Breaking news

Parliament Approves Pivotal Adjustments To Hotel And Tourism Accommodation Licensing Laws

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 26, 2026

The Hellenic House of Representatives has approved significant amendments to the law governing the establishment and operation of hotels and tourism accommodations. With a decisive vote of 25 in favor and 15 abstentions, the modifications aim to extend compliance deadlines for obtaining operating licenses and introduce a rigorous special permit regime for properties that are currently non-compliant.

Extended Compliance Deadlines And Refined Requirements

Lawmakers have granted operators critical additional time to meet licensing obligations. The revised framework extends the deadline for securing an operating license until November 30, 2026, and also provides a one-year extension for other statutory requirements as stipulated in Article 18 of the current law. These measures address the challenge faced by many hotels and tourism facilities that have been unable to fulfill the necessary documentation requirements to obtain their licenses.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

Introduction Of Special Operating Permits Based On Fire Safety Standards

The reform, proposed by legislator Kyriakos Chatziannou of DISY representing Ammochostos and backed in part by AKEL, introduces the issuance of a special operating permit. This permit is contingent upon stringent conditions, including a comprehensive review of the facility’s architectural plans by an independent consultant and the submission of detailed fire safety studies. The initiative is designed to ensure that both active and passive fire protection measures are thoroughly verified by the relevant authorities, notably the Fire Service.

Comprehensive Enhancements To The Regulatory Framework

The amendments incorporate several critical updates:

Extension of the compliance deadline for obtaining an operating license until November 30, 2026.
A one-year extension of additional deadlines as outlined in Article 18 of the current law.
Replacement of the term “temporary operating license” with “special operating permit” to reflect enhanced safety requirements.
Substitution of the term “special fire protection plan” with “fire protection study”.
Extension of the Fire Service’s review period for submitted fire protection studies from 30 days to six months.
Implementation of a unified, standardized evaluation process for fire safety recommendations.
Revision of the special fire certification validity, now effective for three years, with a one-time renewal for an additional two years, subject to onsite inspections.
Provision for the automatic invalidation of the special fire certification if unauthorized building modifications occur.
Authority for the Fire Service to revoke the certification if the requisite fire safety measures are not maintained.
Modification of the validity of the special operating permit to three years, renewable once for a further two years.
A mandatory condition is that, following expiration, no hotel or tourism accommodation may operate without securing a valid operating license in accordance with the law.

These changes are set to modernize the regulatory landscape for the tourism sector, balancing the need for operational flexibility with uncompromising safety standards. By integrating extended compliance timelines and robust fire safety protocols, the new law aims to safeguard both public safety and the long-term viability of the hospitality industry.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

by News Editor

August 24, 2026

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.

Follow THE FUTURE on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and Telegram

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.