China Laws and Regulations Update in Augest 2017

1.Catalogue of Industries for Guiding Foreign Investment (Revised Edition 2017)

Promulgated by the National Development and Reform Committee

File No. No.4 Order of the NDRC

Promulgation date: 28th June 2017

Effective date: 28th July 2017

The Catalogue of Industries for Guiding Foreign Investment (Revised Edition 2017) first introduced the negative list for foreign investment access, containing 63 articles about restrictions and prohibitions, decreased by 30 articles compared with the 2015 edition. The Catalogue shall be the basis on which the pre-establishment national treatment and negative list administration model is implemented. No measure should be taken to restrict foreign investment access to any area outside the scope of the negative list. The new Catalogue further relaxes the restrictions on foreign investment access to service, manufacturing and mining industries and especially abolishes the restrictions on foreign investment access to industries of oil and gas for special use, precious metals, lithium ores, etc. (Source: Website of the National Development and Reform Committee)

READ MORE

Using Counterfeit Software to Manufacture Hardware May Constitute Copyright Infringement by the User

Abstract:

(By Luo Yanjie) Using another party’s copyrighted software,  and combining that technology with specific hardware product to produce a similar product may constitute copyright infringement. When determining whether such action constitute as a crime, the penalty may be calculated by the total value  of the hardware and software products,

When employees of high-tech companies leaves their employment, they may cause their former employer huge financial losses if they illegally uses the technology or software they obtained from their former employer. Therefore, companies generally take preventive measures with its employees by methods such as a duty not to compete or a non-disclosure agreement. For serious offenses, companies could consider filing criminal charges. In this post, you would see one such typical case.

READ MORE