Author Archives: yytbest

Laws and Regulations Update in July 2016

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1. The State Council Publishes the Guiding Opinions on the Establishment and Strengthening of the Credit-Based Incentive and Punishment System in Order to Accelerate the Build-up of Social Credit and Moral Awareness

 

On 12th June 2016 the State Council published the Guiding Opinions on the Establishment and Strengthening of the Credit-Based Incentive and Punishment System in Order to Accelerate the Build-up of Social Credit and Moral Awareness (“Guiding Opinions”)

The Guiding Opinions indicates the necessity of the rapid development of the social credit system, making information about a person’s credit more widely available and shared, by using motivation and restraint in a legal way and creating a credit-based incentive and punishment mechanism involving government authorities and other communities in various regions, departments and areas, in order to make sure that people could do businesses in legal and honest ways without violating the good market order, in a society with good moral awareness. [Full Text]

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Laws and Regulations Update in June 2016

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1. Notice of the State Council on Issuing the Transitional Plan on Adjusting the Distribution of the Value-Added Tax Revenue between the Central Government and the Local Governments after the Comprehensive Promotion of the Pilot Program of Replacing Business Tax with Value-Added Tax

This Notice was issued by the State Council on 30th April 2016, stating that the transitional plan described therein would come into effect on 1st May 2016 and the transitional period would be two to three years. According to this Notice, the repayment base for the central government and the payment base for the local governments should be assessed on the base of the year 2014, and the total income from payments for the value added tax would be shared by the central government and the local governments, of which 50% belongs to the central government and the rest 50% would be allocated to and shared by the local governments of the areas of the taxpayers.

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Laws and Regulations Update in May 2016

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1. The Supreme People’s Court Issues Official Reply Concerning the Disposition of Seized Property by the First Seizing Court and the Enforcement Court for a priority Claim

On 12th April 2016, the Supreme People’s Court issued an official reply to the request by the Higher People’s Court of Fujian Province for clarifying some issues concerning the disposition of seized property by the first seizing court and the enforcement court for a priority claim. This Judicial Interpretation came into effect on 14th April 2016.

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In What Ways Can Startups Obtain Competitive Advantages from Intellectual Property?

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(By You Yunting) Large number of business opportunities have arisen from the rapid development of wireless and mobile technologies. As a result, new startups appear one after another, scrambling for these opportunities. However, the faster a market grows, the fiercer competition it involves. The process of Entrepreneurship is a race with other outstanding entrepreneurs, in which they use reasonable efforts to gain competitive advantages and win their rivals. If properly used, intellectual property rights can be very helpful in creating advantages. Here, let’s talk about what advantages can startups create by using intellectual property.

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Laws and Regulations Update in March 2016

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1 The Ministry of Land and Resources Issues the Detailed Implementation of the Interim Regulations on Real Estate Registration

On 1st January 2016, the Ministry of Land and Resources issued and made effective the Detailed Implementation of the Interim Regulations on Real Estate Registration.

(For more details, please consult with your lawyer.)

Sourced from the official website of the Ministry of Land Resources of the P.R.C.:

http://www.mlr.gov.cn/zwgk/flfg/tdglflfg/201601/t20160115_1395046.htm

2 The State Administration of Taxation to Simplify and Combine the Procedures Relating to the Filing of Tax Returns and the Payment of Taxes

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What Should Startup Entrepreneurs Know to Negotiate with Outside Investors and Handle Equity issues?

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(By You Yunting) The other day I had a conversation with a lawyer of a foreign law firm. That lawyer, who specializes in handling legal affairs of VIE financing on behalf of the investment side, told me that many startups would sign investment agreements proposed by investors directly without any argument. To be honest, I can hardly understand nor agree with this kind of practice. I think investors may actually feel ambivalence in face of such situation, too. On one hand, they can get more control over the invested business as well as other extra benefits. With probably unfair terms being included in an investment agreement, investors may be happy to have a favorable position in the relationships with startups. On the other hand, the investors are expecting to gain lucrative profits, so they may doubt whether the startups will be able to win fierce competitions of the market as they behaved so obediently when making investment agreements. This article talks about common points of financing negotiation between startups and investors as well as startups’ internal equity allocation issues.

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Directors’ Liability in China

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(By Yu Zhiyuan) Directors’ liability in China is an attractive matter to foreigners who act or intend to act as directors in China. Today, we would like to introduce directors’ liability in China to the below questions.

1. What are the key areas of liability that directors in China need to be aware of?

Directors shall abide by laws, administrative regulations and articles of association of the company and shall have the fiduciary and diligent duties to the company.

Directors may not abuse their authorities by accepting bribes or generating other illegal income, and may not convert company property.

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China Laws and Regulations Update in December 2015

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1 The State Council Issues Policy, Emphasizing Combating Fake Goods Sales and Copyright Infringements on Internet                 

On 7th November, 2015, the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Intensifying the Regulation of intellectual property Infringement and Counterfeiting in the Internet Domain (the “Opinions”) with the aim to strengthen regulation of infringement and counterfeiting behaviors in the internet domain and promote sound growth of the e-commerce industry. The Opinions pointed out main activities the government authorities will fight against, including online sale of counterfeited and inferior products and internet copyright infringement.

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China Laws and Regulations Update in November 2015

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1 The Central Government Pushes to Introduce Negative List System for Market Access across the Country

On 19th October 2015, the State Council issued the Opinions on Implementing Negative List System for Market Access (“Opinions”), pushing to introduce the system nationwide. As set forth by the Opinions, pilot negative list system for market access will be launched in certain selected districts from 1st December 2015 to 31st December 2017, and a nationally uniform negative list system for market access and corresponding policies are expected to be implemented as of 2018, under which except for those listed on the negative list, all kinds of entities have equitable access to markets and businesses under applicable laws.

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Case Analysis: Legal Risks in Franchise Business

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(By Yu Zhiyuan) I recently represented a client who was finally the winning party to a typical franchise dispute case, from which we can learn most legal risks possibly facing franchisors and franchisees during their performance of franchise business as well as operational standards and risk control measures for businesses in the brand chain industry.

  1. Case Facts  

In this case, the franchiser, owner of a well-known early childhood education brand, entered into a franchise agreement with each franchisee to perform franchise activities as a chain store dealing in the franchiser’s brand. As mutually agreed, in addition to one-off franchise fees and deposits, each franchisee should pay royalty fees in advance before each royalty year begins, and if there is any overdue payment of royalty fees, penalties.

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China Laws and Regulations Update in September 2015

  1. The State Council Issues Policies on the Promotion of Imports and Exports On 22nd July 2015, the General Office of the State Council of the P.R.C. issued the Policies on the Promotion of Imports and Exports.

(For more details, please refer to your lawyer.)

Sourced from the official website of the National Government of the P.R.C.:   http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2015-07/24/content_10031.htm

  1. The Supreme People’s Court Issues New Judicial Interpretation, Conditionally Recognizing the Validity of Private Lending Between Enterprises

On 6th August 2015, the Supreme People’s Court issued the judicial interpretation on Private Lending, which will take into effect on 1st September 2015.

The new judicial interpretation specifies the conditions of the effectiveness of private lending agreements and notably validates private lending between private enterprises which meets the requirements thereof.

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China Laws and Regulations Update in August 2015

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  1. The People’s Bank of China and the Other Nine Authorities Jointly Issue Policies on Boosting the Internet Finance Industry            

On 18th July 2015, the People’s Bank of China, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Legislative Affairs Office, the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission and the State Internet Information Office jointly issued the Policies on Boosting the Internet Finance Industry (“Policies”).

Such Policies provide a range of instructions on supporting and encouraging internet finance activities and specify duties of administration and control over major internet finance activities such as payment over the internet, network lending, equity crowd-funding, sale of funds via the internet, internet insurance, internet trust, doing and closing transactions through the internet.

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Litigation in China–A Long and Rocky Road

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(By Dr. Wenbao Qiao) For foreign companies doing business in China, dispute and litigation may sometimes be inevitable. Once a dispute cannot be resolved out of court, there is a long and rocky road to the final success, with several important points to be considered for planning and handling of litigation in China:

Documents and Evidence

The first step of each procedure is to collect and prepare all necessary documents and evidence. According to Chinese law, documents and evidence from another country (such as excerpts from the commercial register or powers of attorney) have to be first notarized in their country of origin and then certified by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in the respective country. Only notarized and certified documents and evidence will be accepted by Chinese courts. While preparing the documents and evidence, attention should be paid to the timeline required for the notarization and certification. There are several important statutory deadlines shown below. Failure to meet these deadlines can lead to the loss of a case. Notarization and certification in Germany usually takes two to three weeks, which in turn may play a critical role for the time schedule of trial preparation.

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What Legal Risks Involved in Event Marketing in China?

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Wang Feng

 (By You Yunting) Mr. Wang Feng (in the Left Picture), the husband of the well-known international film star, Ms. Zhang Ziyi, is a famous singer in China, whose image has immense commercial value. Amateur singer Ding (in the Right Picture) became famous because of imitating Wang Feng in an imitation talented show. Except the similar appearance, he dressed up himself as Wang Feng did, sang the songs created by Wang Feng and even claimed to have his face changed in order to achieve a more vivid effect. As is reported that Wang Feng filed a lawsuit for infringing his rights of name and portrait against Ding who was suspected of profit-making publicity by using the name and photos of Wang Feng in Weibo. Wang Feng claimed to stop the infringement immediately and pay compensation for the infringement incurred.

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Why Uber China Takes Legal Risks to Mega Millionaire Marketing Promotion?

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uber

(By You Yunting) Recently, Uber Shanghai carries out a marketing activity called Call for one hundred million by one button of Uber cooperated with 1qiaobao, an App owned by PINGAN INSURANCE GRP. According to the Uber’s official Weibo, users can use the Uber App to call the securicar provided by both Uber and 1qianbao, and anyone who is the winner of the caller can obtain all the financing earnings of one hundred million yuan, which is about ten thousand yuan. I think this activity has huge legal risks, therefore hereunder are the risks and its reason.

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