by Michael Swinson,Cheng Lim King & Wood Mallesons Melbourne, Australia
1. The Internet of Things (IoT) merges the physical and the digital worlds …
The IoT translates physical actions into digital reactions, and vice versa, by linking sensors on physical objects, via a communications network, to some centralised or distributed computing power. The
By Richard W. Wigley of King & Wood’s Dispute Resolution Group
Data privacy for internet users is a topic of concern the world over, with the P.R.C. being no exception. Internet information service providers (hereinafter also referred to as "IISPs"), such as commercial websites, regularly collect information from online visitors, sometimes with full knowledge of the visitors and sometimes unknown to the visitors. In addition, IISPs have been known to maliciously introduce software incompatible with the user’s existing software, install certain software such as "spyware" onto users’ computers/mobile devices and/or change users’ browser configurations without permission, and it goes without saying that "pop up ads" are an ongoing online annoyance. As online users in the P.R.C. look for protections from such unwanted invasions of their privacy and restrictions upon user control of their online experience, the recently released "Several Provisions on Regulating the Market Order for Internet Information Services" (hereinafter referred to as the "Provisions") provides needed rules and regulations in this regard.[1] Continue Reading New M.I.I.T. Provisions Provide Additional Online User Control and Data Privacy Protections
By Susan Ning, Liu Jia and Yin Ranran
The QQ / 360 battle broken out towards the end of 2010 (see our article entitled "The QQ / 360 Disputes – Who, What, Where, When and Preliminary Antitrust Analysis") has stirred lasting and heated discussions about anti-monopoly issues in the emerging Internet industry in China.
About one month ago, Renmin University of China organized the thirteenth Anti-Monopoly Law Summit Forum, which was focused on discussion of fair competition in the Internet industry of China and protection of netizens’ interests. Officials from various government agencies, such as the Law Committee of the National People’s Congress, Legislative Affairs of the State Council, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ("MIIT"), the State of Administration for Industry and Commerce ("SAIC’), the Ministry of Commerce, and the National Development and Reform Commission, as well as judges from the Supreme People’s Court participated in the forum..Continue Reading Potential Monopoly In China’s Internet Industry Caught Attention of Chinese Competition Authorities
By Mark Schaub, Partner, Corporate, King & Wood Shanghai
On May 19, 2010, the People’s Bank of China (“PBOC”) issued a new set of regulations for online payment service providers that will take effect on September 1, 2010. The new regulations bring payment services within the banking regulatory scheme.
Continue Reading China Retailers Beware…New Payment Restrictions may Impact your Revenue Channels!
With the increased popularity of the Internet, web-based information is frequently used as evidence in judicial proceedings in China. In most cases, the web-based information is stored inside a web server in the form of electronic data. When submitted to a Chinese court as evidence, the web-based information must be downloaded in the presence of a notary public in order to verify its authenticity.
Continue Reading PRC Web Page Notarization for Evidence
Interviewed by Serwat Perwaiz, Editor of King & Wood’s Publication Group
As China’s economic and social presence on electronic forms of communication continues to develop and expand, the country’s regulatory bodies are stepping up to the challenge to keep pace with the new developments. We are lucky to have Dr. Martin Cave, Professor and Director of the Centre for Management under Regulation, Warwick Business School, to provide us his comments on the hot topics of Technology and the Internet.
When asked about his key areas of interest, he commented that he was particularly interested in “reform and liberalisation of the radio spectrum, which can support the amazing growth of voice and broadband wireless technologies we have seen in the past decade.” He went on to discuss how the standard model in Europe and the United States, which “relies on maximising competition and reducing regulation to the minimum, with a relatively small role for government policy and government subsidy” differs significantly from models in Asian countries where “government policy is a much stronger driver.”
Continue Reading Expert Look at Communications Technology: Comments by Dr. Martin Cave
