On November 9, 2006, the Minister of Justice, Yvon Marcoux, introduced Bill 48, entitled An Act to amend the Consumer Protection Act and the Act respecting the collection of certain debts (hereinafter, the “Bill”).The Bill is based on the Internet Sales Contract Harmonization Template agreed on by the provinces further to the Agreement on Internal Trade ...
The advent of streaming video on demand platforms (SVOD) has made access to virtual content relatively easy. As a matter of fact, it is one of the many benefits that comes with the internet and technological evolution. However, when sharing or transmitting virtual contents to consumers or subscribers, these platforms must ensure that the appropriate licences are obtained from holders of intellectual property rights to avoid claims of infringement ...
One of the most common questions we receive as intellectual property lawyers is “How can I prevent others from using technology that I have developed and that has significant value to my business?” That question can often be answered by advising clients to file a patent application. However, there exists another type of intellectual property protection, known as a “trade secret,” that may be more suitable for certain situations and technologies ...
The Chicago City Council recently approved a significant amendment to the transit-oriented development provisions of the Zoning Ordinance. Prior to the change, the Chicago Zoning Ordinance, through increases and reductions of certain development standards, allowed for larger, more dense buildings on properties in close proximity to CTA or Metra train stations ...
Pooling. This word is on the lips of almost every operator working in the Marcellus Shale. Depending on where you stand on the issue, pooling is either a necessity to allow for the efficient recovery of the resource or a dastardly scheme meant to allow big operators to run roughshod over small operators and small mineral owners ...
As countries and companies around the world set goals for renewable energy targets, there is constant uncertainty as to the best path for reaching these goals. While wind and solar development are often top of mind, nuclear generation recently has entered the discussion to achieve a carbon-free energy future. The linked articles discuss renewable energy goals and opinions regarding nuclear energy's role in such a transition ...
At the beginning of this year the Supreme Court delivered a decision of principle interest regarding a computer software distributor’s right to severance pay (case no. T 930-06). Through the decision, the court has clarified that the Commercial Agency Act (1991:352) ( “Agency Act”) can be applied analogously to marketing and collecting of orders for computer software, despite the fact that computer software does not constitute goods under the act ...
On 10 July 2021, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and the Office of Cybersecurity Review under the Cyberspace Administration of China (“CAC”) promulgated the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (the “Review Measures”) (Revised Draft for Comments) (the “Draft”) ...
Dominant companies have special responsibility to ensure that the way they do business doesn’t prevent competition on the merits and does not harm consumers and innovation», said European Competition Commissioner Mário Monti, regarding the Commission’s Microsoft decision dated March 24th, 2004 ...
The interoperability information on Microsoft’s decision deserves special attention by the undertakings that have a dominant position in the market. Intellectual property rights, granted as an incentive for the creation of innovation and as a tool to recoup the investments made by companies, used to be understood as providing several rights to its owners ...
1. Introduction Law 2/2020 of 22 January (the “VideoSurveillance Law”) establishes the legal framework applicable to the authorisation, installation and use of video-surveillance systems for capturing, recording and processing images and sound. The law is based on a fundamental notion: security. There was a need to intervene by legislating on this matter to maintain public safety and to help all entities involved in matters of this nature ...
The new legal framework applicable to the Angolan oil sector was approved by Presidential Decree 271/20 of 20 October (the "Decree"). The Decree makes a substantial change to the rules on local Angolan content applicable in the sector and it naturally repeals Order 127/03 of 25 November.The new legal framework now extends to service providers and suppliers of goods and services to the oil sector ("Providers") and not only which oil companies (i.e ...
In accordance with the schedule of the Permanent Bidding Process ("PPAA"), the National Hydrocarbons Agency ("ANH") published on April 17 the final list of qualified companies to participate in the fourth cycle of this process, with which it is expected to reactivate the economy in Colombia ...
In order to implement transitional measures to mitigate the adverse effects of the fall in international hydrocarbons prices and the public health emergency caused by COVID-19, the National Hydrocarbon Agency (“ANH”), issued Agreement 2 of 2020 (the “Agreement”) ...
ANH published an Addendum to the PPAA and the draft agreement on measures to strengthen the sector. The National Hydrocarbons Agency ("ANH") joins the emergency measures adopted by the National Government to face the health contingency due to the propagation of COVID-19 and the international fall in oil prices ...
The National Mining Agency ("ANM") and the National Hydrocarbons Agency ("ANH") published resolutions by means of which they extended the suspensions of some of their activities during the preventive isolation decreed by the National Government. First, the ANM published the Resolution No. 116 of 2020, by means of which it extended until April 12, the suspensions set forth in its Resolution 096 of 2020 ...
The National Mining Agency ("ANM") published, in recent days and after receiving comments from the public, the Resolution 100 of March 17, 2020 (the "Resolution"), which sets forth the conditions and periodicity for the submission of information on mineral resources and reserves in respect to a concession area ...
The ANM, launches ANNA Mining, the digital platform will replace the Colombian Mining Cadastre and will start operating in phases. On December 13, 2019, the National Mining Agency (ANM) launched the new Comprehensive Mining Management System: ANNA Mining (ANNA), which will replace the Colombian Mining Cadastre ...
Just weeks after the “implosion” of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, credit services provider BlockFi filed for Chapter 11 protection with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, indicating that it is burdened with billions of dollars of estimated liabilities and more than 100,000 creditors ...
In what may be a new opportunity for cybersquatters, the Colombian .CO registry will soon allow for registration of domain names ending in simply .CO. Such domain names may be a prime platform for social networking sites and brand owners. As the registry explains, the acronym .CO can be associated with terms that include company, corporation, commerce, communities, content, connect, communication, collaborate, and consumers ...
Earlier this year, the National Agency of Waterway Transports (ANTAQ) published Normative Resolution No. 20, which approves new rules for the authorization for the construction and exploration of private-use terminal (TUP), cargo transhipment station (ETC), small-size public port facility (IP4) and tourism port facility (IPTur), revoking Resolution No. 3,290. The new rules aim at adjusting the requirements and proceedings applicable by ANTAQ to the changes introduced by Decree No ...
Mobile TeleSystems, Russia's leading mobile communications operator and one of the largest mobile operators in Eastern Europe, has acquired a 57.7% stake in Ukrainian Mobile Communications (UMC), the second largest Ukrainian mobile operator, for €194.2 million. In November 2002 Mobile TeleSystems signed a purchase agreement for 57.7% of UMC's shares. Under the agreement, Mobile TeleSystems was to acquire the 16 ...
On April 10, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, White House senior adviser Rand Beers, the head of the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission announced the release of the antitrust agencies’ “Antitrust Policy Statement on Sharing of Cybersecurity Information ...
On 15 June 2021, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced a market study into Apple’s and Google’s mobile ecosystems. A market study allows the CMA to examine if a market is working well and if not, provide further actions necessary to address the concerns that are raised ...