The UK data regulator the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a clear warning to organisations that the biggest cyber risk they face is not from hackers themselves but from complacency towards internal data protection compliance. Such companies may face a double whammy of a cyber-attack and subsequent enforcement action. The ICO has fined Interserve Group (a UK based construction company) £4.4 million for breaching data protection law ...
Tackling base erosion and profit shifting remains a priority for the National Treasury and the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”). It was recently reported that in the 2021 fiscal year, SARS dealt with 345 cases of transfer pricing, base erosion and profit shifting to the value of almost ZAR12-billion. Yet, only three South African courts have dealt with transfer pricing ...
You may have seen news items discussing a South African copyright case that deals with blind people’s rights to access books. It’s perhaps not that easy to follow, so we’ll try to make it as simple as possible. South African copyright law has been slow to evolve The South African Copyright Act dates back to 1978 ...
In recent articles, we’ve discussed some of the IP implications of the Metaverse, cryptocurrency, and non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”). But when it comes to securing IP protection, what is really involved? This article provides background to these concepts and deals with some of the nitty-gritty as far as IP protection is concerned ...
THE LINDT BUNNY The company Lindt & Sprungli is the maker of the famous Lindt chocolate bunny. The product comprises chocolate in the shape of a squatting bunny, wrapped in gold foil with a red ribbon and a small bell. The chocolate bunny is a very big seller around Easter time, with sales in the tens of millions ...
In this article, we’ll discuss three copyright-related stories that have made headlines and contain some interesting lessons. ED SHEERAN (YES, AGAIN) We recently discussed the well-publicised case where Ed Sheeran successfully fought off a UK High Court copyright claim relating to his song Shape of You. When the verdict was announced, Sheeran said that he hoped that there would be no more “baseless” copyright claims ...
In November 2022, South Africa is expected to present a report to the Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”) on the steps it has taken to address the shortcomings identified in the Mutual Evaluation Report concluded last year ...
Dr Michael Psaila and Dr Frank B. Testa, are attending the International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference being held at the Miami Beach Convention Centre from 30 October to 4 November. Please reach out to them if you would like to meet up ...
November 1, 2022 By: Jeffrey M. Dennis The amended California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), sometimes referred to as the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) or Proposition 24, takes effect on January 1, 2023 – and introduces new consumer rights, while significantly increasing compliance pressures on companies who do business in California. With less than 60 days before the amended CCPA launches, the time for compliance is NOW ...
October 31, 2022 By: Michael Flynn Recent pronouncements by Vice President Harris and by an SBA public affairs specialist indicate that SBA will soon publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that will propose an expansion of the number of non-depository institutions that can participate as lenders in the SBA 7(a) loan program, and that FinTechs will be among the types of institutions included in the expanded eligibility ...
On 27th June 2021, the European Commission unveiled the new set of EU Standard Contractual Causes (‘SCCs’) that are to be used in instances when personal data are to be transferred from the EU/EEA to a third country ...
While the Canadian government has said it intends to pass legislation dealing with cybersecurity (see Bill C-26 to enact the Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act), many companies have already taken significant steps to protect their IT infrastructure. However, the Internet of Things is too often overlooked in this process. This is in spite of the fact that many devices are directly connected to the most important IT infrastructure for businesses ...
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The firm held an event last week at its offices with staff in order to raise awareness about breast cancer and to raise funds for the cause. The firm is once again making a contribution to the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation ...
Kongwat Akaramanee, senior associate of Kudun and Partners together with associate; Attapon Tanasanti were invited to speak at the 5th AFBR Club seminar on the topic “How do family businesses relate to sustainability?” organized by the Association of Family Business Entrepreneurs (AFBE). In an exclusive setting consisting of no more than 20 participants, the team shared insights on the important factors in making a will for a family ...
The concept of “natural capital” seeks to recognise the role of nature as an asset which is key to the sustained functioning of human social and economic activity. Examples of natural capital include clean air, water supply, plant life, animals, soil and minerals ...
On October 21, 2022, Kudun and Partners’s China Practice team participated in the 30th Anniversary Business Networking and Exhibition organized by the Thai-Hong Kong Trade Association (“THKTA”) = at the Peninsula Bangkok ...
On 13 October 2022, Shoosmiths hosted a webinar on the UK Covid-19 Inquiry (the ‘Inquiry’). The webinar took a closer look at the structure and progress of the Inquiry, alongside the commercial and legal considerations that any potential witness or party should be aware of, including the role of a Core Participant (‘CP’). The webinar was hosted by Paul Eccles (Partner) and included talks by Alex Friston (Associate) and Charles Arrand (Partner) ...
Thanyaluck Thongrompo, partner of Kudun and Partners, was invited to be a speaker at the Faculty of Law, Maejo University on the topic “International Trade: Regulatory Issues on Import and Export” where she shared her knowledge and experience in handling import and export matters in Thailand. This webinar is a part of the law students’ academic program that focuses on Law of Cross-Border Trade Economics ...
The Government of Malta reaffirmed its commitment to establishing Malta as a go-to jurisdiction for start-ups in its Budget for 2023. During the budget speech that was delivered on 24th October 2022, the Minister for Finance and Employment, Hon. Clyde Caruana announced that a one-stop shop for start-ups is set to be launched within the “Start in Malta” programme currently run by the Malta Enterprise ...
What is the ROE? The ROE is a UK wide register created through the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022, administered by the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales. A key aim of the legislation is to obtain and record details of property located anywhere in the UK held by overseas entities as well as to ascertain details of the beneficial owner(s) of such overseas entities ...
Alleged base erosion and profit shifting activities of multinational enterprises (“MNEs”) have been a hot issue globally and therefore the chances of an MNE being confronted with a transfer pricing audit have increased substantially over the last few years ...
Under the Renewable Energy Act (Republic Act No. 9513) (the “RE Act”), it is a policy of the state to increase the utilization of renewable energy (“RE”) by institutionalizing the development of national and local capabilities in the use of RE systems ...
The Covid-19 pandemic has played an important role in shaping labour markets by accelerating the growth of digital labour platforms which have in turn brought a number of challenges ...
