Since 1994, China has had a quota on the number of foreign films that can be shown in Chinese theaters on a revenue sharing basis (i.e., with the Chinese distributor remitting some percentage of the revenues to the foreign film’s producer). The quota started at 10 per year in 1994, was increased to 20 films
President Trump last week announced that the U.S. will impose 25% tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, to punish China for its “systematic theft” of U.S. intellectual property and/or to reduce America’s trade deficit with China. China fired back by announcing it would impose 25% tariffs on about $50 billion worth of
Hardly a day goes by without one of our China employment lawyers getting an email from a China expat seeking legal help involving an ex-employer. Many times they will briefly describe their situation and conclude their email with something like, “do I have a case?” Our employment attorneys nearly always respond with something like the
Over the past couple weeks, the Chinese Internet has been abuzz with chatter about how Chinese movie stars allegedly underreport income via a dual-contract system in which only one contract is disclosed to the tax authorities. The ruckus started when television personality Cui Yongyuan uploaded a redacted actor employment contract apparently for Chinese A-list actress
Our China IP lawyers have lately been seeing a steady increase in China design patent filings, as Western companies increasingly come to understand the need to be proactive in protecting their IP from China. We file most design patents to protect product designs, but some are filed for defensive purposes. The defensive design patents are
The one thing I know for sure about China is, I will never know China. It’s too big, too old, too diverse, too deep. There’s simply not enough time. – Anthony Bourdain, On Parts Unknown First Kate Spade and now Anthony Bourdain. What the hell is happening? How incredibly sad. I feel compelled to repost
Not a week goes by without one of the China attorneys at my firm getting an email or a phone call from someone (usually an American or a European) wanting us to help them complete a house sale to a Chinese citizen or with some plan for selling houses to Chinese citizens. They want to
We hear so many half-truths and misconceptions about registered capital that it’s hard to keep track of them all, let alone dispel them. Not for lack of trying, though: see e.g. China Company Law Myths: Registered Capital and Personal Liability and China WFOE Minimum Capital Requirements: The Goldilocks Rule. Without further ado, following please find
China does a lousy job policing bad-faith trademark registrations and that makes trademark squatting a profitable and low-risk activity in China. Those unfamiliar with Chinese trademark practice might think the problem is China’s trademark law. Not so. China’s Trademark Law has a number of provisions that could easily be invoked to combat trademark squatting, including
Foreign companies doing business in China must onboard their employee hires correctly. Unfortunately, there are many myths that make doing this less likely. This post briefly explains four common and potentially dangerous China hiring myths. 1. Hiring Without a Chinese Legal Entity (WFOE or Joint Venture) is Fine if You Bring on Only Independent Contractors.
