By Xuhua Huang and Ying Xu King & Wood Mallesons’ Singapore Office
T
he third China-Singapore government-to-government cooperation project, China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (“Connectivity Project”) has recently commenced, aiming to promote the “connectivity” between these two countries in the areas of financial services, aviation, transport & logistics and information &
By Liang Linda Zhu Yuling King & Wood Mallesons’ Commercial & Regulatory
O
n December 27, 2015, the NPC Standing Committee voted the Amendment of the PRC Population and Family Planning Law through and “Two-child policy” was implemented on January 1, 2016.Provinces and cities expedited revision of their local family planning regulations. By March 15,
By Lin Jiuchu and Wang Si King & Wood Mallesons’ IP Group
K
ey issues: The burden of proof for a well-known trademark may be lowered provided the trademark owner enjoys high fame and the applicant has obvious bad faith.
Salvatore Ferragamo S.P.A. (“Salvatore”) is the trademark owner of “Salvatore Ferragamo” (figurative form: 
) and
By Yang Hua King & Wood Mallesons’ IP Group
C
hina Trademark Office (CTMO) announced on its official website on Thursday, March 24, that it is introducing some new practical measures in order to provide more efficient and convenient services for the brand owners in their trademark application procedures. It is the first time in
By Susan Ning, Cheng Liu, and Hazel Yin King & Wood Mallesons’ Commercial & Regulatory Group
O
n
M
arch 23, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”) published the draft Antitrust Guidelines for the Auto Industry (“Draft Guidelines”), and invited public comments by April 12, 2016. NDRC is entrusted by the State Council Antimonopoly Commission to take the lead in drafting these Draft Guidelines. Before this draft on March 23, it had circulated several versions among a smaller group and received comments from major market players, industry associations, consumer associations, academic experts and legal practitioners.
Continue Reading NDRC Invites Comments on Draft Antitrust Guidelines for Automotive Industry
By Susan Ning, Cheng Liu, Weiqing Qiu and Yun Bi King & Wood Mallesons’ Commercial & Regulatory Group
On October 12, 2015, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the Several Opinions on Promoting the Price Mechanism Reform (“Opinions”). The Opinions call for strengthening the market price supervision and the antitrust enforcement, and target to establish a scientific, orderly, and transparent price supervision regime and antitrust enforcement mechanism by 2020.
Following the Opinions by the central government, many provincial governments (such as provinces of Henan, Hebei, Hunan, Hubei, Inner Mongolia, etc.) have recently issued their own guidelines to promote price mechanism reform and enhance the antitrust enforcement.
Continue Reading Local Government in China to Enhance Antitrust Enforcement
By David Parkes and Ofei Kwafo-Akoto King & Wood Mallesons’ London Office
G
hana has faced a series of macroeconomic challenges over the past year, with sustained depreciation of the cedi against major foreign currencies, high fiscal and current account deficits and a slowdown in real GDP growth. Despite this, the country remains one of
By Susan Ning, Cheng Liu and Shenglan Liu King & Wood Mallesons’Commercial & Regulatory Group
C
hina’s top antitrust authority, the Anti-monopoly Commission (“AMC”) of the State Council is to issue the integrated IPR antitrust guidelines. AMC has entrusted three antitrust enforcement agencies, the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (“SAIC”) and the Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”), and the State Intellectual Property Office (“SIPO”) with the task of drafting antitrust guidelines on intellectual property rights (IPRs). It is reported that these agencies are finalizing their respective draft guidelines and will submit the drafts to AMC by the end of March 2016. Since AMC is responsible for coordinating antitrust policies in China, it will take the lead to consolidate the said four draft IP guidelines and issue an integrated one.
Continue Reading China’s State Council to announce integrated IPR antitrust guidelines
By Adrian Brown, David Calligan, Tim Dolan, Tamasin Little King & Wood Mallesons’ London Office
The Senior Managers and Certification Regime (the “SM&CR”) is the tough new regulatory framework for individuals working in the banking sector, under which the UK regulators seek to increase individual accountability. The SM&CR will apply to UK-based subsidiaries
By Michael Goldberg David Parkes King & Wood Mallesons’ London Office
T
he Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 makes major changes to UK company law on 6 April. The new rules are aimed at achieving transparency of the beneficial owners and controllers of UK companies, and form part of wider international initiatives
