My holidays are over, what did you learn from your vacations?

My holidays are officially over, but as those close to me know, I just can't stop learning from every experience!

Every day, I jot down the things I've learned from whatever happens to me on my phone's Notes app. I'm not so arrogant to compare it to the "taccuini" of Leonardo Da Vinci, but when I found out he did the same, I felt so proud!

I'm so excited to share this special edition of my newsletter! I'll be summarizing some of my lessons from this summer. They're based on what happened during my holidays, the books I read, and just random ideas/comments I had:

1. Family time is Not just time With the family: Time management is crucial in our busy lives. I think we can all agree that spending time with our families while continuously looking at our phones is not the best way to show them love and attention. My kids are at that age where they'll only have a few more summers with my wife and I. So I'm on a mission to find more activities to share with them! This summer, I had the chance to learn (a bit of) surfing with my whole family, and I bought some books to become a better chess player since they're really passionate about this game. Likewise, I'll be working on getting in better shape, since my wife is an amazing hiker and I'm never able to keep up with her! I'll also make sure to dedicate more time to my parents and my brother.
2. More actions and Fewer meetings: In our business, we tend to organize meetings for any possible topic. These meetings are great because they give everyone a chance to be involved in decisions. But, unfortunately, most of them don't really lead to any follow-up action. I'd like to see us limit the number of meetings to just the ones that are really necessary. It'd also be great if we could end each meeting with a plan of action and start the next one with a quick recap of what we've done so far. It's so important for us to keep up with the progress we're making, especially since business is becoming more and more competitive. We can't afford to be left behind!
3. Positivity and Smiling are my new Mantras: I must admit that I'm often moody and I find it difficult to separate my professional and private lives. I've noticed that if you approach things with a positive attitude and greet everyone with a smile and a kind word, it's contagious! People are so lovely, they tend to smile back, and even tough days turn into better days. The 1-3-1 rule is a great way to tackle any problem. Just identify the issue, think about the three possible solutions, and then choose the one that works best for you.
4. Everyone's Different: I've always made sure to take care of my group members' personal needs. However, I often had a tendency to see challenges as I would tackle them. I know that people are different though, especially in this historical period, so I will make sure to be flexible. I'll do my best to listen to my team members and understand their needs and issues. I'll listen carefully to make sure I'm getting the most out of the amazing talents in our group.
5. Keep Learning and Growing: I will try to meet my clients more often and carefully listen to their needs. I think it's so important for us to adjust our services to them, rather than focusing on our offering. After all, that's the key to any innovation! My group and I really want to soak up as much as we can from the outside world and bring that learning back into our organization and services. At the same time, we want to keep on innovating to surprise and delight our clients! Likewise, I've found that reading biographies of leading professionals is a great way to learn from past experiences and enrich our approach. I'd love to read more this year, too! This summer, I had the pleasure of reading "Il Coraggio di Provarci" by Cristina Scocchia, "Hit Refresh" by Satya Nadella, and "La rivoluzione degli outsider" by Claudia Parzani. Also, I just started reading "No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention" by Reed Hastings. Please provide any suggestions you may have for books on this topic.

What are your own lessons learned from this summer? Share them in the comments below.

I jot down the things I've learned from whatever happens to me or I read on my phone's Notes app. I'm not so arrogant to compare it to the "taccuini" of Leonardo Da Vinci, but when I found out he did the same, I felt so proud!

I'm so excited to share this special edition of my newsletter! I'll be summarizing some of my lessons from this summer. They're based on what happened during my holidays, the books I read, and just random ideas/comments I had:

1. Family time is Not just time With the family: Time management is crucial in our busy lives. I think we can all agree that spending time with our families while continuously looking at our phones is not the best way to show them love and attention. My kids are at that age where they'll only have a few more summers with my wife and I. So I'm on a mission to find more activities to share with them! This summer, I had the chance to learn (a bit of) surfing with my whole family, and I bought some books to become a better chess player since they're really passionate about this game. Likewise, I'll be working on getting in better shape, since my wife is an amazing hiker and I'm never able to keep up with her! I'll also make sure to dedicate more time to my parents and my brother.
2. More actions and Fewer meetings: In our business, we tend to organize meetings for any possible topic. These meetings are great because they give everyone a chance to be involved in decisions. But, unfortunately, most of them don't really lead to any follow-up action. I'd like to see us limit the number of meetings to just the ones that are really necessary. It'd also be great if we could end each meeting with a plan of action and start the next one with a quick recap of what we've done so far. It's so important for us to keep up with the progress we're making, especially since business is becoming more and more competitive. We can't afford to be left behind!
3. Positivity and Smiling are my new Mantras: I must admit that I'm often moody and I find it difficult to separate my professional and private lives. I've noticed that if you approach things with a positive attitude and greet everyone with a smile and a kind word, it's contagious! People are so lovely, they tend to smile back, and even tough days turn into better days. The 1-3-1 rule is a great way to tackle any problem. Just identify the issue, think about the three possible solutions, and then choose the one that works best for you.
4. Everyone's Different: I've always made sure to take care of my group members' personal needs. However, I often had a tendency to see challenges as I would tackle them. I know that people are different though, especially in this historical period, so I will make sure to be flexible. I'll do my best to listen to my team members and understand their needs and issues. I'll listen carefully to make sure I'm getting the most out of the amazing talents in our group.
5. Keep Learning and Growing: I will try to meet my clients more often and carefully listen to their needs. I think it's so important for us to adjust our services to them, rather than focusing on our offering. After all, that's the key to any innovation! My group and I really want to soak up as much as we can from the outside world and bring that learning back into our organization and services. At the same time, we want to keep on innovating to surprise and delight our clients! Likewise, I've found that reading biographies of leading professionals is a great way to learn from past experiences and enrich our approach. I'd love to read more this year, too! This summer, I had the pleasure of reading "Il Coraggio di Provarci" by Cristina Scocchia , "Hit Refresh" by Satya Nadella , and "La rivoluzione degli outsider" by Claudia Parzani . Also, I just started reading "No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention" by Reed Hastings. Please provide any suggestions you may have for books on this topic.

What are your own lessons learned from this summer? Share them in the comments below.

Here are the articles of the week from the Italian Intellectual Property & Technology group at DLA Piper.

Artificial Intelligence

New US legislation aims to regulate AI-generated content

A group of US senators has recently filed an ambitious bill aimed at making it easier to authenticate and identify AI-generated content. This legislative initiative, known as the COPIED ACT (Content Origin Protection and Integrity from Edited and Deepfake Media Act), seeks to establish federal guidelines to ensure transparency in AI-generated content and protect copyright in an era increasingly dominated by digital manipulation and automated content creation. Read more

Why is AI training recommended and mandatory?

A new study reveals a lack of knowledge among employees about how to use AI, which runs counter to C-level expectations that it will boost productivity. But are managers aware that AI training and internal rules are mandatory under the EU’s AI Act and could protect their companies from significant risks? Read more

Data Protection and Cybersecurity

Is privacy for generative AI at turning point?

The Hamburg Data Protection Authority’s position on the lack of personal data processing by large language models (LLMs) during data storage, if combined with CNIL’s recent view, might signal a 360-degree change in privacy authorities’ approach to data processing performed by generative AI. Read more

Italian DPA publishes FAQs on the right to be forgotten for cancer survivors

Following the entry into force of Law No. 193/2023 on the right to be forgotten for cancer survivors, the Italian Data Protection Authority (Italian DPA) has released a set of FAQs to clarify its scope and application. This is an important protection for individuals who have overcome cancer and have clinically recovered. Read more

Intellectual Property

UPC: The first cases before the Milan Central Division

The Milan Central Division was inaugurated on 1 July 2024 and, after just one month, it’s already fully operational. According to the latest update published on the UPC website at the end of July, two cases have already been brought before the Milan Central Division, namely a revocation action and an application for provisional measures. This brings the total number of cases filed before the Court of First Instance to 447 since the UPC system became operational (1 June 2023). Read more

Technology Media and Telecommunication

ESMA releases new working paper on DeFi: Categorising smart contracts

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has recently published a groundbreaking working paper focused on the rapidly evolving field of decentralized finance (DeFi). Titled “Decentralised Finance: A Categorisation of smart contracts”. The paper delves into the critical role of smart contracts in the DeFi ecosystem. Read more

Learn about Prisca AI Compliance, the legal tech tool developed by DLA Piper to assess the maturity of artificial intelligence systems against the AI Act, the data protectionkey regulations and technical standards here. And read our report on the most relevant provisions of the AI Act here.

You can learn more about “Transfer,” the legal tech tool developed by DLA Piper to support companies in evaluating data transfers out of the EEA (TIA) here, and check out a DLA Piper publication outlining Gambling regulation here.

Also, we are proud to announce the publication of DLA Piper's Video Games Laws of the World, your essential resource for navigating the complex legal landscape of the videogaming industry across multiple jurisdictions available here.