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By Liu Cheng  Martyn Huckerby and Yu Chenchen  King & Wood Mallesons’ M&A Group

Whether a resale price maintenance (“RPM”) provision is deemed to infringe the Anti-Monopoly Law (“AML”)[1] regardless of whether it has an impact on competition has been one of the most cloudy issues under the AML since the law came into effect in 2008. A recent decision by the Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People’s Court (“Shanghai Court”) has found that for RPM to infringe the AML it must have an adverse impact on competition. While it is still too early to say if this court decision will be followed by other Chinese courts, the decision provides valuable guidance for companies when considering how the AML will apply to their distribution agreements in China.Continue Reading Resale Price Maintenance – Not Per Se Illegal Under the AML

By Huang Tao  King & Wood Mallesons’ Dispute Resolution Group

The fast growth of China’s economy has gotten more and more foreign enterprises to invest in Mainland China. Foreign investors need to establish a local presence Chinese, for example, a representative office, a branch, a subsidiary, or a joint venture so that they can do business in China. As the business ties between China and the rest of the world strengthen, the number of China-related business disputes has been increasing.

Arbitration is one of the most favored international business transaction dispute resolution mechanisms because it is convenient, efficient, and the cross-border enforceability of arbitration awards tends to be higher than court judgments.
Continue Reading The Validity of Arbitration Agreements under Chinese Law

作者：黄滔 金杜律师事务所争议解决组

近几十年来，随着中国经济的快速发展，越来越多的外国公司选择在中国大陆（“中国”）投资，投资方式包括设立代表处、分支机构、子公司、合营（合作）企业或者与中国公司建立贸易纽带。中外经济合作加强也使涉及中国因素的争议在近几十年内迅猛增加。

由于其便利、高效的特点以及裁决跨境执行力的日益增强，仲裁已成为涉外合同中最受欢迎的争议解决机制之一。尽管如此，在某些情况下，即使当事人同意将彼此之间的争议提交仲裁，由于对仲裁条款的效力存在争议，最终也只能将争议提交法院解决。另外，考虑到不同的国家及地区的法律对仲裁协议或条款的效力或执行力存在不同要求，已经及将要在中国开展业务或和与中国公司或个人进行商业往来的企业及商人应对此予以特别的关注。Continue Reading 如何起草国际商事合同中的争议解决条款

作者：刘成  贺墨亭 俞珍珍   金杜律师事务所并购组

自从《中华人民共和国反垄断法》[1]（“《反垄断法》”）实施以来，关于“无论限定转售价格条款对竞争有无影响，均被视为违反《反垄断法》”这一问题，始终是《反垄断法》中几个最不明确的问题之一。但是近日，上海市第一中级人民法院（“上海一中院”）作出的一项判决表示，要认定限定转售价格条款违反《反垄断法》，必须证明该条款对竞争产生了不利影响。尽管目前还很难说上海一中院的这一判决能否得到中国其他法院的认可和遵循，但总的来说，这一判决对于各个公司考察《反垄断法》如何适用于其在中国的经销协议，将发挥重要的指导作用。

 案件事实和法院判决

本案的争议双方是强生（上海）医疗器材有限公司和强生（中国）医疗器材有限公司（合称“强生”）与它们的一位经销商—北京锐邦涌和科贸有限公司（“锐邦”），争议在于强生经销合同中限定最低转售价格的条款。
Continue Reading 限定转售价格–《反垄断法》下并非本身违法的情形

By King & Wood Mallesons’ Finance Group

In May 2010, the State Council issued the Opinions on Encouraging and Guiding the Healthy Development of Private Investment (Guo Fa [2010] No.13) to promote private investment activities . In order to solve the difficulties faced by private companies in terms of overseas financing and the lack of liquidity, and to simplify the foreign exchange control policies for outbound investment activities by private companies, SAFE released new rules on private outbound investments, the Circular of State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Foreign Exchange Administration in Relation to Encouraging and Guiding the Healthy Development of Private Investment (Hui Fa [2012] No.33) (the “Circular”) on 11 June 2012. The Circular simplifies the regulation processes for the remittance of foreign direct investment capital as well as offshore loans[1]  granted by domestic enterprises and relaxes the administration of  external security provided by individuals.

The Circular’s main content includes:Continue Reading Safe New Rules to Boost Private Outbound Investment

作者：金杜律师事务所融资组

自2010年5月7日国务院发布《关于鼓励和引导民间投资健康发展的若干意见》（国发[2010]13号）以来，民间投资业务获得了进一步发展。为了解决企业在境外融资难及流动资金不足的问题，简化民间投资相关外汇管理政策，鼓励和引导民间资本境外投资的健康发展，国家外汇管理局于2012年6月11日颁布了《国家外汇管理局关于鼓励和引导民间投资健康发展有关外汇管理问题的通知》（汇发[2012]33号）（简称“通知”）。该通知简化了境外直接投资资金汇回及境外放款的监管程序，并适当地放宽了境内个人对外担保的管理。
   
《通知》的主要内容包括：Continue Reading 外管局新规则助力民间境外投资进一步发展

作者：陈长会 蒋志培 金杜律师事务所知识产权组

在中国制造遍布全球的今天，走出去战略最核心问题是如何让品牌走出去。无论是中国制造还是中国创造，如果不注重品牌培育，继续使用他人商标，就难以摆脱随时可能被商标持有人“踢出局”的窘境。

多数走出去企业在发展之初并没有预见到将来能够有机会走出去，也没有足够资金和实力到海外注册企业、商标或域名，往往是等到准备走出去之时或者走出去之后才发现其名称、商标或域名早已存在或已被他人恶意抢注。最典型案例是海信集团与博西 “HiSense”商标纠纷以及国内某知名企业标识更换事件。借助于海信在国内行业地位以及中国市场在博西战略中份量，海信集团在国内舆论、学术界及政府各方努力下，最终与博西友好地化解了纠纷，拿回了商标权。而上述国内某知名企业则因原名泛滥采取更名策略，而新名称选择又欠妥，导致推广新标识代价巨大、困难重重。由这两个案例可见，解决企业名称、商标、或域名纠纷往往需要综合考量和高超技巧。
Continue Reading 走出去企业如何应对与品牌有关的知识产权争议

作者：张保生 程世刚   金杜律师事务所争议解决组

一、公司诉讼的界定

下文所述的公司诉讼，并非指公司作为一方当事人的纠纷所引发的所有诉讼，而是指对公司内部的纠纷进行解决的一种诉讼，主要包括因股东与股东纠纷引发的诉讼、股东与公司纠纷引发的诉讼、公司或股东与公司高级管理人员纠纷引发的诉讼。因公司外部纠纷而发生的诉讼不属于本书所探讨的公司诉讼范围。

公司诉讼最核心的特征是与公司内部法律关系直接相关，或者说是对基于公司内部法律关系产生的“公司纠纷”进行解决的一种诉讼。Continue Reading 公司诉讼的界定和发展趋势—-跨国公司在华公司诉讼系列(Ⅰ)

金杜博客每周选取一到两个《跨国公司在华公司诉讼–应对策略与律师实务》的精彩主题进行连载。参与本书编写的人员均系金杜律师事务所富有公司诉讼和仲裁实务经验的合伙人和律师，包括张保生、夏东霞、郭勤贵、程世刚、陈湘林、李响、周伟、吴颖和孙慧丽。

参与编写本书的各位律师在多年的律师执业过程中，关注并潜心研究公司诉讼，代理跨国公司和其他境内外投资者处理了大量的、多种类型的公司诉讼案件，对跨国公司如何应对中国的公司诉讼案件，积累了丰富的实务经验，并形成了独特的、具有现实意义的专业视角。

敬请期待！

By Chen Changhui and Jiang Zhipei  King & Wood Mallesons’ Intellecutual Property Group

Chinese enterprises are progressively pursuing outbound investment strategy by expanding their businesses abroad. How to build the global branding of Chinese manufacturing is a key concern in China’s outbound investment strategies. If all Chinese-related exports, either “Made in China” or “Created in China”, continue to use the registered trademark of others without paying great attention to cultivating their own brands, Chinese exports are extremely likely to be kicked out by trademark owners in the international market.

Most Chinese enterprises don’t have immediate plan for outbound investment, or have sufficient financial strength to register enterprises, trademarks or domain names overseas in their early stage of development, and then find out their enterprise names, trademarks or domain names are already in existence or have been registered by others out of malicious cybersquatting.
Continue Reading Brand-Related Intellectual Property Disputes in Outbound Investment