Introduction Imagine a child’s toy, gleaming with bright colors and designed for endless hours of fun. A toy which turned out to hold a lurking danger due to poor manufacturing processes. A month after hitting the shelves, there’s a widespread outcry. Parents are furious, the media is ablaze with criticism, and the company responsible faces
Introduction A toy importer, thrilled about getting its toys from Vietnam at a great price paid $2 million upfront to a supposed “toy maker”. The dream turned into a nightmare when they realized there was no such Vietnamese toy maker, and no toys would ever materialize. This importer isn’t alone. Many foreign companies have faced
The Madrid Trademark System Securing global trademark protection is crucial for establishing strong brand recognition internationally. This post provides an overview of the Madrid Trademark System and how it can be leveraged to improve your global trademark protections, along with examining the alternative procedures required for territories outside the Madrid framework. The Madrid Trademark System
Introduction You’ve just come up with a catchy name for your new business, but there’s one crucial step before you can start splashing that name everywhere—ensuring no one else has a claim to it. This is where the world of trademarks and, specifically, trademark oppositions come into play. Think of a trademark opposition as someone
The shifting winds surrounding China geopolitics have left many companies feeling adrift. “We have been trying to diversify away from China manufacturing for years, but we’ve only managed to move about 10% of our supply chain out,” a client recently told me. “China still makes 80% of our products. Even if we wanted to pull
China Employment Best Practices Navigating China’s employment laws is a bit like untangling a complicated puzzle. One wrong move? You could face hefty fines, damaging lawsuits, or even criminal charges. But don’t worry! We’ve poured our extensive experience into this guide to help you navigate with greater confidence. If you want to better understand China’s
Introduction As we regularly stress on these pages, trademarks (and other intellectual property) are often a brand’s most valuable assets. It therefore follows that international trademark protection should be a key priority for brands engaged in international business. Globalization and Trademark Realities In this age of increasing globalization, where phones and ATM cards from your
How to Protect Your IP with International NNN Agreements If you are a US company that wants to do business with a foreign company, you may need to share some of your intellectual property (IP) with them. This could include your trade secrets, designs, prototypes, formulas, or other confidential information. However, sharing your IP can
About a decade ago, I gave a speech on software outsourcing at a major software event. Last week, I found my outline for that speech and this post is based on that outline, revised and updated. It is largely based on my experiences and what I have learned from talking with clients and other businesses
1. Essential Practices when Providing Services to Chinese Companies Securing payment should be your prime concern when providing services to Chinese clients. To mitigate potential issues, our China transactional lawyers incorporate certain clauses in their service contracts they draft for our clients, including provisions mandating the following: 1. Upfront Payment: A substantial initial payment should
