| In Principle

An amendment to the Competition and Consumer Protection Act went into force on 18 January 2015. The changes are sweeping.

Work is underway in the Parliament on a government bill to amend the Civil Code and the Civil Procedure Code in a way that would significantly modify the rules for heirs’ liability for debts inherited from the decedent. The first reading of the bill has already been held and it is expected to be approved by the Sejm soon.

The Regulation of the Minister of Justice of 7 October 2014 on Establishment of Certain District Courts came into force on 1 January 2015.

Numerous minor changes in civil procedure enter into force in Poland in January 2015, concerning such matters as submission of disputed items to the court deposit, the rights of non-parties, and certain aspects of competition cases.

Current producers of electricity from renewable energy sources as well as producers from modernised RES installations are to be offered a choice between maintaining the current support rules (using certificates of origin) and a new auction-based support system. The auction system would be applied with respect to new installations put into operation on or after 1 January 2016. Another major element of the latest proposal for the RES Act is support for “prosumer” generation of electricity at micro RES installations.

To all of the readers and authors of our portal, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Lots of folks in Poland are wondering why exactly the new Consumer Rights Act is entering into force on the 25th of December. It sure looks like a lobbying effort by Old Saint Nick.

To figure out Santa’s secrets, there are modern high-tech devices that might come in handy. But what does the law allow?

The traditional Polish dinner on Christmas Eve is expected to offer an even dozen items. Considering how quickly the favourite items disappear at our law firm’s annual holiday reception, some gourmands would probably be happy to increase the “statutory” number of dishes. This year a lot of the nibbling was done by Santa’s drivers—Rudolph and company.

In practice, the parties often refer to any contract for a construction project as a construction contract. But many such contracts are not actually “contracts for construction work,” but “contracts for a specific work.”

They have much in common. Both of these creative toys develop dexterity, logical thinking skills and imagination. But the European Court of Justice has held that the shape of Lego bricks is determined solely by their functional characteristics, while the EU’s General Court has found the opposite to be true of the shape of Rubik’s Cube. In practice this means that a graphic presentation of a Lego brick cannot be a trademark, but a graphic presentation of Rubik’s Cube can.

Companies listed on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange and NewConnect will be required to release year-end and interim reports as well as disclose inside information. This is more of an evolution in reporting requirements than a revolution.