I am lately getting a ton of calls from reporters wanting examples of companies leaving China because of its increasingly oppressive cybersecurity, data security and counter-espionage laws. When I tell them I have no such examples, they are surprised. I then explain how companies tend to believe they are capable of navigating such things and
China’s economy and its manufacturing are in what is increasingly looking like a long-term decline. I attribute most of this to two things that will almost certainly continue to worsen: geopolitics and demographics. On the geopolitical front, Blinken did JUST meet with Xi and they said nice things that will reduce the likelihood of war,
In August, 2019 — in Hong Kong for International Business: Stick a Fork in It, I wrote how Hong Kong’s days as Asia’s leading international business hub were over and I made the following predictions: Companies that were deciding between Hong Kong or Singapore for their Asian headquarters would choose somewhere other than Hong Kong. Growing companies
Our international trademark attorneys recently won an appeal of an earlier refusal of a China trademark registration application. This case demonstrates the complex strategies often required to secure trademark protection for brands in China. As execution of these strategies can take time, brands willing to take the long view are likely to see better results.
On May 31, 2023, the Coalition for Fair Trade in Shopping Bags, consisting primarily of Novolex Holdings (“Novolex”) and the union workers at the U.S. paper shopping bag manufacturing facilities, filed antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions against Paper Shopping Bags from nine countries. China is the largest exporter of the subject shopping bags,
Color claims for trademarks should in general be avoided. To be clear, there are situations when claiming color on a trademark registration application makes sense, but these situations are not common. What’s more, color claims might create issues in the future, if you stop using your trademark exactly as registered. Claiming a color or colors
Polysilicon is a pure form of silicon and an essential element in the supply chain of solar photovoltaics, which harness solar power. Roughly 80 percent of the world’s polysilicon comes from China. The United States Geological Survey describes rare earths as follows: The rare earths are a relatively abundant group of 17 elements composed of scandium,
By Tom McVey & Ngosong Fonkem* If your company is doing business with a Chinese company, it is essential to be aware of the risks associated with prohibited parties under U.S. export control and sanctions laws. The United States has strict regulations prohibiting U.S. companies from engaging with certain foreign individuals and entities. These include
Earlier this month I testified before the U.S. Congress’s U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission regarding Rule by Law in China. Go here if you wish to see my testimony and/or the full day of testimony given by various far more expert China law professors. This is the third time I’ve testified before a Congressional
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
