Een lezer vroeg me:

Een club waar ik vaak kom heeft sinds kort een verbod op camerabrillen. Vind ik prima, maar los van het feit dat ik betwijfel of hun uitsmijters of garderobepersoneel een camerabril van een gewone bril kunnen onderscheiden, mogen ze dat zomaar verbieden?

Het korte antwoord is simpel: ja, want een club mag (binnen het redelijke & artikel 1 Grondwet) huisregels stellen zoals ze goeddunkt. Alleen in net pak, geen sportschoenen, geen camerabril, alleen met paars haar op Paarshaardag, kan allemaal.

Het idee is dat het zichzelf oplost: als te weinig mensen in net pak willen komen, dan krijg je geen publiek en ga je failliet. Dus waarom zou de wet zo’n regel verbieden. De discussie over huisregels gaat vrijwel altijd over verkapte discriminatie: met neutraal klinkende huisregels zoals “geen sportkleding, schoudertasjes en Vuitton-petjes” ben je in feite aan het selecteren op een beschermd (etnisch) kenmerk bijvoorbeeld, en dat mag niet.

Een goede reden hebben voor een huisregel is handig voor het draagvlak. Bij camerabrillen kan ik die wel bedenken, want velen ervaren het als ongewenst dat ze stiekem gefilmd worden. En voor regelziftende juristen zoals ik is er ook nog artikel 441b Strafrecht, dat heimelijk gebruik van camera’s in voor het publiek toegankelijke ruimtes (zoals cafés, bioscopen en clubs) strafbaar stelt. Ook als je ze in de hand houdt.

Een bezoeker met camerabril zou daar tegenover kunnen stellen dat elke club vol zit met Tiktokkende of Instagrammende bezoekers die alles livestreamen zonder te vragen. En dat is waar, maar valt niet onder het wettelijk verbod. Ook zijn die mensen makkelijk te spotten, al is het maar omdat ze zelf graag front and center in beeld willen zijn.

Camerabrillen zijn een stuk lastiger te spotten, zeker als mensen het rode lampje afplakken en gemaakt achteloos rondlopen. Dan gefilmd worden voelt ineens anders, en dat kan de sfeer in zo’n club beïnvloeden. En dat is voor mij al snel gelijk aan het “heimelijk” uit het strafrecht. Daarom kan -en mag- een club dan ingrijpen.

Arnoud

Het bericht Mag een uitgaansgelegenheid camerabrillen verbieden in de huisregels? verscheen eerst op Ius Mentis.

 

Visé (B)

The post This connection has been disconnected appeared first on the fleeting world; bubbles in a stream.

Mit dem Tod von Jürgen Habermas, so der Philosoph Jörg Noller, endet die Epoche der deliberativen Moderne. Doch zugleich beginnt eine Zeit, in der Habermas’ Denken neue Relevanz erfährt. Man darf nur die Technik nicht aus dem Blick verlieren. 

De AVG (GDPR) kent 6 grondslagen. Om persoonsgegevens te mogen verwerken, moet je gebruik kunnen maken van een van deze grondslagen. Kan dat niet, dan mag je ook de persoonsgegevens niet verwerken. Soms kun je zelfs uit meerdere grondslagen kiezen. Iene miene mutte doen is dan niet zo verstandig. Hoe bepaal je dan wel de juiste grondslag?

Waarom moet je weten welke grondslag je gebruikt?

De AVG zegt dat de verwerking alleen rechtmatig is als er aan ten minste een van de grondslagen wordt voldaan. Prima, zou je denken, even het lijstje aflopen, kijken of je er een kunt gebruiken en of je er iets extra’s voor moet doen en gaan! Niet te moeilijk. Klopt op zich wel, maar je moet vanwege je informatieverplichting ook vertellen van welke grondslag je gebruikmaakt. Bijna iedereen zorgt dat zijn/haar organisatie aan de informatieverplichting voldoet door middel van een privacyverklaring. Je mag niet van grondslag wisselen, dus je moet goed van te voren hebben bedacht van welke grondslag je gebruikmaakt. Je moet dus vooraf de grondslag kiezen en niet achteraf je verwerkingen rechtvaardigen door er een grondslag bij te zoeken.

Toestemming

De eerste grondslag die de AVG noemt is de toestemming. Toestemming kan gegeven worden door een vrije, specifieke, geïnformeerde en ondubbelzinnige wilsuiting. De toestemming moet uitdrukkelijk zijn. Stilzwijgende toestemming is niet voldoende.
De vereisten voor toestemming zijn strenger geworden dan ze onder onze huidige privacywet, de Wet bescherming persoonsgegevens, waren. Bovendien mag toestemming ook weer worden ingetrokken en moet dat net zo gemakkelijk zijn als het geven van de toestemming. Als dat gebeurt ben je dus je grondslag kwijt en mogen de persoonsgegevens niet meer verwerkt worden. Deze grondslag is vooral een vangnet, een soort restbepaling, voor het geval je van geen van de andere grondslagen gebruik kunt maken.

Uitvoering van de overeenkomst

De tweede grondslag maakt verwerking van persoonsgegevens mogelijk wanneer dat nodig is voor de uitvoering van de overeenkomst. Het gaat dan uiteraard om een overeenkomst waarbij de betrokkene (de persoon waarvan de persoonsgegevens zijn) partij is. Belangrijk is dat de overeenkomst niet uitgevoerd kan worden zonder die persoonsgegevens. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan een webwinkel die een naam en adres nodig heeft om producten te kunnen leveren. Is het verwerken van de persoonsgegevens alleen maar handig, maar niet noodzakelijk, dan kan deze grondslag niet gebruikt worden.

Wettelijke verplichting

Soms bestaat er een wettelijke verplichting op basis waarvan je persoonsgegevens wel moet verwerken. Die verplichtingen staan dan in een andere wet. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan facturen die 7 jaar bewaard moeten worden. Je bent niet verplicht om daar een contactpersoon in op te nemen, maar gegevens van eenmanszaken zijn ook persoonsgegevens. Je moet dan toch die factuur, juist inclusief die gegevens van de eenmanszaak, bewaren. Ook loonadministratie moet 7 jaar bewaard worden. Daaronder vallen ook de arbeidsovereenkomsten, ziektestaten en een kopie identiteitsbewijs.

Vitale belangen

Om de vitale belangen van een natuurlijk persoon te kunnen beschermen, mogen de persoonsgegevens verwerkt worden. Maar alleen als de verwerking noodzakelijk is om die vitale belangen te kunnen beschermen.
Er is niet zo snel sprake van een vitaal belang. Vitaal wil zeggen dat het gaat om het leven van de persoon. Niet zozeer de algemene medische gegevens, maar wel in het geval van een ongeval, bijvoorbeeld, waarbij persoonsgegevens verwerkt worden om iemand op dat moment te kunnen behandelen. Van deze grondslag kan, maar ook mag bijna nooit gebruik gemaakt worden. Deze grondslag mag alleen worden gebruikt als een andere grondslag niet mogelijk is en er toch een noodzaak bestaat om de gegevens te verwerken om het vitale belang te beschermen.

Algemeen belang

Als er een taak van algemeen belang vervuld moet worden waarvoor de verwerking van persoonsgegevens noodzakelijk is, dan mogen de persoonsgegevens verwerkt worden. Dit geldt ook voor taken in het kader van de uitoefening van het openbaar gezag die aan de verwerkersverantwoordelijke zijn opgedragen. Hieronder vallen onder meer de gebruikelijke verwerkingen van, voor of namens de overheid. Voor deze grondslag zal meestal ook een andere wettelijke grondslag moeten bestaan. Bijvoorbeeld omdat in een wet een bepaalde taak of verplichting is opgenomen.

Een van de rechten van de betrokken, uit de AVG, is het recht op gegevenswissing. Ook wel bekend als het recht op vergetelheid. Als persoonsgegevens echter op de grondslag algemeen belang worden verwerkt, dan bestaat het recht op gegevenswissing niet. Misschien ook niet zo gek, want anders zouden gemeenten de BRP (Basisregistratie Personen, waaronder het voormalige GBA valt) niet bij kunnen houden.

Gerechtvaardigd belang

Het gerechtvaardigd belang is eigenlijk vooral een belangenafweging. De verwerking moet noodzakelijk zijn voor de gerechtvaardigde belangen van de verwerkingsverantwoordelijke of een derde, tenzij de privacybelangen van de betrokkene zwaarder wegen. Hierbij moet bijvoorbeeld rekening gehouden worden met de vraag in hoeverre de betrokkene had mogen verwachten dat de verwerking plaats zou vinden en met welk doel dan.
Dit belang kan bijvoorbeeld gebruikt worden om direct marketing mogelijk te maken. Let wel op dat een betrokkene altijd bezwaar mag maken tegen direct marketing en de verwerking dan moet stoppen. Het gerechtvaardigd belang is ook belangrijk voor fotografen die bijvoorbeeld fotograferen op evenementen, journalistieke of documentaire fotografie verzorgen waarbij een quitclaim niet mogelijk is of wanneer het gaat om straatfotografie.

Doelbinding

Naast een geldige grondslag, is er ook nog een gerechtvaardigd doel nodig. Gegevens mogen op basis van een grondslag verwerkt worden, maar dat mag alleen voor een bepaald doel. Die doelen staan niet in de AVG genoemd, maar moeten dus wel gerechtvaardigd zijn. De verwerking van de persoonsgegevens mag alleen plaatsvinden voor dat doel. Ook die doelen moeten in de privacyverklaring worden opgenomen.

Zo kun je bijvoorbeeld op basis van het gerechtvaardigd belang persoonsgegevens verwerken voor direct marketingdoeleinden. Soms kan een grondslag ook samenvallen met een doel. Zo kun je op basis van de grondslag wettelijke verplichting persoonsgegevens verzamelen met als doel te voldoen aan de administratieve bewaarplicht.

Hulp nodig bij de AVG?

The post De 6 grondslagen van de AVG appeared first on Charlotte's Law & Fine Prints.

The rapid spread of artificial intelligence has people wondering: who’s most likely to embrace AI in their daily lives? Many assume it’s the tech-savvy – those who understand how AI works – who are most eager to adopt it.

Surprisingly, our new research (published in the Journal of Marketing) finds the opposite. People with less knowledge about AI are actually more open to using the technology. We call this difference in adoption propensity the “lower literacy-higher receptivity” link.

This link shows up across different groups, settings and even countries. For instance, our analysis of data from market research company Ipsos spanning 27 countries reveals that people in nations with lower average AI literacy are more receptive towards AI adoption than those in nations with higher literacy.

Similarly, our survey of US undergraduate students finds that those with less understanding of AI are more likely to indicate using it for tasks like academic assignments.

The reason behind this link lies in how AI now performs tasks we once thought only humans could do. When AI creates a piece of art, writes a heartfelt response or plays a musical instrument, it can feel almost magical – like it’s crossing into human territory.

Of course, AI doesn’t actually possess human qualities. A chatbot might generate an empathetic response, but it doesn’t feel empathy. People with more technical knowledge about AI understand this.

They know how algorithms (sets of mathematical rules used by computers to carry out particular tasks), training data (used to improve how an AI system works) and computational models operate. This makes the technology less mysterious.

On the other hand, those with less understanding may see AI as magical and awe inspiring. We suggest this sense of magic makes them more open to using AI tools.

Our studies show this lower literacy-higher receptivity link is strongest for using AI tools in areas people associate with human traits, like providing emotional support or counselling. When it comes to tasks that don’t evoke the same sense of human-like qualities – such as analysing test results – the pattern flips. People with higher AI literacy are more receptive to these uses because they focus on AI’s efficiency, rather than any “magical” qualities.

It’s not about capability, fear or ethics

Interestingly, this link between lower literacy and higher receptivity persists even though people with lower AI literacy are more likely to view AI as less capable, less ethical, and even a bit scary. Their openness to AI seems to stem from their sense of wonder about what it can do, despite these perceived drawbacks.

This finding offers new insights into why people respond so differently to emerging technologies. Some studies suggest consumers favour new tech, a phenomenon called “algorithm appreciation”, while others show scepticism, or “algorithm aversion”. Our research points to perceptions of AI’s “magicalness” as a key factor shaping these reactions.

These insights pose a challenge for policymakers and educators. Efforts to boost AI literacy might unintentionally dampen people’s enthusiasm for using AI by making it seem less magical. This creates a tricky balance between helping people understand AI and keeping them open to its adoption.

To make the most of AI’s potential, businesses, educators and policymakers need to strike this balance. By understanding how perceptions of “magicalness” shape people’s openness to AI, we can help develop and deploy new AI-based products and services that take the way people view AI into account, and help them understand the benefits and risks of AI.

And ideally, this will happen without causing a loss of the awe that inspires many people to embrace this new technology.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

The 2024 Academy Awards recognised several amazing acting performances, including Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of the physicist Robert Oppenheimer, which won him the award for Best Actor. But what is it that drives such peak performances? When an actor fully embodies the character to the extent that it creates an immersive, sustained world of make believe, we say that the actor was acting intuitively.

Such performances are not limited to acting – we might see such intuition in sports and music, too. But it is broader than that. Behaving intuitively is something we all do. It is any type of situation where we just know what to do in the moment – allowing us to be the best versions of ourselves.

So how can we make sure we behave intuitively, where it matters? And can we foster this ability? Our latest research, published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, suggests that intuition can be trained and that it may be best understood as an “embodied state of mind” supported by the cognitive abilities of being aware of ourselves and our surroundings, and being immersed in an experience.

What does an embodied state of mind mean? William James, generally acknowledged to be the founder of modern psychology, suggested that there are two sides to awareness, the “I” and the “me”. The active aspect of self-awareness is the “I” – this is the part of our awareness that experiences the here and now – sometimes referred to as the “experiential self”. The more passive aspect of awareness is the “me” – this part that observes or reflects upon our actions. We might call this the rational or reflective self.

This distinction has long been recognised in neuroscientific research. For example, studies have shown that taking psychedelic drugs and experiencing awe or wonder can reduce activity in default mode network, which is a self-referential brain network underlying reflective self-awareness.

Moreover, recent research has suggested that mindfulness meditation might help us to move from reflective self-awareness to experiential self-awareness through training our attention.

Immersing with awareness

Our intuition relies on many unconscious processes that support all of our cognition, perception and interaction with the world. It requires us to take much of that in, but also not lose ourselves in being overwhelmed by our senses. In other words, we need to maintain the right levels of awareness while being immersed.

We perceive the world with our entire bodies, through all of our senses – from seeing to “thermoception” (sensing temperature) and “proprioception” (knowing which parts of your body are where without looking). This allows us to interact with the world around us in safe and useful ways. Ultimately, intuition happens when we are attuned to both what happens in our body and what happens around us.

But being highly aware of ourselves and our surroundings can’t fully explain intuition. When we are engaging with our intuition, we are acting on what we sense. But it can be hard to maintain our awareness if we become fully engaged with some specific task that uses intuition. This is why another ability is required: the ability for immersion.

The ability for immersion or absorption means that you can stay fully immersed in a task through focused attention. This is very similar to what is dubbed as “flow”.

But if you become too immersed, wouldn’t you lose your awareness of yourself and your surroundings? This is why we suggest you need meta-awareness: an awareness of having the experience, rather than reflecting on the fact that you are having an experience. In other words, you have to be in an experiential rather than rational state; you are experiencing, not reasoning.

Take for example acting. When we played a part in a school play, we may have been okay with representing Juliet, up until we realised that everyone was looking at us just as we stumbled over the words. We then switched from experiential self–awareness – in which we embodied Juliet – to reflective self-awareness, where we (over)thought about what we were doing. This type of “choking” during a performance is also really common in sports.

An actor acts intuitively when they enter a state of immersion during their imagining, with full attention to and awareness of the imagining, as well as full awareness of oneself and the environment. They become fully immersed in the awareness of the experience – they have experiential awareness.

But we mustn’t make the mistake of thinking that method acting involves immersing one so deeply that the actors are no longer themselves. They have to maintain meta-awareness in other to avoid mental health problems such as dissociation, and worse.

How to develop your intuition

If intuition is an embodied cognitive state rather than an ephemeral phenomenon that may happen by chance, does that mean it can be developed?

Achieving intuition is considered one of the aims of Konstantin Stanislavski’s approach to acting training (the foundation of western mainstream acting). But even in this, intuition is often still treated as something that has been handed down from the muses, much like a burst of creativity or insight.

Our research, however, found that intuition can be trained. To do that, we need to train the underlying abilities: an awareness of our internal and external world, combined with immersion.

As part of our research, we invited acting students to do intuition training, developed by co-investigator Micia de Wet. This consisted of exercises focused on imagery and structured by using guided meditations to train the actor’s attention and sensory awareness. The training also included exercises to stimulate immersion into story worlds through play and imaginative exploration. We found that this training boosted the actors’ intuition. Our survey of 310 actors also showed that the more they engaged in mindfulness meditation, the higher their acting intuition.

While this training was specific to acting, we suggest similarly guided meditations, role play exercises and mindfulness training can boost our attention and focus. These may increase intuition in other contexts, as these exercises sharpen general underlying cognitive abilities of awareness and immersion, bringing awareness to the body and environment.

Rather than an esoteric phenomenon or temporary moment of peak performance, intuition is an important cognitive and emotional state supported by abilities that anybody can continuously use to engage with the world around them – and that, moreover, can be developed.

Valerie van Mulukom does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Today I announce the appointment of Dr Greg French as Australia’s next Ambassador to the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is one of Australia's closest European partners.

Australia and the Netherlands work together to support a world which is stable, peaceful, prosperous, and respectful of sovereignty, including in the Indo-Pacific.

We cooperate closely on international security issues and weclome the role the Netherlands is playing in support of accountability for the recent developments in Ukraine.

We also deeply appreciate the Netherlands' leadership throughout the joint investigation into the downing of Flight MH17, and our cooperation to hold those responsible to account.

The Netherlands is home to the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, all are key to promoting and protecting the international rules-based order.

The Netherlands is Australia’s fifth-largest source of direct foreign investment and our second largest export market in Europe.

We are working with the Netherlands and other European Union (EU) member states to conclude an ambitious and comprehensive trade agreement between Australia and the EU as soon as possible.

Dr French is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently seconded to the Department of Defence as Senior Legal and Non-Proliferation Adviser, Nuclear Powered Submarine Taskforce.

He has previously served overseas as Australia’s Ambassador to Italy and Australia’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, as well as in Germany.

I thank former Ambassador Matthew Neuhaus and interim Head of Mission Julie Heckscher for their contributions to advancing Australia’s interests in the Netherlands.

Netflix wil een extra toeslag gaan vragen aan gebruikers die hun account delen met personen die op een ander adres wonen. Dat meldde Tweakers vorige week. De toeslag zou van toepassing zijn wanneer je de app langer dan 14 dagen buitenshuis gebruikt. En dat is natuurlijk juridisch een probleem, zoals de Consumentenbond terecht opmerkt. Want hier is gewoon expliciet regelgeving over.

In 2017 nam de EU de Verordening betreffende grensoverschrijdende portabiliteit van online-inhoudsdiensten in de interne markt aan. De lange naam geeft aan wat deze regelt, en artikel 1 motiveert dat nog eens:

Deze verordening voorziet in een gemeenschappelijke benadering in de Unie van de grensoverschrijdende portabiliteit van online-inhoudsdiensten door ervoor te zorgen dat de abonnees op portabele online-inhoudsdiensten die rechtmatig worden verstrekt in hun woonlidstaat, toegang hebben tot en gebruik kunnen maken van die diensten, wanneer zij tijdelijk in een andere lidstaat dan hun woonlidstaat aanwezig zijn.

Dus als je in land A naar Netflix mag kijken, dan moet dat ook in land B kunnen. Geen IP-blokkade, geen technische beperkingen (zoals geen 4K maar alleen lage resolutie) en vooral: geen extra kosten.

Netflix ziet dat anders:

Netflix is ratcheting up its efforts to get freeloading viewers to pay up and will start charging accounts for password sharing early next year, instituting a system that add fees to your plan for “extra member” subaccounts when people outside your household use your membership.

Wat hier dus misgaat is dat Netflix zo’n vakantie-periode ziet als een persoon buiten het huishouden, terwijl dat niet zo is. Dat snap ik wel want dat volgt uit de standaardimplementatie, maar het zal toch echt anders moeten. Mogelijk is het argument van Netflix dat dat woord “tijdelijk” uit het citaat hierboven “twee weken” impliceert, maar dat zie ik nergens in de Verordening staan.

Arnoud

Het bericht Hey #Netflix in de EU mogen we gewoon buitenshuis kijken zonder toeslag verscheen eerst op Ius Mentis.

The following is a guest post by Lena Fleischmann, a foreign law intern working with Foreign Law Specialist Jenny Gesley at the Global Legal Research Directorate of the Law Library of Congress. It has been co-authored by Jenny Gesley. It is part of our Frequently Asked Legal Questions series. 

On July 13, 2022, the European Commission published its third annual Rule of Law Report under the rule of law mechanism, which addresses the rule of law in the European Union (EU) as a whole as well as in the individual member states. In addition, for the first time, specific recommendations for each member state were included. The rule of law is one of the EU’s fundamental values and there are several mechanisms in place to protect it. Since early 2021, an additional mechanism to protect the rule of law is in full effect. This FALQ examines what this and other mechanisms to protect the rule of law are, including how the EU is financially punishing violations of its core values.

What is the Rule of Law Mechanism?

The rule of law mechanism was first introduced in 2014 to “ensure an effective and coherent protection of the rule of law in all member states” and to engage in an annual, structured dialogue between the EU institutions and the parliaments of member states in a more flexible way. The rule of law report presents positive and negative developments across the member states and national parliaments. The European Commission issues recommendations when there is a clear threat to the rule of law and monitors their implementation. It regularly informs the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (Council) of the progress. This inter-institutional cooperation through the general rule of law mechanism aligns with the aim of the Council and the European Parliament to improve this type of cooperation.

How is the Rule of Law Defined in the EU Legal Order?

According to the first sentence of article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the EU “is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.” The second sentence of this provision assumes that all of the EU member states respect and observe these values, as emphasized by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), meaning that the respect of law is the basis for common trust between the member states. The CJEU has stated that the “existence of effective judicial review designed to ensure compliance with EU law is of the essence of the rule of law.” The European Commission defined the rule of law in a communication of April 2019 as follows:

Under the rule of law, all public powers always act within the constraints set out by law, in accordance with the values of democracy and fundamental rights, and under the control of independent and impartial courts. The rule of law includes, among others, principles such as legality, implying a transparent, accountable, democratic and pluralistic process for enacting laws; legal certainty; prohibiting the arbitrary exercise of executive power; effective judicial protection by independent and impartial courts, effective judicial review including respect for fundamental rights; separation of powers; and equality before the law.

This rather broad definition was confirmed in another communication in July 2019.

What Existing Legal Mechanisms Are There to Protect the Rule of Law in the EU?

Another legal mechanism for protecting the rule of law are infringement proceedings against member states suspected of breaching the law according to article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). There have been several cases against Poland for its early retirement of ordinary judges and Supreme Court judges and against Hungary for its early retirement of judges.

In addition, article 7 TEU contains two mechanisms to enforce EU values in cases of systematic violations and to sanction member states. The preventive mechanism is laid out in article 7, paragraph 1 TEU and the sanctions mechanism in article 7, paragraph 2 TEU. However, these mechanisms require a high decision-making threshold in the Council (4/5 majority), European Council (unanimity), and in the European Parliament (2/3 majority), and rely heavily on member states’ willingness to take action. If there is only one state that blocks the procedure in the European Council, it is ineffective. Affected member states could also file an action against each step of the article 7 procedure before the CJEU. The procedure could thus take years, making article 7 TEU not a particularly effective instrument to solve conflicts within the EU.

Up until recently, the general rule of law framework had only been applied to Poland, whereas article 7 TEU had been triggered in relation to Poland and Hungary. In December 2017, the European Commission activated the above-mentioned preventive mechanism under article 7 TEU because of a clear risk of a serious breach of the rule of law by Poland. The European Parliament had earlier shared its concerns over the situation in Poland, addressing it in several of its resolutions between April 2016 and November 2017. In March 2018, it adopted another resolution by which it supported the Commission’s proposal for a council decision on the determination of a clear risk of a serious breach of the rule of law by the Republic of Poland. Not long after, the European Parliament called on the Council to trigger another article 7 proceeding, this time against Hungary. This resolution was preceded by numerous others adopted by the Parliament between March 2011 and May 2017, which mainly referred to concerns related to judicial independence, freedom of expression, corruption, rights of minorities, and the situation of migrants and refugees in Hungary.

What is the New 2021 Mechanism to Protect the Rule of Law?

The EU draws a great part of its legitimacy from the fact that its organs and member states respect the rule of law. However, the above indicated problems with certain member states demonstrated that the existing tools were insufficient to preserve its values. In 2021, the EU therefore decided to add an additional layer of protection, establishing that in cases when breaches of the law directly affect or seriously risk affecting the EU’s financial budget, these violations are also punishable financially (conditionality mechanism). It is different from the general rule of law mechanism. First, the European Commission must determine that a possible breach of the rule of law exists, and propose triggering the mechanism against a member state (Conditionality Mechanism, art. 4). After that, the European Council proposes measures to force compliance with EU values, such as suspending payments, against the member state in question (id. art. 5). On March 2, 2022, the European Commission published non-binding guidelines that explain how it will apply the conditionality mechanism.

What are Some Recent Developments?

In September 2021, the CJEU sentenced Poland to pay 500,000€ (about US$500,000) in damages to the Czech Republic for the unlawful operation of an open-cast lignite mine. Since Poland refused to pay this penalty, the European Commission announced that it would withhold payments from the EU budget to Poland. Furthermore, due to this refusal and other rule of law violations as mentioned above, it sent informal letters to Poland and Hungary threatening to activate the new 2021 mechanism for the first time. In October 2021, Poland and Hungary both filed an action to annul the new rule of law mechanism, alleging that the rule of law mechanism is incompatible with their laws, and urging the EU to respect their member states’ sovereignty by not intervening in what they regard as domestic matters. The European Commission decided not to activate the conditionality mechanism until the CJEU had issued its ruling. The European Parliament therefore filed an action for failure to act under article 265 TFEU against the European Commission. In February 2022, the CJEU affirmed the legality of the 2021 conditionality mechanism and ruled against Poland and Hungary. The Commission then activated the conditionality mechanism against Hungary in April 2022. The European Parliament therefore decided to withdraw its action against the Commission in June 2022.

Whether the willingness to compromise, especially by member states like Poland and Hungary, actually increases with the new rule of law mechanism remains to be seen.

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The Legal Theory Bookworm recommends Law's Ideal Dimension by Robert Alexy.  Here is a description:

Law's Ideal Dimension provides a comprehensive account in English of renowned legal theorist Robert Alexy's understanding of jurisprudence, as expanded upon from his publications A Theory of Legal Argumentation (OUP 1989), A Theory of Constitutional Rights (OUP 1985), and The Argument from Injustice (OUP 1992). The collection is divided into three parts. Part One concerns the nature of law: it explores its real and ideal dimensions and how the ideal dimension of law is sometimes employed but does not play a systematically important role. Part Two discusses constitutional rights, human rights, and proportionality. It defends the construction of constitutional rights as principles against objections raised by the rule construction and elaborates on the nature of constitutional rights as well as the mathematical balancing of those rights. Part Three concerns the relation between argumentation, correctness, and law. The author concludes this volume with a biographical reflection.

Alexy is one of the most important legal theorists of the last fifty years.  This volume provides a very useful collection of some of his most important work in a single volume.  Readers who are interested in general legal theory, the nature-of-law debates, and constitutional theory but have not read Alexy would be well advised to read this.

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The post Landscape Photography Composition: 17 Expert Tips appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.

A note on authorship: This article was updated in October 2023 with contributions from seven expert photographers: Darren Rowse, Jim Hamel, Jeremy Flint, Alex Morrison, Amar Ramesh, Nisha Ramroop, and Jaymes Dempsey.

If you’ve ever stood in front of a stunning vista, camera in hand, and wondered how to capture its grandeur, you’re not alone. Every great landscape image includes a great composition, but understanding what composition is, what it does, and how you can use it to improve your scenic shots can be intensely daunting.

Fortunately, landscape photography composition isn’t as challenging as it might seem. And in this article, I break it all down for you. I start with the basics, then I continue on to share 17 effective landscape photography composition tips so that you can start creating beautiful images. as soon as possible.

Specifically, you’ll discover:

• How to draw the viewer straight into the scene (and keep them wanting more!)
• How to position your horizons for maximum dynamism and balance
• A simple trick for minimalistic landscape shots
• A cool technique to focus the viewer exactly where you want them
• Much more!

So if you’re ready to take your landscape compositions to the next level, let’s dive right in!

What is composition in landscape photography?

You’ve likely heard the term “composition” thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? Composition involves the thoughtful arrangement of elements within your frame. For landscape photographers, it’s all about where to place the horizon, what to include in the foreground, and what should occupy your background.

When determining a landscape photo composition, you’ll often need to ask yourself a handful of key questions:

• What should my main subjects(s) be?
• Where should I position them in the frame?
• Does the scene have plenty of depth?
• Have I removed all distractions from the shot?
• Did I choose a good angle to showcase the landscape?

When you’re just getting started, it can be helpful to mentally run through a checklist before you capture each shot. Before you know it, however, you’ll be setting up your shots without even having to think twice.

The importance of mastering landscape composition

Mastering composition isn’t just for show. It serves a bigger purpose: to create images that captivate your audience. What makes an image engaging? The answer often lies in how well you’ve positioned the different elements within the frame.

A well-composed landscape shot typically has a balanced feel, and you can frequently sense the depth, almost as if you could step right into the picture. Good compositions often add dynamism to your photos; the arrangements guide the viewer’s eyes, making them linger on the details you want to emphasize.

The bottom line is that the better your compositional skills, the more striking your photos will be. If you’re just getting started with landscape photography, all this may seem a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry: landscape photographers have developed plenty of easy-to-apply techniques that work great for snappers of all levels, and they don’t require any technical wizardry to pull off!

17 tips to improve your landscape photography compositions

You know all about what landscape composition is and why it’s important. Now let’s take a deep dive into the approaches you can use to create beautiful results, including basic guidelines like the rule of thirds and leading lines as well as more advanced techniques such as patterns and color harmonies.

1. Include a main subject to engage the viewer

To instantly level up your landscape compositions, here’s how you should start:

By including a clear, identifiable subject in each photo.

The subject can be anything: a rock. A mountain. A river. A shell on the beach. Waves crashing on the shore. Lightning in the sky.

The point is to include at least one element in your photo that a viewer can latch onto – something that sucks them into the frame and piques their interest. Otherwise, the viewer will become confused. They won’t know where to focus, so they’ll move on to a different image and never look back.

Is it okay to include multiple interesting subjects? Absolutely! In fact, many landscape photographers these days like to pack both a foreground subject and a background subject into a single photo. But make sure the subjects complement one another and be careful not to include so many subjects that the viewer no longer has a place to focus. When in doubt, keep it simple.

2. Use the rule of thirds to position your key elements

The rule of thirds is one of my favorite landscape composition tools. It’s a great way for beginners to get started with composition, and it gives you an easy way to arrange key elements within the frame (e.g., your main subject, your horizon, and other supporting elements).

If you’re unfamiliar with the rule of thirds, here’s a quick explanation:

The rule of thirds tells you to split your composition into vertical and horizontal thirds so you end up with a series of gridlines (displayed below). To create the most powerful compositions, you should place compositional elements along those gridlines and at their intersection points.

This often comes into play when working with horizon lines. Instead of putting the horizon smack-dab in the center of the frame, you can put it along the top rule of thirds gridline (a good idea if your foreground is especially interesting) or along the bottom rule of thirds gridline (a good idea if your sky is colorful or dramatic).

For this image, the blowing sand in the foreground is stunning – so the photographer chose to put the horizon along the upper gridline:

You can also use the rule of thirds to position your main subject. You might put the subject along one of the vertical gridlines, or – even better – at an intersection point. In fact, the rule of thirds gridline intersections are sometimes referred to as power points because they create such compelling compositions.

A quick word of caution, though:

The rule of thirds is a helpful technique. But despite the name, it’s not a landscape composition rule. Rather, it’s a guideline, so you don’t need to follow it all the time. Instead, use it when it works, and break it when it doesn’t.

Make sense?

3. Use foreground interest to create depth

Most landscape photos, even the mediocre ones, include background interest (such as a distant mountain, a dramatic sunset, or a house on a cliff).

But if you want to really take your landscapes to the next level, I highly recommend including foreground interest, which should sit somewhere between your camera and the background. (This is also referred to as the near-far composition technique.)

It’s a powerful tool, one that’s insanely popular among today’s professional landscape photographers. Check out the work of popular landscape shooters on Instagram or 500px, and you’ll see thousands of stunning near-far compositions featuring:

• Foreground logs and background waterfalls
• Foreground rocks and background sunsets
• Foreground flowers and background mountains

And the reason this technique is so popular? It helps create the illusion of depth in a scene.

For instance, a photo of a distant mountain can look nice, but it often appears flat.

But add some flowers or grass close to the camera, and the whole composition immediately deepens. The viewer first focuses on the foreground grass, then moves into the midground, and then finally sees the stunning mountain in the background:

So the next time you find a beautiful background subject, like the mountain I mentioned above…

…take a few moments to look for foreground interest. Then include both foreground and background in a single shot. (It can also help to use a wide-angle lens and get down low; that will magnify the foreground element and make it loom large in the frame, sucking the viewer right in.)

Note that the foreground interest can be a discrete subject, like a patch of grass. Or, as I discuss in the next tip, it can be a linear element that leads the eye into the frame:

4. Use leading lines to suck the viewer into the scene

Leading lines are lines that draw the viewer into the scene. They generally start in the foreground of the composition, then move back, back, back…until they reach a distant subject.

In the photo below, the road acts as a leading line, which moves the viewer toward the beautiful sunset:

The road isn’t really a discrete subject, but it does provide foreground interest, and it moves the viewer toward the background.

By the way, you can make leading lines out of pretty much anything. I highly recommend you take a look at some of your favorite landscape photography and see how it incorporates leading lines; you’ll find all sorts of creative compositions with lines created out of roads, rivers, fallen trees, ferns, lines in the dirt, and much, much more.

5. Change your angle for a unique perspective

This one’s a simple composition trick that works for pretty much any type of photography:

If you feel like you’re starting to capture the same old images over and over again, put some real effort into picking your angle.

Most beginner landscape photographers shoot at eye level. But while you can certainly get great images that way, it often pays to go beyond the standing shot. Try getting down low over a foreground element; it’ll create extra depth, plus it’ll help draw the viewer into the frame.

Alternatively, find a vantage point and get up high. (A drone can be hugely useful here!) From an elevated perspective, the scene will look far more abstract, and you’ll capture stunning images that convey the incredible scope of the landscape.

You can also carefully adjust your angle to block out distracting elements and create interesting framing opportunities (see below!). Sometimes, a couple of steps to the right or the left is all it takes to create a stunningly original composition.

6. Photograph with a tripod

I can’t stress enough how valuable a tripod can be for landscape photography, not just to capture sharp images but also for composition.

You see, when you set up a tripod, you’re forced to slow down – and when you’re not rushing, you naturally pay more attention. You notice how the foreground plays against the backdrop. You start to scrutinize the edges of your frame. Are there any distractions that need to be eliminated? What about gorgeous elements that lie just outside the frame but could look great as part of the shot?

You might think that tripods are a hassle, and in a way, you’re right. They’re bulky and setting them up takes time. But in the context of composition, a tripod can be a game-changer. The level of deliberation it encourages will inevitably elevate the quality of your work.

Therefore, even when you have enough light to shoot sharp handheld shots, I strongly recommend using a tripod for the sake of better compositions!

7. Use lots of negative space to create minimalist landscape compositions

These days, minimalism is all the rage in landscape photography. Here’s how it works:

First, find a scene full of negative space. (Negative space refers to “empty” areas in the composition, like a long stretch of blue sky, a swathe of green grass, a smooth, barren beach, etc.)

Second, find a small, isolated, lonely-looking subject, like a tree in a field, a rock jutting out from a flat landscape, or even a person.

Third, position your isolated subject so it’s small in the frame, and it’s surrounded by plenty of negative space. Here, it often pays to break the rule of thirds; instead of putting your subject at a rule of thirds intersection point, you put it closer to the edge of the frame, which serves to emphasize the emptiness.

You’ll end up with an attention-grabbing shot, one that feels both contemporary and timeless.

8. Don’t be afraid to go tight

Most photographers do landscape photography with wide-angle lenses. And in general, this works really well; you can capture the vastness of the scene while emphasizing foreground and background subjects.

That said…

It sometimes pays to zoom in tight using a telephoto lens (a 70-200mm or 100-400mm will do a good job).

This works especially well on relatively flat subjects with graphic lines: a distant waterfall, cracks in a canyon wall, overlapping mountains. Zooming in will compress the scene, so advice about adding depth tends to fly out the window, and that’s okay.

Instead, focus on using landscape compositional tools like the rule of thirds to create balance and flow. And as I emphasized at the beginning of this article, make sure to include a clear point of interest!

9. Use layers to help simplify the scene

Layers are one of my absolute favorite landscape photography composition techniques because they make scenes simpler, easily digestible, and all-around beautiful.

When you’re out with your camera, just look for a clear bottom layer, middle layer, and top layer (though adding more layers is fine, too!).

One of the great things about layered compositions is that they work regardless of your focal length or subject of interest. You can create layered wide-angle shots by incorporating clear foregrounds, midgrounds, and backgrounds into the composition.

And you can create layered telephoto shots by compressing distant elements (as I mentioned in the previous tip, overlapping mountains look great, but you can also layer trees, sand dunes, and more).

Not every composition is amenable to layering. But when you find a scene with repeating or overlapping elements, that’s a good sign you can get a layered shot – and when possible, I recommend you go for it!

10. Incorporate diagonal lines to add movement

This one’s a more advanced landscape composition tool, and the effect can be subtle – but when done right, it can level up a good photo to a great one.

You see, diagonal lines are an effective way to move the eye around the scene and add flow to a shot. They’ll carefully push the viewer toward the main subject, while also prompting them to have a fun little journey around your photo.

To get started, I’d recommend first identifying your main subject. This should be the focal point of your image, and the place you want the diagonal lines to lead.

Then walk around, looking for potential diagonals that point toward – not away! – from your subject. You’ll often need to get creative. Consider all your options: paths, lines of trees, fences, rivers, a shadow, even clouds!

Finally, compose your photo, including at least one diagonal line moving toward your subject (and feel free to use two, three, or four lines if you can find them).

Note that diagonal lines can be foreground leading lines, but they don’t have to be. It’s perfectly acceptable to find a diagonal line that starts far off in the distance as long as it moves toward your main subject.

11. Use geometry, especially triangles, to add flow and stability

In landscape photography, geometry is your friend.

Specifically, you can incorporate shapes, such as triangles, squares, and circles, into your compositions. These will help create both flow and stability, plus they just look very cool (especially when done with subtlety!).

For instance, consider the triangle, one of the most powerful shapes available to the landscape photographer. It includes diagonal lines and therefore adds plenty of movement. It also tends to be very stable thanks to its strong edges and wide base.

Circles are great, too – partial circles create nice curves for plenty of flow. And complete circles create eye-catching points of interest.

You don’t need to find full shapes in the landscape, by the way. It’s okay to use a somewhat circular rock, a vaguely triangular mountain, and so on. The point is to include shape-like elements when you can, without stressing too much about whether you have a complete shape or an implied one. That way, you create strong compositions that still feel natural.

Also, remember: When it comes to working with geometry in landscape photography composition, there are no hard and fast rules as to what works well. You can look for single bold shapes, you can look for multiple shapes that are similar, or you can look for several opposite shapes. Play around, and see what you can create!

12. Find natural frames to focus the viewer

As emphasized earlier in this article, foreground interest is a great way to add depth to landscape compositions.

But sometimes, you run into foreground elements that can’t quite work as a discrete compositional element…

…yet can still sit around the edges of your photo as a frame.

This is the landscape photography framing technique: You include tangential elements around the outside of an image and use them to direct the viewer toward the interesting midground and background.

For instance, you might include an overhanging branch toward the top of the image in order to guide the viewer toward the subject in the middle of the shot:

Or you might find a tunnel of rocks that leads the viewer toward the sunset in the background.

In wide-open spaces, finding frames can be tough. But if you’re shooting in a more chaotic landscape, you can often find trees or rocks to create a frame. In fact, it’s often these simple frames that take a good composition to the next level; they provide much-needed focus by showing the viewer exactly where to look (and when positioned carefully, they can also block out distracting elements).

Pro tip: When working with foreground frames, spend time experimenting with different apertures. A narrow aperture will help you capture lots of detail, while a wide aperture will blur the foreground frame for a cool creative effect.

13. Look for patterns to add compositional coherence

Patterns are instantly eye-catching, they’re a great way to add rhythm to your images, and they help landscape scenes feel more unified.

So whenever you’re out with your camera, keep an eye out for interesting patterns. Some patterns are very conspicuous, so you’ll spot them immediately – for instance, aspen trees standing in a row, or flowers dotting their way toward the horizon.

But other patterns are more subtle, and it’ll take some work to find them. A forest in fall may initially seem chaotic, but if you take the time to really stop and examine the leaves around you, you’ll start to see little runs of color.

Which leads me to another key point: Patterns can be composed of forms (e.g., several trees or rocks) or colors. Don’t restrict yourself to tonal patterns; use patterns of all types!

14. Work each scene before moving on

The world is beautiful and full of landscape photography opportunities – so it’s easy to get in the habit of capturing a quick image of each subject, then packing up and continuing the hunt for more photos.

But if you only ever capture the first composition that you see, you’ll miss out on other breathtaking images (many of which are better than your first attempt).

Instead of taking a single shot, I encourage you to work each scene. Commit to sticking around for a few minutes (or even a few hours). Capture that first shot, yes, but then keep going. Adjust your angle. Find different foreground elements that complement the background and lead the viewer into the scene.

A handy trick here is to walk twenty paces in each direction with your camera to your eye. That way, you can see how the foreground and background elements shift in relation to one another, and you’ll quickly notice other compositional opportunities (such as interesting frames or powerful juxtapositions of foreground and background).

Then, once you feel satisfied you’ve exhausted all possibilities and captured the best possible image, you can move on!

15. Try to portray scale

When you’re photographing gigantic landscape features – mountains, for instance, or oceans – it can be difficult for the viewer to get a sense of how big the elements actually are. And this can be a problem; in my experience, the more you can show scale in a landscape image, the better.

Fortunately, there’s a simple technique that allows you to give your landscape compositions a sense of scale time and time again: include a reference point, something that the viewer is familiar with and can use to gauge the size of the rest of the scene.

Natural reference points include lone trees, flowers, and branches, while human-made reference points include bridges, cars, roads, barns, houses, or even people standing (or walking) in the vicinity. In a pinch, you can even stand in the scene yourself!

16. Don’t forget about color

Color. It’s more than just eye candy in your photos; it’s a powerful tool in your composition arsenal. Often, we get so caught up in lines, shapes, and focal points that we forget the role color plays in our landscape shots. The mood, the emotion, the depth – color affects them all.

As you compose each landscape shot, take a moment to think about the colors present in your frame. Stick with 2-4 main colors to avoid overwhelming the viewer, and when you’re scouting a scene, be on the lookout for complementary colors; think red and green or blue and orange. They sit opposite each other on the color wheel and create a dynamic tension when placed together in a photo. Contrasting colors naturally draw the eye and can make your image pop.

But don’t exclude analogous color combinations, either! These are the colors that are adjacent on the wheel, like shades of blue and green. They create a sense of peace and can often give your photos a deeply tranquil mood.

Note that color, unlike framing, is something you can fine-tune during post-processing. Adjusting the hues or ramping up the saturation can enhance the natural color relationships in your scene, and you should always spend a bit of time working with these elements during photo editing. Of course, for the best results, you should always aim to get the colors right in camera and only use post-processing as a last resort.

17. Break the rules

Don’t feel you have to stick to the compositional rules and guidelines outlined above. As with all rules, they don’t always give the best result, and you can break them successfully!

Sometimes positioning the horizon along the center of the frame can produce a much more eye-catching photo, for instance. Yes, it breaks the rule of thirds, but the result is very powerful. And you can even place your main subject in the center of your frame for some intense symmetry.

Bottom line: Don’t be afraid to try out different compositions and experiment to see what looks best.

Landscape photography composition: final words

By now, you should have a solid understanding of the elements that go into creating a visually stunning and emotionally impactful landscape photo. But remember, the rules and tips are just a framework; the real magic happens when you start to apply your own vision and creativity.

Sure, composition may feel overwhelming at first, especially if you’re just dipping your toes into the world of landscape photography. But here’s the thing: The more you practice, the more intuitive it becomes. And before you know it, you’ll be capturing landscapes that really catch the eye!

Now over to you:

Which of these composition tips is your favorite? Which are you going to try first? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Zo’n 591 leerlingen van tien basisscholen uit de regio Nijmegen lazen de afgelopen weken bijna 4.000 boeken in de klas en thuis. Na tien weken leesplezier vond op 29 april het Fluitsignaal van het leesbevorderingsproject Scoor een Boek! plaats. Niet zoals gebruikelijk tijdens een sportdag, maar via een flitsende digitale live show.

Tijdens de live-uitzending dansten de leerlingen erop los, sprak N.E.C.-speler Dirk Proper hen toe via een videoboodschap en was er een spannende quiz. Aan het eind werd het totaal aantal gelezen boeken onthuld: 3.887. Dat betekent dat elke leerling gemiddeld 6,5 boeken heeft gelezen. Een mooie score.

Kees Meulendijks, projectleider van de Bibliotheek Gelderland Zuid zegt dat het project zich keer op keer bewijst. “Dit is nu het vierde jaar dat we het project ‘Scoor een Boek!’ organiseren samen met N.E.C. en leerlingen laten ieder jaar zien dat ze meer gaan lezen door dit project. Halverwege het project kwam ik in de klas en kreeg reacties van kinderen: ‘Ohh juf, mogen we nu eindelijk beginnen met lezen?’ Als ik dat zo hoor, word ik daar heel blij van. En als ik zie hoe vrolijk en vol energie de leerlingen zijn tijdens het Fluitsignaal, blijkt dat ze echt heel blij worden van Scoor een Boek!” aldus Meulendijks.

Martijn van Bergen, docent N.E.C. for Success en betrokken bij het programma Scoor een Boek! is blij met het aantal boeken dat gelezen is: “Dit bewijst de kracht van de samenwerking tussen N.E.C. en de Bibliotheek Gelderland Zuid. We zijn ervan overtuigd dat kinderen dankzij dit project ook in de toekomst blijven lezen.”

The post Bijna 4000 boeken gelezen tijdens leesproject Scoor een Boek appeared first on Bibliotheekblad.

Un avion qui a décollé samedi après-midi de l'aéroport de Maastricht Aix-la-Chapelle, aux Pays-Bas, a perdu des pièces après une explosion dans l'un de ses moteurs, juste après le décollage, a annoncé un porte-parole de la "Région de sécurité", un organisme public de coopération régionale aux Pays-Bas.

De voorbereiding voor je locatie met landschapsfotografie!

So far, Japan and South Korea’s  COVID-19 infection and mortality rates are relatively low despite neither country having been locked down. Both countries had the first cases of infection very early, in mid-January. The measures the two countries took appear different. South Korea was widely regarded as a model country in combating the pandemic. South Korea conducted a large number of tests and conducted rigorous tracking of COVID-19 infected persons and those who were self-quarantined. This model may be hard to follow for other democratic countries. By contrast, Japan has limited testing  and while many feared it would be an epicenter of COVID-19, it was not.

 

 

The Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar Series of classes is designed to provide information on some of the foreign, comparative, and international law issues researched by the foreign law experts at the Law Library of Congress. In this entry Foreign Law Specialist Sayuri Umeda will discuss what both countries have done to successfully combat the first wave of COVID-19 infections and how they plan to deal with the next wave. Please join us on Thursday, July 23, 2020, at 2 p.m. for the webinar “Avoiding the New Wave: Response to the Pandemic in Japan and South Korea”.

Sayuri Umeda is a senior foreign law specialist at the Global Legal Research Directorate at the Law Library of Congress. Sayuri holds a Master of Laws from the George Washington University Law School, and Bachelor of Laws from Chuo University, Japan. Sayuri practiced law in Japan and is admitted to the New York State bar.

Click the link below register for the webinar:

https://foreign-comparative-law-webinar-7-23-2020.eventbrite.com

 

Categories: Auteursrecht
Wat is nieuw in het wetsvoorstel tot implementatie van de DSM-richtlijn ten opzichte van de consultatieversie? Implementatiewet richtlijn auteursrecht in de digitale eengemaakte markt, kamerstukken II 2019/20, 35454  (ingediend 11 mei 2020). Consultatieversie: https://www.internetconsultatie.nl/auteursrecht. Lees verder.

Mark O’Connell’s postcards from doomsday are oddly uplifting

His greatest hits are a good substitute for the intelligent conversation you are missing

The Waldorf Astoria residences’s pool. | Renderings: Courtesy of Noe & Associates/The Boundary

The hotel/condo hybrid is expected to debut in 2022

The Waldorf Astoria’s condo conversion continues to move forward. Three years after closing its doors for its transformation, the iconic hotel has launched sales for its 375 condo residences.

The renovation project, which has been in the works since 2014, is being developed by Dajia Insurance Group and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The new residences will range from studios starting at $1.7 million to four-bedrooms starting at $18.5 million.

“For almost 100 years, the Waldorf Astoria has been New York’s ‘Unofficial Palace,’ and was famously anointed by Conrad Hilton as ‘The Greatest of Them All’,” Andrew Miller, CEO of Dajia US, said in a statement. “Now, with residences for sale for the first time, buyers from New York and all over the world can call it home.”

The interiors and amenities are, expectedly, very fancy. They were designed by Jean-Louis Deniot and include features that allude to the building’s Art Deco style: Tile mosaics with a pattern inspired by the hotel, antique bronze hardware, custom cabinets, herringbone floors, and vanities with polished marble countertops. Some of the units also come with private outdoor spaces.

At a preview earlier this week, Deniot said that the front doors tried to simulate an exterior townhouse front door: “It was very important for us to give the impression of something very individual per unit.”

Meanwhile, as far as the amenities, the building’s residents will have access to an elegant 25-meter swimming pool, a winter garden, four private bars, a gym, and private spas. There will also be a theater with performance space and a children’s playroom.

Sales for the homes come during a widely known softening of the New York City luxury market, which has led to a glut of unsold condos. But in a statement, the developers said they are hopeful that the variety in the units’ pricing will help with sales.

Back in 2014, the developers bought the Waldorf for $2 billion, and in 2017, the hotel closed to begin renovations. Construction for the project is now underway and the developers anticipate both the hotels and residences will open in 2022.

Een lezer vroeg me:

Vorige week blogde je over een werknemer die bij StackOverflow bijdragen doet. In de discussie kwam toen langs hoe je als werknemer de rechten zou kunnen behouden. Ik ben werkgever en wil mijn mensen hierin vrij laten, maar hoe schrijf je zoiets op?

Als werknemer heb je inderdaad niet zomaar zelf de rechten op wat je programmeert, ook niet als je dat in je vrije tijd doet of op je eigen laptop. Het criterium is namelijk of dat werk werkgerelateerd was. Zeg maar of je werkgever je gewoon had kunnen opdragen om dat werk te maken.

Nog belangrijker is dus wat er in je contract staat, want je kunt afspraken maken die verder gaan dan dat. Ik ken bedrijven die zeggen, alles dat raakt aan enig product dat wij uitbrengen dat is van ons. Ben jij Apache webserver beheerder en programmeer je ’s avonds games, dan zijn die van ons want een andere divisie van ons programmeert al games. Dat kan, maar gaat wel ver.

(Het moet wel echt in je arbeidscontract staan, enkel een mededeling in een reglement of achteraf aangekondigd is niet mogelijk. Dit is iets dat vrijwillig moet worden afgesproken, niet eenzijdig kan worden bepaald.)

Het is natuurlijk ook mogelijk dat je als werkgever juist wel wil toestaan dat de werknemer hobbywerk doet dat in de buurt komt van het werk. Dat moet je dan wel even opschrijven, iets dat ook kan nadat het arbeidscontract al lang is getekend. Je stemt dan beiden in met een wijziging van het arbeidscontract, vaak gebeurt dat in een briefje (“side letter”) dat het contract aanvult.

Zo’n wijziging kan een specifieke toestemming bevatten, oftewel verwijzen naar één specifiek project, maar voor de vraagsteller is een algemene toestemming logischer. Dat kan relatief simpel:

Werknemer wordt hierbij toegestaan buiten werktijd en voor zover het werk hier niet onder lijdt, naar eigen inzicht te werken in samenwerkingsverbanden met als oogmerk het als open source aanbieden van software.

De term ‘toestemming’ is nodig omdat werknemers vaak een concurrentieverbod hebben. En een term als “opensourceprojecten” vind ik net te vaag, vandaar deze iets grotere mond vol. Het lijkt me wel belangrijk dat het gaat om aanbieden als open source, omdat je anders gewoon bij de concurrent kunt gaan werken en dat is vast niet de bedoeling. (Het “onder werktijd” kan er natuurlijk af, uiteindelijk is “voor zover het werk er niet onder lijdt” het belangrijkste.)

Dan krijg je juridisch de zenuwen als werkgever, want gaan ze nu gewoon alles inbrengen dat ze bij jou maken of te weten komen? En wat moet je met reputatieschade? Dat soort zorgen schrijf je er dan als aanvullingen (lid 2, 3 et cetera) achteraan:

Werknemer zal bij dergelijk werk de belangen van werkgever niet schaden. In geval van twijfel overleggen partijen vooraf. Voorts zal werknemer geen bedrijfsgeheimen van werkgever of reeds voor werkgever ontwikkelde software inbrengen in dergelijke samenwerkingsverbanden.

Bij die laatste is natuurlijk de crux hoe je zegt, je mag zelf dingen maken maar niet als dat eigenlijk van ons is – terwijl je nou net wil zeggen, die dingen zijn niet van ons. Dat kun je bijvoorbeeld zo doen:

Werknemer zal geen software inbrengen die zhij voor het werk heeft gemaakt of die zhij redelijkerwijs opgedragen zou kunnen worden te maken.

Een andere oplossing is dat je als werkgever wilt horen om welke projecten het gaat, en dan die per stuk goed- of afkeurt. Dat heeft als voordeel dat je per geval heel duidelijk weet waar je staat, maar als nadeel dat je dus niet spontaan iets nieuws kunt gaan doen:

Werknemer wordt hierbij toegestaan buiten werktijd en voor zover het werk hier niet onder lijdt, naar eigen inzicht te werken in de hieronder opgesomd samenwerkingsverbanden welke als oogmerk hebben het als open source aanbieden van software. Werknemer zal bij dergelijk werk de belangen van werkgever niet schaden. In geval van twijfel overleggen partijen vooraf. Voorts zal werknemer geen bedrijfsgeheimen van werkgever of reeds voor werkgever ontwikkelde software inbrengen in dergelijke samenwerkingsverbanden.

Dan heb je alleen nog een clausule nodig die zegt wanneer een nieuw project (“samenwerkingsverband”) wordt toegevoegd:

Op verzoek van werknemer zal werkgever een nieuw samenwerkingsverband toevoegen aan de opsomming hierboven. Een verzoek wordt alleen geweigerd als het verband concurreert met software van werkgever, als werkgever redelijkerwijs mag vrezen voor reputatieschade als bekend wordt dat werknemer daaraan deel zou nemen of als het waarschijnlijk is dat het werk hieronder zou lijden.

Dat zo’n project niet mag concurreren, lijkt me vrij logisch. De tweede eis is ook redelijk voor een werkgever: ook als je op persoonlijke titel ergens aan werkt, kan het afstralen op je werkgever als mensen de link ontdekken. En het werk kan lijden onder een hele grote rol in de privésfeer, dus ook dat lijkt mij een weigeringsgrond.

Wat zouden jullie als werknemer prefereren? Of als werkgever?

Arnoud

Het bericht Hoe laat ik mijn werknemers het auteursrecht houden op hun hobbysoftware? verscheen eerst op Ius Mentis.

Datum

: 1 t/m 27 juni 2018

Locatie

: Maaseik BE

Tijdens zijn periodes van werken, wonen en reizen in Azië - alles opgeteld zo’n 7 jaar - raakte Lodewijk De Decker gefascineerd door het straatleven in de grootsteden. Duizenden uren moet hij gewandeld hebben in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Chiang Mai, Chengdu, Xian, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila, Tokyo, Kathmandu, Colombo, Lhasa en Beijing.

Het zalige slenteren en observeren, proeven en praatjes slaan, het ontwaken van een stad beleven, het nachtleven induiken, de pleinen, boulevards, markten, wijken en tempels ontdekken

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Voor het hoger onderwijs heeft SURF diverse praktische tools ontwikkeld rondom auteursrechten.

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