(By Wang Ting and You Yunting)The limited liability of the shareholders means that the liability of the shareholder to the company are limited to its capital contribution, and the independent personality of corporation means that the Company shall fulfill its external liabilities by all of its properties. Therefore, the shareholders usually do not take personal responsibility in IPR infringement cases even when the long-term business of the company is infringement of the intellectual property rights (“IPR”) in most cases. However, today we will introduce a recent case, in which the shareholders were determined to take such joint liabilities for the IPR infringements.
Exactly what are Values of the Two-Year College.
Superior schooling within this nation is speedily turning into a need within the venture group as a substitute for an extravagance. With the previous the people today who had a secondary faculty teaching continue to experienced the prospect to manufacture a superior society for themselves as well as their people. People days are promptly turning into one other dieing coal of the earlier. About the off likelihood that you just wish to have vast obtaining prospective amid your life span you could be thoroughly restricted by your understanding future also, the amount of instruction you will have gotten.
Does Engaging Employee liable for Non-Competition Constitute Infringement in China?
(By Yue Mengyan) An employee violates non-competition clause in his previous labor contract with his former employer, and works for a new employer, which has a competitive relationship with his former one. Could the former employer claim the new employer to be liable for such infringement, in addition to the employee’s liability for breach of contract? Pursuant to relevant laws and regulations in China, we will introduce a case and make our analysis in the following.
Case Introduction:
Appellant (defendant of first instance): Liu Guoqing
Laws and Regulations Update in November 2016
1.The Ministry of Commerce Publishes the Provisional Rules on the Establishment and Change of Registered Records of Foreign Invested Enterprises
Published on 8th October 2016, the Rules consists of clauses on the application scope, registration process, supervision and inspection procedures, legal responsibilities, etc. relating to the registration policy for the foreign invested businesses applying for establishment or a change of registered records not involving special access rules of PRC, set out in the revised versions of four foreign investment related laws including the Law of Foreign-funded Enterprises, issued by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. [Full Text]
Does the “GAP Underwear” Trademark Have Adverse Effect by Its Name?
(By Luo Yanjie) Trademark Office (the “CTMO”) has been increasingly tightened its standards on trademark reviewing and claiming that the trademark itself may cause “adverse effect”. Competent authorities are more than inclined to use such grounds indiscriminately by treating it as an all-purpose shield to deal with distinct situations. Recently, the Supreme People’s Court remedied such phenomenon by making its decision on the GAP Underwear’s cases. The following is our detailed introduction:
Laws and Regulations Update in October 2016
1. Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Amending Four Laws including the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises
Published on 5th September 2016 and coming into effect on 1st October 2016, the Decision involves the amendment of Law of the PRC on Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprises, Law of the PRC on Chinese-Foreign Equity Joint Ventures, Law of the PRC on Chinese-Foreign Contractual Joint Ventures and Law of the PRC on the Protection of Investments of Taiwan Compatriots. According to the amended laws, the registration system applies to foreign invested companies, joint ventures, Chinese-Foreign cooperative companies, which are not required by national laws to follow special market access administration rules promulgated by or with approval of the State Council, when they are being established or undergoing a change. The decrees issued by the State Council ordering a temporary change of laws and rules for the free trade zone as authorized by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress will no longer continue in effect. [Full Text]
Could Prior Used Right Be Counterargument Against Latter Registered Trademark?
(By Luo Yanjie) Recently, the Supreme People’s Court interpreted a definite attitude through a complicated case lasting for years that prior-used logo shall not be used as counterargument against latter registered trademark except under certain circumstances. The followings are our detailed introduction:
Introduction to the Case:
1st Retrial Petitioner (Plaintiff at first instance, Appellant at second instance): LIANG Huo (the “Liang”);
2nd Retrial Petitioner (Plaintiff at first instance, Appellant at second instance): LU Yijian (the “Lu”)
Laws and Regulations Update in September 2016
1. The Ministry of Transport and Seven Other Departments Co-Promulgate the Interim Measures on the Administration of Online Taxi Booking
The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine and the Cyberspace Administration, of the People’s Republic of China co-promulgated the Interim Measures on the Administration of Online Taxi Booking (“Measures”) on 14th July, which will take effect on 1st November. Qualified private cars under the Measures can be used as vehicles bookable online and registered as “taxis for passengers to be booked online”. The Measures further expressly sets out that “the fare for the vehicles bookable online is subject to variable market prices, except the municipal government believes it necessary to implement the government’s guidance price”, “any vehicle bookable online that has been driven for up to 600 thousand kilometers must be reported as an abandoned vehicle”, and “any person driving a vehicle bookable online is required to have no criminal record”. [Full Text]
Laws and Regulations Update in August 2016
1. The Ministry of Justice Issues the Notice on the Revocation of the Notice of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Construction on Strengthening the Notarization Work for the Property Registration Administration
According to the Notice of the Ministry of Justice on the Revocation of the Notice of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Construction on Strenthening the Notarization Work for the Property Registration Administration, notarization is not necessary to complete real estate registration formalities relating to inheritance, will, bequeathing, ownership transfer of property involving persons from abroad or Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan. [Full Text]
Laws and Regulations Update in July 2016
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]
Laws and Regulations Update in June 2016
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.
Laws and Regulations Update in May 2016
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.
In What Ways Can Startups Obtain Competitive Advantages from Intellectual Property?
(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.
Laws and Regulations Update in March 2016
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
What Should Startup Entrepreneurs Know to Negotiate with Outside Investors and Handle Equity issues?
(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.