2012年1月1日在上海市开始实施的将交通运输业和部分现代服务业由营业税改征增值税（“营改增”）的试点，是中国税制改革的一个标志性事件。2012年7月，国务院进一步决定将试点范围由上海市分批扩大至其他8个省（直辖市），其中，北京市应当于2012年9月1日完成营改增转制，江苏省、安徽省完成转制时间为10月1日，福建省、广东省为11月1日，天津市、浙江省、湖北省为12月1日。此外，营改增明年继续扩大试点地区，并选择部分行业在全国范围试点。
营改增将会导致相关行业纳税人的税负发生变化，甚至可能对其经营乃至定价模式产生重大影响。本文作者将从此次营改增的背景出发，分析营改增方案对相关行业的影响，上海方案与北京等新试点地区方案（“新方案”）的区别，并对纳税人如何应对此次改革提出建议。 Continue Reading 浅析营业税改征增值税试点扩围
对PE投资者而言，由于PE并非旨在通过长期持股获得企业的经营收益，而是通过“退出”受益。因此，PE投资者更多地关注风险控制而非公司治理。
除一般条款外，PE投资协议主要包括：股权购买的比例及对价条款、购股款支付方式和期限条款、未分配利润归属条款、资金用途条款、新股东地位及股东权利条款、组织机构变动条款、退出条款、声明和保证条款、违约责任条款等。
（一）组织机构变动条款
通过投资行为，PE投资者取得了被投资公司一定比例的股权，享有了与股权相关的分红权等经济权利。为保证资金的合理使用和企业的规范运行，保障其经济权利，PE投资者有必要在公司的组织机构中享有相应的政治权利。 Continue Reading PE投资协议的主要条款——跨国公司在华公司诉讼系列（X）
We have launched our updated Guide to Takeovers in Australia in both English and Chinese. A must-read for anyone with an interest in mergers and acquisitions.
English PDF: http://www.mallesons.com/Documents/A_guide_to_takeovers_in_Australia.pdf
《澳大利亚要约收购指南》概述了在澳洲从事或回应要约收购上市公司所涉及的法律问题和操作程序及澳大利亚收购交易中的复杂问题。
中文PDF:http://www.mallesons.com/Documents/Guide_to_takeovers_in_Australia_chinese.pdf
By Susan Ning and Hazel Yin
On November 16, 2012, the Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM“) released the latest data of unconditionally approved notifications of concentrations, including the total number and the list of all transactions with the name of each transaction and the undertakings concerned. According to an earlier piece of press release, MOFCOM will disclose information of unconditionally cleared cases on a quarterly basis1.
From August 1, 2008 when the Anti-monopoly Law (“AML”) became effective to September 30, 2012, MOFCOM cleared 474 cases, of which 458 cases were cleared unconditionally2. Continue Reading China’s Ministry of Commerce Released List of Unconditionally Approved Notifications of Concentrations
By Susan Ning and Kate Peng
In August 2012, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce published the fifth draft of the Guidelines on Anti-Monopoly Law Enforcement in the Field of Intellectual Property (the “Draft Guidelines“). Although compulsory licensing is not expressly mentioned in the Draft Guidelines, many provisions therein seem to imply it being a possible remedy for relevant monopolistic conducts in the IP field. For example, where a dominant market player’s refusal to license has anti-competitive effects1, a compulsory license could be the right answer to the problem. However, the role to be played by the antitrust enforcement agencies in compulsory licensing is not clearly defined under the current legal system.
There are very limited provisions in the Chinese law with respect to compulsory licensing. Continue Reading What is the role of an antitrust enforcement agency in compulsory licensing?
By Ariel Ye and Liu Yuwu King and Wood Mallesons’ Dispute Resolution Group
Background
On September 24, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (“CIETAC”) launched its Hong Kong Arbitration Center (“the Center”) as its first branch outside mainland China. This is a significant step taken by CIETAC in its plan to expand globally.
CIETAC, established in 1956, is the dominant arbitration institution in mainland China and one of the main arbitration institutions in the Asian-Pacific region. For Chinese enterprises, CIETAC is their first choice for an international arbitral institution due to historical and practical reasons. Continue Reading New Choice for Mainland-Related International Arbitration—Establishment of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission Hong Kong Arbitration Center
By Ding Xianjie and Steven Yao Tang Lei King and Wood Mallesons’ Dispute Resolution Group
(1) Chaozhou Ge Lan Te Clothes Ltd. vs. Haochang Ltd. (Jiangxi High Court, No.19, 2007)
In this case, the Plaintiff not only brought a claim for protection of copyright, but also sought protection under the Anti-Unfair Competition Law. The Court of first instance held that generally a ‘well-known commodity’, should be identified based on the following elements: Familiarity of the disputed commodity to the relevant public, the timing, sales amount and percentage of market coverage of that commodity sold in the market, the extent of advertisement promotion, the scale of capital investment, the scope of geographical distribution, and authoritative awards received by the commodity, etc. Continue Reading Protecting of Works of Applied Art under Chinese Judicial Practice(II)
By Ding Xianjie and Steven Yao Tang Lei King and Wood Mallesons’ Dispute Resolution Group
I. “Works of applied art” as defined under Chinese law
Under Chinese law, the term “works of applied art” originates from the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (the “Berne Convention”), in which Article 2 and Article 7 state that all signatory countries should give at least a 25-year protection to works of applied art. After China joined the Berne Convention, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China promulgated the Provisions on the Implementation of the International Copyright Treaties in 1992 (the “1992 Provision”), in which Article 6 provides that the term of protection for foreign works of applied art shall be 25 years, commencing from the creation of the works. Other than the 1992 Provision, the term “works of applied art” is not mentioned in any law or regulation, including the Copyright Law of the People’s Republic of China (the “Copyright Law”) and its implementing regulations. Continue Reading Protecting of Works of Applied Art under Chinese Judicial Practice(I)
作者：Monique Carroll 叶渌 金杜律师事务所争议解决组
我们最近写了关于外国投资者如何运用投资条约保护其海外投资免于遭受“政治风险”的文章。[i]海外投资中的“政治风险”是指投资受到投资东道国政治或管理决策不利影响的风险。现在，我们密切关注中国投资者如何获得投资条约保护。
从历史上，西方发达国家就是投资条约最大的支持者，除德国之外，中国现在是加入投资条约最多的国家。可以假定中国政府同意加入这么多条约的动机是为了给中国投资者海外投资提供更多保护。这也表现了中国政府希望为国内投资提供同等保护的意愿。
石油、天然气和电气能源领域和/或南美、东欧和中亚地区或撒哈拉沙漠以南非洲地区的投资者，应该特别考虑投资条约保护，因为这些领域和地区目前引起了许多投资纠纷。[ii] Continue Reading 中国投资者获得投资保护指南
