And Supreme Court Referrals

Returned proposals include provisions related to judicial oversight of financial disputes, changes to default procedures, and revisions to auction processes. Legal concerns focus on risks such as retroactive application and inconsistencies between provisions. Laws referred to the Supreme Court are expected to undergo constitutional review, which will determine whether they can be implemented.

Sector-Specific Reforms And Their Implications

Several proposals sought to expand the role of district courts in financial disputes, adjust creditor guarantee structures, and address lending practices. Suggestions linked to groups such as Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation included easing legal barriers for individuals in default. At the same time, warnings were raised about potential financial risks, with estimates suggesting exposure of up to €100 million annually under certain scenarios.

Political Turbulence And Upcoming Parliamentary Decisions

Further parliamentary discussions are expected within days, alongside a meeting of the Financial Committee. With elections approaching in May, the legislative process is taking place under increased political pressure. Additional sessions may be required to address outstanding issues before final decisions are made. Legal experts, including Achilleas Aimiliadis, note that legislation cannot take effect without proper approval procedures, reinforcing the role of constitutional safeguards.

Conclusion: Navigating The Intersection Of Law And Finance

The situation reflects ongoing tension between legislative initiatives and legal constraints. Decisions taken in the coming weeks will shape both the regulatory framework for debt and property management and the broader political environment in 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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