Consolidation of trademark actions is a much-needed procedural avenue in China, one that would make the country’s trademark system more efficient and fairer. Actions that concern the same trademark, such as applications, oppositions, and cancellations, are generally not consolidated, wreaking all sorts of havoc for brands. This even though the Trademark Law has provisions that
The UFLPA, the Question of Legislative Intent, and Its Impact on SMEs Since the launch of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in the summer of 2022, there has been an undercurrent of discussion in the trade community regarding the law’s real intent. Is the law intended to weed out products made with Xinjiang
With the wave of news surrounding due diligence company crackdowns in China, with Mintz Group and Bain & Co. as the highest profile targets to date (see here and here), a reporter reached out to inquire how legal practitioners are dealing with this diminished access. She wanted to know whether and how this complicates business
Last week saw a flurry of activity with three new AD/CVD petitions: (1) Boltless Steel Shelving Units from India, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam (AD only); (2) Brass Rod from Brazil, India, Israel, Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea (AD/CVD); and (3) Non-Refillable Cylinders from India (AD/CVD) Two of these petitions are sequels of AD/CVD cases
Pursuing an individual or business in China is notoriously difficult for several reasons. One of them is that at the outset of any lawsuit, a complaint needs to be filed and served – meaning, it must be demonstrated to the Court that the complaint was provided to the named defendant(s) in a satisfactory manner. The
Our international manufacturing lawyers have been working with a ton of companies that are looking to pull their manufacturing from China and move it elsewhere, to places like Mexico, Colombia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. One of the first questions we ask when providing legal counsel regarding such moves is who owns the IP related to
China Representative Offices Is your company considering setting up a Representative Office in China? You will likely find that the process is not as easy as it used to be. In many cases, plans for a Chinese Rep Office result in creating a Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE), which is one significant step beyond a Rep
Paying lawyers can seem expensive, even if they are only mediocre lawyers. But good lawyers can often save you money because they can save you from your own mistakes. They do that by having both the experience and gravitas to teach you from others’ mistakes. I wrote in a previous post about the PPE nightmare
In a few weeks I will be testifying before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and this is causing me to become a bit obsessed with US-China terminology. It is also making me increasingly tired of talking about “decoupling” and “cold wars” when there seems to be no clear definition for either. 1. On
China Domain Name Scams If your company has done anything in China (even just sending someone there to meet with a supplier), you have probably received a somewhat official-looking email offering to “help” you stop someone from taking your domain registry in China or maybe somewhere else in the world. Picture this: Your company finally
