Bill Gates
American businessman and philanthropist 
United States
Scam
Claims alleged wrongful conduct in vaccine deployment/safety
Seven Dutch plaintiffs filed a civil lawsuit (not criminal) in the District Court of Northern Netherlands (location: Leeuwarden) against Gates and 16 other defendants.
The plaintiffs allege that Gates and the others "misled them … by inducing them to have COVID-19 injections which the defendants knew, or at least should have known, were not safe and effective."
Gates objected to the court’s jurisdiction on the basis that he resides in the United States (and is not resident in the Netherlands).
On 16 October 2024, the court ruled that it does have international jurisdiction over Gates. The court found that because one of the other defendants (domiciled in the Netherlands) falls under its jurisdiction and the claims against all defendants form part of the same "complex of facts", the court may extend jurisdiction to Gates under Article 7(1) of the Dutch Code of Civil Procedure.
The court ordered Gates to pay legal costs of €1,406 (approx USD 1,500) as the losing party in the jurisdiction dispute.
Although the court ruled it has jurisdiction, this is a procedural decision about jurisdiction, not a finding of liability on the merits of the claim.
The plaintiffs allege that Gates and the others "misled them … by inducing them to have COVID-19 injections which the defendants knew, or at least should have known, were not safe and effective."
Gates objected to the court’s jurisdiction on the basis that he resides in the United States (and is not resident in the Netherlands).
On 16 October 2024, the court ruled that it does have international jurisdiction over Gates. The court found that because one of the other defendants (domiciled in the Netherlands) falls under its jurisdiction and the claims against all defendants form part of the same "complex of facts", the court may extend jurisdiction to Gates under Article 7(1) of the Dutch Code of Civil Procedure.
The court ordered Gates to pay legal costs of €1,406 (approx USD 1,500) as the losing party in the jurisdiction dispute.
Although the court ruled it has jurisdiction, this is a procedural decision about jurisdiction, not a finding of liability on the merits of the claim.
Business
Kenya issues Gazette Notice granting special privileges/immunities to BMGF under the Privileges & Immunities Act (Legal Notice 157)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s status under the Privileges and Immunities Act (Kenya) (“the Act”) via Legal Notice 157 of 2024
The Order titled “The Privileges and Immunities (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) Order, 2024” sets out the legal basis for granting the Foundation certain privileges and immunities in Kenya.
Here are the main points:
The Order may be cited as the Privileges and Immunities (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) Order, 2024.
It declares the Foundations — “the Foundation”, being a charitable trust established to fight poverty, disease and inequality in over one hundred and forty countries globally, and with which the Government of Kenya has entered into an agreement for cooperation — to be an organisation to which section 11 of the Act shall apply.
The Foundation is granted the legal capacity of a body corporate in Kenya:
a) to enter into contracts;
b) to institute and defend legal proceedings; and
c) to acquire, hold or dispose of movable and immovable property in accordance with Kenyan law.
The Foundation is granted the privileges and immunities specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.
The director, officials and staff of the Foundation — while residing in Kenya and performing duties in the service of the Foundation — are granted privileges and immunities specified in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Part III of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.
However: The Order provides that paragraph 5 (which grants certain immunities to the staff) shall not apply to a Kenyan citizen or a person ordinarily resident in Kenya except solely for the purpose of being an employee of, and working exclusively for, the Foundation.
The Order was made by the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs (the name given: Musalia Mudavadi) on 19 September 2024.
It was gazetted (published) as Legal Notice 157 of 2024: in Kenya Gazette Vol CXXVI-No 172 on 18 October 2024.
The Order’s commencement date is 4 October 2024.
The Order titled “The Privileges and Immunities (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) Order, 2024” sets out the legal basis for granting the Foundation certain privileges and immunities in Kenya.
Here are the main points:
The Order may be cited as the Privileges and Immunities (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) Order, 2024.
It declares the Foundations — “the Foundation”, being a charitable trust established to fight poverty, disease and inequality in over one hundred and forty countries globally, and with which the Government of Kenya has entered into an agreement for cooperation — to be an organisation to which section 11 of the Act shall apply.
The Foundation is granted the legal capacity of a body corporate in Kenya:
a) to enter into contracts;
b) to institute and defend legal proceedings; and
c) to acquire, hold or dispose of movable and immovable property in accordance with Kenyan law.
The Foundation is granted the privileges and immunities specified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.
The director, officials and staff of the Foundation — while residing in Kenya and performing duties in the service of the Foundation — are granted privileges and immunities specified in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of Part III of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.
However: The Order provides that paragraph 5 (which grants certain immunities to the staff) shall not apply to a Kenyan citizen or a person ordinarily resident in Kenya except solely for the purpose of being an employee of, and working exclusively for, the Foundation.
The Order was made by the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs (the name given: Musalia Mudavadi) on 19 September 2024.
It was gazetted (published) as Legal Notice 157 of 2024: in Kenya Gazette Vol CXXVI-No 172 on 18 October 2024.
The Order’s commencement date is 4 October 2024.
Business
Infoflows sued Corbis for trade-secret mis-appropriation, breach of contract, bad-faith dealings.
InfoFlows, a Washington-state software company founded by Steve Stone, developed a digital-asset / license-management system (sometimes referenced as “Fedmark” or “JazzSpider”).
Corbis (founded by Bill Gates in 1989) is a major digital-image/licensing business.
In late 2005/early 2006 InfoFlows and Corbis entered into a development agreement: InfoFlows would build a system for Corbis to track/manage licensed and unlicensed uses of Corbis’ image repository.
InfoFlows claims that while Corbis was working with InfoFlows, Corbis secretly filed a patent application covering a system that in InfoFlows’ view drew on InfoFlows’ proprietary tech. InfoFlows says Corbis then terminated the contract and claimed ownership of the technology.
Corbis (founded by Bill Gates in 1989) is a major digital-image/licensing business.
In late 2005/early 2006 InfoFlows and Corbis entered into a development agreement: InfoFlows would build a system for Corbis to track/manage licensed and unlicensed uses of Corbis’ image repository.
InfoFlows claims that while Corbis was working with InfoFlows, Corbis secretly filed a patent application covering a system that in InfoFlows’ view drew on InfoFlows’ proprietary tech. InfoFlows says Corbis then terminated the contract and claimed ownership of the technology.