In 2008 the government introduced important intellectual property (IP) legislation. The Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act 51 of 2008 - which only came into force on 2 August 2010 – governs the ownership and exploitation of IP which flows from publicly financed research and development (R&D) ...
It’s been well reported that Apple has managed to get a US trade mark registration for the layout or interior design (the look, if you like) of the Apple store. What this means is that Apple has exclusive rights to this layout - or indeed any confusingly similar layout - in the area of stores selling electronic goods ...
This is the second of three articles that we’ve written on the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act 51 of 2008 (‘the Act’), which came into effect on 2 August 2010 ...
A complex system of laws, rules and regulations apply to real estate and real estate transactions in the Philippines. Key prohibitions on the ownership and disposition of lands are found in our organic law (i.e. the 1987 Philippine Constitution) while incentives and other regulatory mechanisms for the sale, purchase, lease and ownership of different types of real estate are scattered in various statutes and regulations ...
In 2008 the government introduced important intellectual property (IP) legislation. The Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and DevelopmentAct 51 of 2008 - which only came into force on 2 August 2010– governs the ownership and exploitation of IP which flows from publicly financed research and development (R&D) ...
In December 2012 it was reported that a Brazilian company called Gradiente had secured a trade mark registration in its own country for the mark iPhone for smartphones, having first applied way back in 2000 ...
The Comelec promulgated Resolution No. 9615 on 15 January 2013. This Resolution implements the provisions of Republic Act No. 9006, more popularly known as the Fair Election Act, for purposes of the 2013 national and local mid-term elections ...
It is still possible to regain property expropriated by the state after the Second World War, and in some cases compensation is awarded instead. Real estate in Poland was expropriated by the state on a massive scale. This was done by operation of law or through administrative orders, which in most cases were issued in violation of the law in force at that time ...
On February 12, 2013, in conjunction with the release of the Executive Order on Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (the Executive Order), President Obama signed a Presidential Policy Directive/PPD-21 on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. The PPD revokes the 2003 Homeland Security Presidential Directive-7 (issued by President George W ...
After several years of legislative effort in Mexico, particularly in the area of tax, a structure has been established that now makes it attractive for companies to issue, and investors to acquire, securities based on a beneficial interest in an Infrastructure and Real Estate Trust (known by its Spanish acronym “FIBRA”) ...
Here are select December 2012 rulings of the Supreme Court of the Philippines on civil law: Civil Code Damages; When Applicable. It is essential that for damages to be awarded, a claimant must satisfactorily prove during the trial that they have a factual basis, and that the defendant’s acts have a causal connection to them ...
On February 12, 2013, the Obama Administration released an executive order, Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (the "Executive Order"), which is focused primarily on government actions to support critical infrastructure owners and operators in protecting their systems and networks from cyber threats ...
Bare trusts are increasingly being used when investors acquire investment properties as they provide a number of significant advantages. Anyone considering purchasing an apartment building should fully examine the potential use of a bare trust arrangement. What is a bare trust? A bare trust is a legal structure that facilitates the division of the beneficial and legal ownership ...
On Septemner 21, 2012, Justice Babin of the Superior Court of Quebec rendered a decision which denotes the effect of bad faith of the registrant on damages awards in the context of the unjustified publication of legal hypothec for construction ...
Revised EPC regulations: Where commercial premises larger than 500m² are frequently visited by the public and have an EPC, it must now be displayed at the premises. This new requirement was introduced by the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012, which came into force on 9 January 2013. They replace all existing regulations on energy performance certificates, display energy certificates and air conditioning inspections ...
In a January 13, 2013 blog post, the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection’s Business Center Blog highlighted the FTC’s recent groundbreaking settlement for violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) in the mobile app context ...
One of the “Thirteen Presidential Goals” announced by President Peña Nieto when he took office last December is to promote competitiveness in the telecommunications sector. He said: “It is essential to increase the economic competitiveness, specifically, in the telecommunications sector ...
With the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Regulations (No. 2) 2012 (WA) (Regulations) being gazetted on Friday 30 November 2012, the amendments to the Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act 1985 (WA) (Act) and the Regulations will now both come into effect on 1 January 2013.The Act and Regulations aim to 'improve the tenancy rights of small business and to enhance the clarity and effectiveness of the legislation' ...
Some favourable news on the global economic front has been trickling in. Markets around the world rallied as the US avoided the fiscal cliff-dive by a nanosecond; China's economy is showing signs of renewed strength, with the powerful manufacturing sector now performing at its best levels in almost two years; and share prices in most of Europe, Britain and even Japan have been trading solidly higher over the past few months ...
The North Carolina construction world was abuzz during 2012 about new legislation bringing significant changes to North Carolina’s mechanic’s lien and payment bond laws. Governor Perdue signed SB 42 and HB 1052 into law this past summer. Key provisions of the laws are set to take effect on January 1, 2013, with other changes coming on April 1, 2013 ...
In September, the National Customs and Tax Authority - DIAN - presented the third draft of the new Customs Statute, which will regulate most of Colombia’s customs law. Although scholars and business associations have presented their comments to the project, the draft seems to be definitive for the most part ...
The Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 (IFCPA), enacted this week by Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, further ratchets up U.S. economic sanctions against Iran. U.S. persons or entities (hereafter "persons"), including their foreign subsidiaries, or persons in the U.S., are already prohibited from virtually all transactions involving Iran. Under IFCPA, U.S ...
In a Federal Register notice dated December 26, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Dept. of the Treasury updated its regulations to include prohibitions on foreign subsidiaries of U.S. corporations from doing business with Iran. 77 F.R. 75848. The amended regulations also make clear that penalties for trading with Iran by a foreign subsidiary can be imposed on its U.S. parent. Such penalties will not be applied if the U.S ...
