On 2 June 2020 an amendment to the Compensation Bonus Act was published in the collection of laws, thanks to which, in addition to self-employed persons, some shareholder/members in limited liability companies will also receive this support. Financial offices should commence paying out the bonus to shareholders on the basis of submitted applications no later than 3 June 2020, i.e. the date of effectiveness of the legislative amendment ...
On 19 May 2020, an Act On certain measures to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus epidemic known as SARS CoV-2 on cultural events (Act No 247/2020 Coll, the “Act” ), entered into force. Not only for the field of tourism, but also for the field of culture, the possibility of the organizer to issue a voucher for a cultural event instead of refunding the entrance ticket fee was introduced ...
Last year, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Director Andrei Iancu noted that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to “fundamentally chang[e]” “the legal concepts of inventor or author.”[i] The USPTO recently had cause to consider this issue. On petition, the USPTO considered whether an applicant can name an AI program as an inventor on a patent application ...
In the age of social distancing, it is about time the law is changed to allow wills to be executed electronically.Ingenious lawyers all over the Commonwealth are dreaming up rigmaroles for the signing of wills amid the pandemic. An English law firm has suggested that the will be signed at a park bench, with witnesses lurking nearby, ready to rotate around the document ...
On 30 May 2020, the Abu Dhabi Media Office posted through Twitter that the Department of Government Support has eased restrictions on some activities and issued a set of guidelines for working from and visiting government entities in Abu Dhabi. The guidelines below come into effect from today, 1 June 2020, and are limited to individuals between the ages of 12 and 60 ...
We are in unprecedented times. The Covid-19 pandemic has swept the globe like a tsunami and it continues to wreak havoc on countries, people and economies. The effects of the pandemic are evident now. For example, the US unemployment rate is presently at 14.7%. In the peak of the financial crisis of 2008, the unemployment rate was 10% ...
The Amendments to the Agreement on Trade in Services of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Amendment) which was signed on 21 November 2019 has come into force on 1 June 2020. Trade in Services is one of the four major areas covered by the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), under which Hong Kong service suppliers enjoy preferential treatment when entering certain service sectors in the Mainland ...
States’ responses to the global pandemic may, however well-intended, harm the interests of inward investors. Under international public law, those investors have rights and so a spate of investor-State arbitral claims may well be a legacy of the pandemic. Across the world, governments have responded to Covid-19 by introducing emergency measures, which have inhibited social interaction and hampered economic activity ...
Industry solutions relying on artificial intelligence (AI)are growing faster than many had predicted. In addition to the important personal data protection considerations, another important question which this new and emerging technology is raising relates to the AI safety problems and their legal response. So far, the European Union and Bulgaria have not adopted legislation specifically tackling the AI phenomenon and in particular – the safety concerns associated with AI ...
The Canadian government, concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on corporate valuations, has issued guidance that it will pay particular attention to foreign direct investments of any value (meaning, even investments that are not subject to review under the Investment Canada Act (the “ICA”)). The government’s announcement does not amend the ICA, nor any thresholds for review ...
On 25 May 2020, the General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR") has been applied for two years. A few days prior to the GDPR's anniversary, the first administrative fines for violations of data protection were imposed in Finland. In Finland, an administrative fine under the GDPR may be imposed by the Sanctions Board formed jointly by the Data Protection Ombudsman and two Deputy Data Protection Ombudsmen ...
I. Background On March 4, 2020, Supreme Decree (the “SD”) Nr. 183, issued by the Ministry of National Defense, Undersecretary for the Armed Forces, was published in the Official Gazette (the “Amendment”), which amended SD Nr. 9, the New Regulation on Maritime Concessions (the “New Regulation”), which in turn substituted the previous regulation contained in SD Nr. 2 of 2005, issued by the former Undersecretary of Navy. II ...
Following the global trend for tax transparency and fighting harmful tax practices, Ukraine finally adopted its ownanti-BEPS package law, known by businesses and tax practitioners as "tax bill 1210". Asters selected the key takeaways for businesses operating across the borders. The law is in effect starting from 23 May 2020 with some provisions taking effect later. I ...
The last two years have seen an expansion of regulations related to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), both in the United States and abroad. COVID-19 is driving further expansion of FDI in the U.S. and elsewhere. Owners and investors need to know — expansion of regulations gaps closed in national security reviews new inclusion of medical supplies and food non-controlling investments also scrutinized Whether by intent or coincidence, the U.S ...
On 18 May 2020, the UAE government announced the following timings with effect from today, 20 May 2020: the National Disinfection Programme will take place between 08:00pm (not 10:00pm) to 06:00am the following day. working hours of butchers, mills and cafes will be from 06:00am to 08:00pm. commercial centres and malls will be open from 09:00am to 07:00pm (with new opening hours to be announced after the upcoming Eid ...
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has issued guidelines on data protection in work from home (WFH) arrangements (NPC PHE Bulletin No. 12 on “Protecting Personal Data in a Work from Home Arrangement; issued May 15, 2020). The full text of the guidelines can be found here: https://www.privacy.gov.ph/2020/05/npc-phe-bulletin-no-12-protecting-personal-data-in-a-work-from-home-arrangement/ ...
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been forced to work from home and this has created new opportunities and very fertile ground for the emergence of cyber threats. Accordingly, on 29 April 2020, the Intermediaries Supervision Department of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued a circular (Circular) containing examples of controls and procedures firms can put in place to manage their cybersecurity risks ...
Preface Artificial intelligence[1](AI) is widely recognised as one of the defining industrial phenomena of the 21stcentury. In today’s technology-dependent world, its potential impact on business and economic development can hardly be understated ...
The Vietnam Competition and Consumer Authority has released several documents related to the merger notification regime that was effectively implemented on 15 May 2020, the effective date of Decree 35. As the National Competition Committee has not yet been appointed, the documents clarify that, in accordance with its responsibility under Article 7 ...
Is Coronavirus the Great Leveller? When the novel coronavirus first started spreading like wildfire, people called it the “great leveller”. No respecter of status or economic background, Covid-19 affected people at all strata, from housemaids to Hollywood royalty; peons to prime ministers. Tom Hanks, Boris Johnson and an aide to US Vice President Mike Pence all contracted it ...
In a unanimous opinion authored by Justice Sotomayor, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to redefine preclusion, reversing the Second Circuit’s decision in trademark dispute Lucky Brand Dungarees Inc. v. Marcel Fashion Group Inc. The Second Circuit’s opinion had attempted to expand res judicata beyond the well-recognized issue preclusion and claim preclusion, creating a new category it called “defense preclusion ...
The Abu Dhabi Global Market has announced amendments to its Companies Regulations. The Companies Regulations 2020 (2020 Regulations) repeal the Companies Regulations 2015 (as amended). We have summarised below the key changes under the 2020 Regulations.Companies Regulations 2020 Effect of amendmentSection 3One of the ways in which a restricted scope company can be incorporated is if the founding members are a group of people who are from the same family (as approved by the Registrar) ...
The DMCC Authority recently passed DMCC Guidelines 1 of 2020 (DMCC Guidelines) setting out what actions DMCC employers can take with respect to their employees during the COVID-19 Precautionary Measures Period. DMCC entities can: • Request employees to work remotely and implement means to monitor them (without infringing their privacy). Working remotely does not however apply to key employees working in Vital Industries ...
On Monday, 4 May 2020, the government submitted an amendment to the Compensation Bonus Act to the Chamber of Deputies. The amendment should support, in addition to self-employed individuals (sole proprietors), certain shareholders in limited liability companies. This article provides details on the requirements, forms of application, and the amount of compensation ...