After spending over 10 years in court, the Google vs. Oracle copyright saga has finally come to an end. The U.S. Supreme Court, ruling 6-2 in Google’s favor, found that when Google used pieces of Java software developed by Oracle to build the Android operating system, it was within the parameters of the fair use doctrine that permits the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances ...
On 24 February 2021, Hong Kong’s Finance Secretary Paul Chan delivered the 2021-22 Budget which highlighted upcoming government initiatives to promote the establishment of and re-domiciliation of offshore funds to Hong Kong using the Hong Kong open-ended fund company structure (OFC) ...
An open-ended fund company (OFC) must at all times have an investment manager (Fund Manager) who is responsible for managing the scheme property. To bring in expertise in respect of a specific market or strategy or for other various reasons, Fund Managers may engage sub-managers, advisors or delegates. The delegation of the investment management function by a Fund Manager is permissible under the OFC regime ...
The SFC’s recent public reprimand and fine of HK$6.3 million against a licensed corporation (the Company) brings various provisions of the Code of Conduct and Internal Control Guidelines to the forefront. It also highlights the need for licensed corporations to fully comply with any licensing conditions. Outlined in this article are the key facts of this case and a summary of what licensed intermediaries can learn from this disciplinary action ...
Artificial intelligence (AI) will shape our digital future. Self-driving cars, smart cities, digital factories, and more precise medical diagnoses - the opportunities of AI are endless. However, its use also triggers significant risks. Algorithms or deep learning tools which are not accurate might severely affect people. In specific cases, it might even raise complex ethical questions, for example when it comes to decisions about life or death ...
On 16 April 2021, the People’s Bank of China (“PBoC”) issued the Measures for Supervision and Administration of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing in Financial Institutions (《金融机构反洗钱和反恐怖融资监督管理办法》) (the “2021 AML Measures”), following PBoC’s issuance of a consultation draft of the same on 30 December 2020 (the “Consultation Draft”) ...
As an employer, are you obliged to search personal devices, personal email accounts and/or personal social media accounts belonging to employees or others such as trustees or non-executive directors when responding to a data subject access request (DSAR)? Many employers will now be familiar with undertaking a ‘reasonable and proportionate’ search when responding to an employee’s DSAR under Article 15 of the UK GDPR ...
Romanian authorities have recently initiated the transposition process for Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (the “Whistleblowers’ Directive”). A limited period for public review of the first draft of transposition bill has just closed. The projection is that it will become law by December 2021 to meet the transposition deadline ...
Read and download the Dutch chapter of the latest Vertical Agreements guide of Lexology GTDT, as updated by Sarah Beeston, Pim Jansen and Nina Korstenbroek. You can access the chapter by clicking on the link below. This comprehensive chapter explains how the Dutch competition rules are applied to agreements for the sale and purchase of goods or services between parties operating at different levels of the supply chain (so-called "vertical agreements") ...
The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) is a new federally-funded program providing emergency assistance for eligible venues adversely affected by COVID-19. The program, administered by the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Disaster Assistance, will offer over $16 billion in grants to shuttered venues, providing economic relief to eligible entities. This legal update summarizes the requirements and additional information related to the grant application process ...
What options does one have when they discover that a term in a previously executed contract or written instrument was worded poorly, or incorrectly drafted? Generally, parties in this scenario may seek the remedy of rectification, which gives a court the equitable jurisdiction to rectify or correct the document so that it accords with the parties’ true agreement ...
A new bill in the California Assembly has the potential to alter substantially the existing legal framework of products liability for online retailers. Assembly Bill No. 1182 (“AB 1182”), which was introduced on February 18, 2021, would impose strict products liability on online retailers who (1) communicate offers of sale and (2) facilitate payment between a third-party seller and a purchaser, even if the online retailer never takes physical possession of the product ...
The compliant use of cookies requiring consent has presented a major challenge for website operators for quite some time. Following the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the "Planet 49" case, many operators have adapted the cookie banners they use. However, in doing so, they are faced with the difficulty of designing the cookie banners in such a way that these encourage a high acceptance rate from users, while remaining legally compliant ...
On April 13, 2021, Law No. 21,314 was published in the Official Gazette, which, among other matters, set new transparency requirements and reinforce the responsibilities of market agents (the "Law"). Relevant modifications to the current insurance regulation: Amendments to Decree with Force of Law No. 251 of 1931 ("Insurance Act"). Article 5 of the Law amends the Insurance Act, among others, in the following matters: Insurance consultation system (new Article 12) ...
On Tuesday, April 13th of 2021, a law was published in the Official Gazette that establishes new demands for transparency and strengthens the responsibilities of market agents, regulates the social security advice and other matters indicated therein, reforming, among other regulations, Law No. 18,045, on the Stock Market and Law No. 18,046 on Corporations (going forward, referred as the “Law”) ...
On Tuesday, April 13 th of 2021, a law was published in the Official Gazette that establishes new demands for transparency and strengthens the responsibilities of market agents, regulates the social security advice and other matters indicated therein , reforming, among other regulations, Law No 18,045, on the Stock Market and Law No. 18,046 on Corporations (going forward, referred as the “ Law ”) ...
The INPI (Brazilian PTO) published Ordinance/INPI/PR No. 21, of March 26, 2021, which extends the Backlog Combat Project aiming at reducing the number of invention patent applications pending decision. The ordinance came into force on April 1st, 2021, and targets patent applications filed between Jan. 1st, 2017 and Dec. 31st, 2017 ...
Earn-outs are a commonly used payment mechanism in overseas and cross-border M&A transactions. Through earn-outs, transacting parties can set flexible metrics to adjust the buyer’s payment obligation and thereby allocate the risks and benefits between the buyer and seller ...
Banking & Finance ESAs issue joint supervisory statement on the application of the Regulation on Sustainability-related disclosures in the Financial Services Sector (SFDR) ESAs issue recommendations on the application of the SFDR ...
On April 9, 2021, the IRS released Private Letter Ruling (PLR) 202114002 (January 13, 2021), which provides additional context to taxpayers worried about whether their Fintech or Insurtech shares represent Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 1202 ...
The designation of eight new Freeports within England made headlines in the Budget and now the winning bidders have to put into effect their successful proposals. What will this mean in practice for those areas affected and what are the likely issues that Freeport authorities will face? We have pulled together some questions we are asked frequently on Freeports, together with the responses we have been providing to our clients ...
Gennex Media LLC, a customizable product online marketplace, and its sole officer and shareholder Akil Kurji, have agreed to an FTC consent decree resolving allegations the company falsely claimed its Brandnex novelty products were “Made in USA,” “USA MADE,” and “Manufactured Right Here in America!” when, in many instances, they were wholly imported from China ...
