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By Susan Ning and Liu Jia

As the Spring Festival approaches, the National Development and Reform Commission ("NDRC") has ordered local price authorities to step up enforcement efforts against price fraud conducts by retail stores, upon widespread consumer complaints.  On 26 January 2011, NDRC issued an announcement titled "Retail stores such as Carrefour are suspected of price fraud, local price authorities will hand out grave penalities" , condemning price fraud conducts by retail stores, based on investigations by local price authorities.Continue Reading NDRC condemns price fraud conducts by retail chains

By Susan Ning and Shan Lining

In January 2011, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) released the Rules on Anti-Price Monopoly (the NDRC Anti-price Monopoly Rules) (see our article entitled "Rules on Anti-Price Monopoly – effective 1 February 2011") and the Rules in relation to Conduct amounting to Monopoly Agreements (the SAIC Monopoly Agreement Rules) (see our article entitled "3 rules which shed light on non-price violations of the Anti-Monopoly Law – effective 1 February 2011") respectively on the 4th and 7th day of the month.
 Continue Reading Comparison of the NDRC rules and the SAIC rules on monopoly agreements

By Richard  Wigley of King & Wood’s Intellectual Property Group

Online infringement of copyright works in the P.R.C. has been a major problem for rights holders since the advent of the Internet. High rates of infringement have presented real challenges to content owners hoping to monetize their content in China’s fast-growing online world. While civil, administrative and criminal actions are all available as possible means of seeking recourse and establishing deterrents, in practice, they all have distinct advantages and disadvantages. In the case of bringing criminal action against alleged copyright infringers, establishing that the alleged infringers qualify for criminal prosecution has at times proven problematic. Some additional assistance to rights owners, however, is now available.Continue Reading New Guidelines for Criminal Prosecutions of Online Copyright Infringement Provide Aid in Fight against Online Piracy

By Ariel Ye and James Rowland

On 29 December 2010 the Information Office of the State Council (China’s cabinet) published a report detailing China’s past and present anti-corruption efforts (the "White Paper").1 This has been followed in quick succession by the publication of a report including the key facts and figures relating to China’s anti-corruption efforts in 2010 and a public statement by President Hu Jintao in his address to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection that the Chinese government will wage a more forceful fight against corruption in future and that "More efforts should be made to investigate graft in key industries and key posts".2Continue Reading Details of China’s Efforts to Combat Corruption and Build a Clean Government Published in State Council White Paper

By King & Wood’sTrademark Practice

No. Trademark Owner Class Goods / Service
1   Sony Kabushiki Kaisha (Also Trading As Sony Corporation) 9 Cinematographic apparatus; sound and image recording, transmitting and reproducing apparatus; data processing apparatus; computer
2

Martell & Co 33 Alcoholic drink
3 Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft 12 Automobiles, motorcycles and parts

…

By King & Wood’sTrademark Practice

In September 15, 2010, WIPO released the World Intellectual Property Indicators for 2010. According to the report, the global financial crisis has affected the innovation activity in 2008 and 2009 and the growth data shows a slowdown. Yet China has shown strong growth in trademark filings. While total trademark applications worldwide fell by 0.9% in 2008, China saw 20.8% growth. The total number of trademark registrations worldwide grew by 7%, which China accounted for around 90% of the growth.Continue Reading China Stands Out in Trademark Applications

By Susan Ning, Chai Zhifeng and Angie Ng

On 4 January 2011, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) fined the Zhejiang Fuyang Paper Making Industry Association (the Association) for facilitating its members in relation to engaging in monopoly acts, in breach of both the Anti-Monopoly Law (AML) and the Price Law (PL)1.

This is the first enforcement action (in respect of price-related breaches of the Anti-Monopoly Law) by the NDRC in 2011.Continue Reading First price enforcement action by the NDRC in 2011 – against paper association

Mark Schaub , King & Wood’s Corporate Group and Shanghai office

On March 1st 2011 New Regulations take effect on Registration of Resident Representative Offices of Foreign Enterprises (“Regulations”).

The Regulations clarify the Circular on Further Strengthening the Registration Administration of Foreign Enterprises’ Resident Representative Offices issued by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) and the Ministry of Public Security on January 4, 2010, and will replace the Measures for the Administration of Registration of Resident Representative Offices of Foreign Enterprises that were promulgated by SAIC all the way back in March 15, 1983 (“Previous Regulations”).Continue Reading China’s New Regulations “Crackdown” on Foreign Rep Offices

By: Mark Schaub and Luo Bin, King & Wood’s Corporate Group and Shanghai Office

On December 14, 2010, the State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”) promulgated an Announcement on Issues Concerning the Verification of Taxation Basis of Individual Income Tax Payable on Equity Transfer Income (“Announcement”). The Announcement will come into effect on January 14, 2010.Continue Reading PRC Tax Authorities Take a Closer Look at Low Share Transaction Prices