作者：胡梅（Meg Utterback） Linda Davinson 金杜律师事务所 争议解决组
2012年1月1日起，新的ICC（国际商会）仲裁规则开始实行（上一次对ICC规则进行重大修订在1998年）。随着跨境商业纠纷案件的增多，国际仲裁不断日益普及，国际争端解决中心一直热衷于通过竞争解决我们市场中出现的新业务需求。过去十年中，各个机构的规则变得越来越复杂，普通法法系和民法法系的混合导致没有特定的国家仲裁论坛来解决国际争端。
Can Trademark Right Still Exist When a Certificate of Incorporation Is Revoked?
By King and Wood on
Posted in Intellectual Property
By King & Wood’s Trademark Group
Whether revocation of the certificate of incorporation will result in deprivation of the capacity of trademark owners as well as the trademark rights depends on the nature of the trademark owners.
The term "trademark owners" refer to any individuals, legal entities or other organizations that enjoy trademark rights under the law. Trademark owners include original owners and their successors. According to Article 9 of the amended PRC Trademark Law, the eligible trademark applicants are defined as enterprises, institutions, social organizations, privately or individually-owned businesses, individual partnerships, foreign individuals and foreign enterprises.
Continue Reading Can Trademark Right Still Exist When a Certificate of Incorporation Is Revoked?
营业执照被吊销，商标权利还存在么？
By King and Wood on
Posted in Intellectual Property
作者：金杜律师事务所商标组
权利人营业执照被吊销是否会导致商标权利人主体资格和商标权利的丧失，这取决于商标权利人的性质。
“商标权利人”，也就是商标权的所有人，是指依法享有商标权利的任何自然人、法人和其他组织。商标权利人包括最初权利人和继受权利人。经过对《商标法》的数次修改，目前在《商标法》第9条中规定的商标申请人为企事业单位、社会团体、个体工商户、个人合伙、外国人和外国企业。
Variable Interest Entity Structure in China
By King and Wood on
Posted in Foreign investment
By Zeng Xianwu Bai Lihui King & Wood’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Group
To achieve the initial public offering (“IPO“), there are two options for Chinese companies, onshore listing (also known as A-share listing) and offshore listing (also known as red-chip listing). Since the conditions and qualifications for A-share listing are usually a little higher and the procedure is more time-consuming than for the offshore listing, Chinese companies which cannot meet the A-share listing’s requirements or which need to complete IPO rapidly, usually would prefer the red-chip listing. For the red-chip listing, there are two commonly-used structures for Chinese companies: the straight-forward offshore listing structure and the VIE structure. In addition, for the purpose of attracting foreign investors and for circumventing restrictions on foreign direct investment, during the Pre-IPO restructuring, the VIE structure is also widely used by Chinese companies and foreign companies alike.
In 2011, after a series of public events, the variable interest entity (“VIE“) structure re-attracted a lot of attention and concerns from the PRC authorities, entrepreneurs, investors and other market participants. This essay will describe the circumstances in which the VIE structure was created, how it has been used and the changes in the regulatory environment which might affect the feasibility of utilizing the VIE structure.
Continue Reading Variable Interest Entity Structure in China
再谈中国企业在欧盟反倾销调查中的”非市场经济地位”
By King and Wood on
Posted in International Trade & WTO
一、基本情况回顾
根据中国加入世界贸易组织议定书，其他WTO成员可以在15年之内，针对中国采用反倾销调查时，可以认为中国不具有“市场经济地位”。
欧盟在1998年修改《反倾销条例》之后，将中国视为“市场转型国家”，即在总体上不承认中国是“市场经济国家”的同时，对于特定条件的公司给予“市场经济地位”。一般而言，获得“市场经济地位”的公司在反倾销调查当中按照应诉公司提供的信息来计算倾销幅度，通常结果会大大低于没有获得“市场经济地位”的公司。自此以后，中国公司积极地在反倾销调查中申请市场经济地位。截至2010年12月31日，欧盟针对中国一共发起了99起反倾销调查。根据我们的统计，一共有94家公司分别在32起反倾销调查当中获得了“市场经济地位”。
《证券投资基金法修订草案》松绑与规范并行
By King and Wood on
Posted in Securities & Capital Markets
作为中国基金业和资本市场发展历史上的一个重要的里程碑，2004年6月1日正式生效的《中华人民共和国证券投资基金法》（“基金法”）至今已经历中国资本市场近八年的风雨洗礼。基于市场规范的需求，新基金法的颁布已进入倒计时阶段。
据悉，新基金法（修订草案）共十五章、一百零三条，在章节设计上增加基金组织形式、非公开募集基金的特别规定、公开募集基金的服务机构、基金业协会新的章节，并合并原来的基金份额的交易和申购与赎回两章。
浅议企业法律风险管理及内部控制
By King and Wood on
Posted in Corporate
一、 风险管理及内部控制制度建立的背景
企业风险管理及内部控制制度的建立不是一蹴而就形成的，是经过了一个漫长的企业发展历程并在付出了沉重的政治、经济和社会诸多方面的代价而逐步建立的。众所周知的安然财务造假案、雷曼投资失败案、三鹿毒奶粉案以及紫金矿业污染案等等都是导致企业风险管理日益受到各国政府及企业自身重视的始作俑者。
我在英国石油2006～2008年从事集团内控审计师的工作过程中了解到，美、英、法、德、日等国家从20世纪70年代起，就已经逐步系统地认识到各种不同类型的企业和组织机构所面临的风险的多样性、复杂性以及由此会对企业和组织机构本身乃至国家经济的负面影响，随即组建了相应的机构着手研究企业和各类组织机构的风险管理。逐步出台了1992年美国反虚假财务报告委员会下属发起人委员会COSO发布的《企业内部控制——整合框架》（“COSO内控框架”）和2004年，COSO发布的《企业风险管理—— 整合框架》（“COSO风险管理框架”），成为各国立法机构制定政策法规及各类企业和组织机构制定风险防控目标以及采取相应措施的重要指引。
美国集体诉讼规则中平衡当事人利益的机制
By King and Wood on
Posted in Dispute Resolution
集体诉讼[1]是美国联邦民事诉讼规则中一个非常重要也富有争议的法律制度。在传统的民事诉讼程序中，法院审理的是一个原告和一个被告之间的争议。在集体诉讼中，集体代表代表全体集体成员向法院提起诉讼。集体代表之外的缺席集体成员不是传统意义上的诉讼当事人，他们不参与诉讼程序。无论判决对集体成员是否有利或者不利，集体诉讼判决将约束所有集体成员。
在美国，集体诉讼比民事诉讼的任何其它领域更受到法院、立法机构、学术界和实务界的关注。集体诉讼涉及生活中受到广泛关注的各种问题，这些问题涉及石棉诉讼、飞机失事、证券欺诈、反垄断、消费者权益保护、环境保护、种族歧视、性别歧视、就业歧视、输血、烟草、公民权利保护、员工福利、产品责任等方面。同时，集体诉讼比民事诉讼的任何其他领域更有争议。赞成者主张，集体诉讼是美国“二十世纪程序法最重要的发展之一”。法院应更多地使用集体诉讼，以达到改良社会目的，同时为那些在经济上无法起诉的受害者提供救济。反对者认为，除了使公司破产、律师发财、法院积压案件外，集体诉讼一无是处。
Comments to ‘Tort Law Provides Supplementary Protection to IP Rights’
By King and Wood on
Posted in Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property
By King & Wood’s Trademark Group
One reader puts forward some questions regarding tort liability of the on-line BBS owners:
I am interested in the court’s decision in Wang Hai Yang case but do not read Chinese. I note that the case has been appealed and want to know the court’s decision particularly on the tort liability law and the right to reputation and privacy. Since the Tort Liability Law came into effect, I want to know if there had been any changes to the court’s interpretation to right to privacy and right to reputation after Wang Fei case.
For your questions, please see below our reply:
Continue Reading Comments to ‘Tort Law Provides Supplementary Protection to IP Rights’
Insurance Benefits for Banks as Mortgagees (Part II of II)
By King and Wood on
Posted in Banking & Finance
By Guan Feng King & Wood’s Finance Group
This article continues to discuss Insurance Benefits for Banks as Mortgagees. The first part of this article was published on Chinalawinsight on January 2012.
III. Assignment of Insurance Benefits
In practice, in order to insure the debt, the lender bank often signs an insurance assignment agreement with the borrower, in which the borrower will assign all insurance benefits(1) under the related property insurance policy(2) to the lender bank. The assignment of rights becomes effective at the moment when the assignment contract is signed, or when the borrower defaults on the loan. Meanwhile, the endorsement slip, in which the insured designates the bank as the "first beneficiary" under the insurance policy, confirms the rights of the bank. To evaluate the feasibility of the insurance assignment contract, the fundamental approach from an insurance law perspective is to assess the nature of the insurance benefits assigned.
Continue Reading Insurance Benefits for Banks as Mortgagees (Part II of II)