The Brexit transition agreement, which governs the relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom in 2020, including arrangements relating to data protection, ends on December 31, 2020. Without an agreement, the UK becomes a third country The European Union and the United Kingdom are still in intensive negotiations over how they will shape future trade relations, and it is so far unclear whether they will arrive at a follow-up agreement ...
Did you know? After more than a decade of discussion, China finally published the 4th amendment to the Patent Law on 17 October 2020. The amendments will come into effect on 1 June 2021. Why does this matter to you? Patent enforcement in China has long been criticised for being ineffective at deterring infringers. The new law enhances the enforcement of patent rights. The amendments introduces punitive damages in patent infringement cases ...
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is providing EUR 50 million annually until 2023 to promote computer games in order to strengthen Germany as a location for developers. In the now launched second phase, large-volume projects are being funded ...
Despite the numerous decisions on state aid to mitigate the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic under the Temporary Framework, the Commission has also taken decisions outside this topic. The following decisions concern broadband vouchers for Italian households, the rollout of a gigabit network infrastructure in Germany and aid for charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in Schleswig-Holstein. Finally, some news on consultations and revisions to state aid rules are presented below ...
In recent months, the European courts have again decided numerous state aid cases. The following decisions deal with the criteria for determining a secondary activity required for a SGEI, the classification of an enterprise as an SME in case of control by public authorities, the point of time when de minimis aid is granted as well as the prerequisites for funds being considered as state resources ...
The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently released a draft final rule (Final Rule) that establishes a binding administrative dispute resolution (ADR) process concerning drug costs under the Federal 340B Drug Discount Program (340B Program). As per its terms, the Final Rule will be formally published on Dec. 13, 2020 and will take effect on Jan. 13, 2021 ...
Effective Jan. 1, 2021, Florida law will require all public employers, as well as some private employers, to enroll in and use the E-Verify system. What is E-Verify? E-Verify is a free federal electronic database that allows employers to quickly validate documentation presented by new hires to establish that a new employee is lawfully eligible for employment in the United States ...
In response to the extraordinary economic and social impact of the ongoing Covid-19 public health crisis, the Government of Hong Kong has sought to provide support to the beleaguered commercial property sector. In the 2020 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced the abolition of the Double Ad Valorem Stamp Duty (DSD) on non-residential property (NRP) transactions pursuant to the Public Revenue Protection (Stamp Duty) Order 2020 taking effect from 26 November 2020 ...
The Pennsylvania General Assembly has concluded the legislative session. COVID-19 significantly changed the format and content of the legislative session. The operating rules were amended to permit remote voting, and the legislative focus centered on the impact of COVID-19 on schools, communities, businesses and the Pennsylvania budget for the FY 2020-2021. Below is a snapshot of some of the key areas addressed during this session ...
On November 19, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 to adopt additional amendments to Regulation S-K for public companies, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A). These amendments reflect the latest development in the SEC’s ongoing disclosure effectiveness initiative, which seeks to modernize and streamline public company disclosure requirements ...
Retail is facing its biggest reset post-pandemic. It survived multiple economic depressions, two world wars and a catastrophic fire. But after 162 years, Robinsons will be no more. The iconic Singapore department store may have been the pandemic’s latest casualty, but the truth is that the red ink had begun bleeding long before Covid-19 struck. Suffering from intense competition from e-commerce, the once-publicly listed company had not turned a profit since at least 2014 ...
The Federal Reserve has issued amended For Profit and Non-Profit Frequently Asked Questions for the Main Street Lending Program, addressing the key dates for the end of the program in December, 2020. These dates are driven by the end of the Federal Reserve’s Special Purpose Vehicle’s authority to purchase MSLP loan participations on December 31 ...
During the 2019 legislative session, California enacted SB 908 - the Debt Collection Licensing Act, Financial Code Division 25, Sections 100000, et seq., requiring consumer debt collectors who are collecting on their own account or the account of others, including debt buyers, to be licensed beginning January 1, 2022 ...
In this report, you will find a summary of two important resolutions published in the Official Gazette. Resolution No. 191/2020 Today, Resolution No. 191/2020 of the National Institute of Industrial Property was published in the Official Gazette, by means of which it was established that all communication deadlines made by the National Patent Administration and published in the Patents Bulletin will begin to run as from thirty (30) calendar days from said publication ...
Today, the federal government introduced in Parliament Bill C-15, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. This blog provides some background on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the new federal bill. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples UNDRIP was passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007 ...
With many medical practices and healthcare practitioners moving to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, questions abound on legal requirements, privacy, and the future of healthcare. Schwabe’s Healthcare team has taken a closer look at the legal issues surrounding the rise of telemedicine during the pandemic and the implications for our healthcare future in the four articles below ...
On November 12, 2020, the Washington Supreme Court extended corporate attorney-client privilege protection to appropriate ex parte communications between defendant hospitals and their non-employee agents. The court’s decision in Hermanson v. MultiCare Health Sys., Inc ...
The retail sector has been one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result employers therein might be considering dismissing employees for economic or technical reasons. Employers must be aware that most joint committees in the retail sector have entered into collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) obliging employers to first take measures to avoid dismissals and, if dismissals cannot be avoided, to comply with a specific procedure ...
By resolution adopted on October 7, 2020, the state of emergency has been extended until January 31, 2021 ...
A registered trademark in the British Virgin Islands is transmissible in the same way as other personal or moveable property. Transmission can be completed by assignment, testamentary disposition, or operation of law. When a trademark is assigned, the owner’s right, title, and interest with respect to the trademark is transferred to the new owner ...
Based on the Property Law[1] and the Security Law[2] of the People's Republic of China, the Property section of the Civil Code[3] has made important modifications and added some new principles to the rules of mortgage of property. In this article, we will focus primarily on the interpretation of the new system of mortgage rights in the Civil Code in the following three aspects: pactum commissorium provision, transfer of mortgaged property, and the priority order of security interests ...
Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling, Royal Kram NS/RKM/1120/031 dated 14 November 2020 Overview On 14 November 2020, the Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling (“Gambling Law”), the first comprehensive legislation to regulate casinos and commercial gambling centers in Cambodia, was promulgated ...
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy (Board) recently issued updated guidance detailing certain conduct pharmacists and other regulated personnel (Licensees) must report to the Board ...
