What Is the Size of the Market and What Are Current Trends in Switzerland? Life Sciences is one of the most dynamic and most rapidly growing sectors in Switzerland with respect to both the industrial and the academic dimension. In 2013, the total financ-ing volume amassed by Swiss biotech companies more than doubled compared to the previous year’s figure, reaching USD 325 million, which amounts to an increase of 112% ...
Michigan vs. EPA, the Supreme Court continues to curtail EPA’s ability to regulate emissions from power plants by limiting the deference the Court will grant EPA on issues of statutory construction. In the 5 to 4 decision, authored by Justice Scalia and joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito, the Court held that EPA’s air toxic standards for regulating mercury emissions from coal fired power plants were “unreasonable ...
On May 23rd, Governor Abbott signed SB 709, fundamentally changing Texas’s contested hearing process for environmental permits. Effective September 1, SB 709 requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to adopt rules implementing its changes by no later than January 1, 2016 and to provide notice before then that these changes apply to applications filed after September 1 ...
At first glance, "net neutrality" may seem a natural principle for the internet environment. This expression, however, gives rise to sometimes divergent interests and some concerns. As a general concept, net neutrality means an open Internet, through which consumers would be able to make their own choices about the content they wish to access and share, as well as the services and applications they want to use ...
On what grounds may a landowner who discovers soil contamination caused by an old heating oil tank sue the former owner of the property? In this bulletin we examine whether the warranty against latent defects found at Article 1726 of theCivil Code of Québeccan be invoked to have the sale annulled or to obtain a reimbursement of part of the purchase price. The recent decision of the Superior Court inDe La Ov.Sasson1is instructive in two respects ...
“Waters of the United States” or “WOTUS” in the esoteric taxonomy of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”), is a term with which many are becoming increasingly familiar. This deceptively simple phrase is anything but simple in its application. The oil and gas industry is increasingly experiencing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) proclivity finding CWA jurisdiction through WOTUS interpretation. New proposed regulatory language issued by the EPA and the U.S ...
On March 4, 2015 the Official Daily of the Mexican Federation published the Regulations to the Law on Navigation and Maritime Commerce, which regulates the activities of the Merchant Maritime Authority and the activities of the persons that participate in maritime and port matters provided by the Law on Navigation and Maritime Commerce. Said Regulations are effective 30 calendar days after its publication in the Daily of reference, that is, on April 3, 2015 ...
When copyright has been infringed online, what court is competent to hear and decide the case? The EU top court’s recent ruling provides clarity and states that online infringement cases can be heard where the infringing content is accessible. The content right holders will be able to take legal action against the infringer in their home countries, but only regarding damage that occurred there ...
This week, I caught up with patent attorneys Jonathan D’Silva and Bryan Walker of MacDonald Illig Jones & Britton, LLP to hear their perspectives on some key strategic intellectual property (IP) legal issues ...
Recent publicity surrounding the exclusion or divestiture of stocks in carbon-intensive industries shows that leading investors are reviewing the financial risks (and opportunities) associated with climate change. However, with debate on climate change often pitched around ideological poles, many superannuation fund trustees are struggling to translate these developments into prudent governance practice, consistent with their statutory and general law duties ...
On December 20, 2013 it was published in the Official Daily of the Federation the Executive Order that amends and adds various provisions of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, in the Area of Energy ...
The Minister of Communications and Informatics issued Regulation No. 19 of 2014 on Controlling Internet Websites Containing Negative Content (Regulation 19). Regulation 19 has been in force since 17 July 2014. This regulation aims to implement “the safe and healthy use of the internet” by all social groups by blocking access to websites that contain pornographic or unlawful material (negative content) ...
As noted in our previous client update, judicial rulings on the patent-eligibility of software and business method patents under section 101 of the U.S. Patent Act have run heavily against patent owners since Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International, 573 U.S. ___, 134 S. Ct. 2347 (2014). (See 11/17/2014 Client Update). On Friday December 5, 2014, however, the U.S ...
Every day seems to bring word of a new data breach, and given the stakes of these breaches, it would be easy to assume that dealing with the damage they cause would be a top government priority. Unfortunately, a myriad of conflicting state laws, as well as the lack of one over-arching federal law, creates legal and compliance nightmares for companies that these breaches affect. For example, in late February and early March 2014, hackers successfully targeted eBay’s corporate network ...
Nowadays, we live in an information age (also known as the computer age, digital age or new media age) and the advancement of technologies has facilitated information flow and communication through social media. On one hand, people have easy and quick access to others’ information, enabling interaction with one another. However, the free flow of information and wide participation in social media networks also exposes a person to various risks or dangers ...
Judicial rulings on the patent-eligibility of software and business method patents under section 101 of the U.S. Patent Act have run heavily against patent owners since the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 19, 2014 ruling in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International, 573 U.S. ___, 134 S. Ct. 2347 (2014). (See Client Update here ...
The Richemont Group, owner of a number of luxury brands including Cartier, Montblanc and IWC, has secured a landmark website blocking order against the five main retail internet service providers (ISPs) in the UK (SKY, BT, EE, Talk Talk, and Virgin). Building upon the website blocking orders available to copyright holders, Richemont applied to the Court for orders requiring the ISPs to prevent subscribers' access to six websites (including www.cartierloveonline.com, and www.ukmontblancoutlet.co ...
On October 31, 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its approval for the State of Texas to issue greenhouse gas (GHG) permits for new and modified facilities. In response to legislation enacted in the 2013 Texas Legislative session, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) had submitted a state implementation plan to replace the existing federal program with TCEQ-issued GHG permits ...
More than 30 earthquakes jolted the area in and around the City of Azle, Texas - 20 miles north of Fort Worth - last November through January. In response to citizen concerns, the Texas House Committee on Energy Resources created a Subcommittee on Seismic Activity, to investigate whether there was a link between earthquakes and increased oil and gas production and disposal wells ...
On September 9, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the inaugural “Purple Book,” a list of approved or “licensed” biological products, including all biosimilar and interchangeable biological products. The Purple Book is more formally known as “Lists of Licensed Biological Products with Reference Product Exclusivity and Biosimilarity or Interchangeability Evaluations.” The Purple Book is meant, at a fundamental level, to be the biological equivalent of the “Orange Book ...
In yet another indication of the increasing prominence of water use issues in BC, the Supreme Court of British Columbia recently upheld the practice of the BC Oil and Gas Commission to grant recurrent short-term water approvals for oil and gas activities under the Water Act ...
Environmental laws should not be understood as a limit to economic growth and development but as a crucial part of economy: the wise use of natural resources means greater benefit from raw materials and lower costs for inputs. At the same time, the quality of life for Brazilian citizens should be enhanced by an effective program of environmental sustainability ...
Aside from a passing reference to data protection in the Electronic Transactions Ordinance (see below), TCI has no data protection statute. However, a number of other areas of local law are applicable or, in the context of the advice sought, ought to be considered in relation to data protection, confidentiality and privacy matters. In that respect:- a. Data protection, privacy and confidentiality at common law TCI is a British Overseas Territory and is a common law jurisdiction ...
