The FDA’s Proposals on the Revision of the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels In early 2014, first lady Michelle Obama announced upcoming changes to the FDA’s Nutrition Facts label, and in March 2014, the FDA issued a proposed rule on the revision of Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels “to assist consumers in maintaining healthy dietary practices ...
On February 1, 2016, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) published the Winter 2015 issue of Supervisory Insights. Not surprisingly, the first article dealt with the most important issue facing the financial industry today – cybersecurity ...
The word ‘radical’ has been used by both supporters and critics alike when commenting on the various proposals set out by the Scottish Government in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. This gives a flavour of the tone of the debate. Both sides have also been particularly vocal on the previously little discussed topic of succession and assignation of secure agricultural tenancies. The implications of the proposals are discussed in this briefing ...
Following publication of the Regulation (EU) No. 2015/2424 which is part of the reform legislative package that also replaces the existing Trade Mark Directive, the long awaited reform of the existing Community trade mark will enter into force on 23 March 2016. The most evident change is that the Community trade mark will be renamed the European Union trade mark (EUTM), adopting the terminology of the Lisbon Treaty ...
The members of the National Privacy Commission (NPC) have been named. President Benigno Aquino III has appointed Raymond Liboro as the Commissioner of the National Privacy Commission. Prior to his appointment, Liboro was the officer-in-charge of the Department of Science and Technology's Science and Technology Information Institute. The following are the Deputy Privacy Commissioners: Dondi Mapa and Ivy Patdu ...
Special Economic Zones (“SEZs”) are geographically designated areas within a country that are set aside for specifically targeted economic activities, supported through special arrangements (that may include laws) and systems to promote industrial development. An SEZ is meant to be an economic development tool to promote rapid economic growth by using various support measures to attract targeted foreign and domestic investments and technology ...
IT IS TRUE that established energy corridors attract additional utilities. Power line corridors may represent an attractive route for natural gas transmission lines, just as established natural gas lines often seem to attract additional natural gas pipelines thereafter. Landowners along these corridors may feel beleaguered as additional utilities are installed across their properties ...
A company that obtains information from a number of competitors (for example, to create industry statistics or to provide price comparisons) should be careful not to facilitate the flow of confidential information between those competitors. Two recent cases highlight the potential competition law issues. We will then look at some practical considerations to keep in mind ...
Budget 2016 Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan did not mention the proposed carbon tax (the “tax”) in his Budget Speech delivered on 24 February 2016. Curiously, given the emotion that has surrounded the idea of the tax since 2010, when it was first formalised in a Treasury discussion paper, commentary on the implications of the Minister’s apparent omission has been muted or non-existent ...
Do hashtag trade marks need special consideration? There’s been quite a bit of discussion on the issue of hashtag trade marks of late, and there was a particularly useful article on the topic in a recent edition (1 February 2016) of the International Trademark Association (“INTA”) Bulletin. The article was entitled “Are Hashtags Capable of Trademark Protection under U.S. Law?”, and it was written by Carrie L. Kiedrowski and Charlotte K. Murphy of the firm Jones Day ...
ANGOLA: Budget Law 2016 published Law No. 28/15 (“Budget Law 2016”), which had been adopted on 31 December 2015, was published on 30 January 2016 and applies with effect from 1 January 2016. The Budget Law 2016 provides for: · the introduction of a Special Contribution on Banking Operations, to be levied at the rate of 0.1% on all financial operations by banking and non-banking financial institutions governed by the Financial Institutions Framework Law (Law 12/15 of 27 June 2015) ...
During October 2015, as part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”)/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“BEPS”) Project, the OECD issued its final report in respect of Action 7 “Preventing the artificial avoidance of permanent establishment status” (“BEPS Report”) ...
In the 2016 Budget Speech delivered on 25 February 2016, the Minister of Finance announced a special voluntary disclosure programme (“Special VDP”) to encourage taxpayers to regularise violations of tax laws and exchange control regulations. This article briefly examines the benefits of the Special VDP and why potential applicants should begin preparing to submit their application in anticipation of the 1 October 2016 commencement date ...
Chambers & Partners has published the latest edition of its guide this month, and we are pleased to announce that Karanović & Nikolić has once again been included in its list of the best legal practices in the world. The Chambers guides are the culmination of thousands of in-depth interviews conducted by the largest research team of its kind, with a globally attained credibility in objectively ranking the world's best legal practices from more than 190 countries in total ...
During the first half of March, Miloš Vučković, Partner at Karanović & Nikolić, attended the two-day long Distressed Assets Forum in London, UK. The event was a good opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the field of trading non-performing loans (NPL's) on the European market, with many prominent banking, real-estate, advisory, and legal executives appearing as speakers and panellists ...
In a recent statement to the press, the Slovenian Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Zdravko Počivalšek, labelled the Serbian spas as great tourism potentials and 'undiscovered gems', before continuing to declare Slovenian interest for investing in them ...
The 2016 Budget Review contained a most welcome – if cryptic – statement for venture capital companies (“VCCs”) and their investors. The statement reads as follows:“Venture capital funding for small businessesFunding remains one of the biggest challenges for small businesses. To encourage equity funders to invest in small businesses, the venture capital company regime was introduced in 2008. Currently, 31 venture capital companies are registered ...
KENYA: Amnesty granted to landlordsIn terms of the new section 123C, introduced into the Income Tax Act by Finance Act 2015 (the “Act”), the Kenya Revenue Authority (“KRA”) has granted a tax amnesty to landlords with effect from 1st January 2016.The Act provides amnesty for persons who shall willingly declare their 2014 and 2015 rent, pay the implied principal tax and file returns (original or amended) between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016 ...
Important notification of four new guidelines for the compilation of mandatory codes of practice, which are binding in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996 (“the MHSA”).Kindly take note that on Friday, 5 February 2016, notices were published in Government Gazette No ...
A South African university has successfully objected to a domain name that incorporates the university’s nickname.North-West University (“NWU”), once an exclusively Afrikaans-language institution that’s situated in the city of Potchefstroom, and that was formerly known as the Potchefstroom University College – or PUK – for short (the Afrikaans word for “college” starts with “k”), opposed a registration for the domain name propuk.co.za ...
There’s seemingly no end to the question of whether or not Nestlé can register the four-finger shape of its Kit Kat chocolate bar as a trade mark.Except, of course, in South Africa, where we know that it can. We know that because the South African Supreme Court of Appeal came to that conclusion in 2014 ...
On 25 January 2016, Botswana’s Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (“the CIPA”) issued a notice informing the public that it is not currently able to conduct hearings for trade mark oppositions and invalidations as a result of the recent restructuring of the Botswana Intellectual Property Office. The restructure led to the loss of staff responsible for the processing of opposition hearings and invalidations ...
The South African Labour Courts have, until now, not had the opportunity to consider what impact, if any, a so-called “gardening leave” provision may have on the enforceability of a restraint of trade. This issue, among others, came before the Labour Court in Johannesburg in the case ofVodacom v Godfrey Motsa and MTN Group (J74/16). Judgment was handed down by Van Niekerk J on 9 February 2016 ...
