In April 2017, the Supreme People’s Court established a new cyberspace court in Hangzhou , Zhejiang province. The court was set up to handle five types of cases, mainly related to online shopping and intellectual property rights .

The move comes after a successful pilot at four Hangzhou courts beginning in 2015. The courts were upgraded with technology that allow plaintiffs to file cases and upload evidence online and even to appear at hearings via video link if they did not live locally. Judges handling the cases entirely online, process could be much...

Fighting trademark cases can be a long, tough battle in China but in October 2018, Richemont’s Alfred Dunhill brand hailed a “major trademark victory” in the country with the luxury brand awarded “uncommonly large” damages by a Chinese court.[1]

It also said the ruling is a “landmark victory in China for any global brand” and “demonstrates the country’s progress in IP protection,” as well as its own “unequivocal resolve” in tackling infringement.[2]

The brand has been awarded CNY10 million ($1.47 million) after the Foshan Intermediate People’s Court,...

On November 7th 2018 our managing counsel Daniel Albrecht delivered successfully a keynote speech about Trademark registration in Austria and Germany at the Guangdong Intellectual Property Trade Expo 2018 . We are happy that the audience of about 200 IP professionals and government officials from the Greater Bay Area were so interesting in this topic. Special thx to our friends from the IPR daily for the introduction to this great event.

Under the approval of Guangdong provincial committee and government, the first Guangdong Intellectual Property Trade Expo was hosted in Guangzhou...

As a consequence of the commercialization of the internet, the world of the consumer has experienced a fundamental change. The e-Commerce market is constantly changing and, in response to the fact that the e-Commerce markets between European Union and China are getting more and more intertwined, it seems to be necessary to provide a legal framework to overview the situation within the scope of e-Commerce.

I. European Union: e-Commerce Directive 2000/31/EC

The e-Commerce Directive 2000/31/EC has created the legal foundation for online services,...

The SwissCham Beijing, in association with the Embassy of Switzerland hosted a highly exclusive breakfast with Swiss parliamentarians from the Foreign Affairs Commission (FAC), leaded by Mrs. Elisabeth SCHNEIDER-SCHNEITER, President of the Commission (CVP/BL).

The event was on October 23rd, 2018, at the Opposite House, Beijing. The session covered the topic of « Doing business in China ». Followed by a brief introduction by each participant, the business perspectives along with the impact of the Free Trade Agreement as well as the remaining challenges were discussed. The aim of...

Daniel Albrecht

China is driving a boom in global e-Commerce retail sales, consequently, the issuing of the first fundamental law addressing e-Commerce in China on August 31, 2018, effective on January 1, 2019, is a clear evidence of the widespread awareness of the importance of this phenomenon. The new E-Commerce Law is a response to China’s growing use of e-Commerce in daily life, particularly via mobile platforms.

The aim of the comprehensive body of legislation is to improve regulation of the flourishing market and to reinforce punishments towards...

More than 180 local trade decision-makers discussed the day of the trade on 27 September together with their partners and top-level political representatives on where the new trade is heading. The 14th edition of the annual mandatory retail event took place in the exclusive ambience of the Vienna Albert Hall and was initiated by trade association president Stephan Mayer-Heinisch. From the most exciting retail trends in the promising market of China to the costs of regional planning, the effects of trade tariffs, the potential for cooperation between agriculture and the food retail industry...

Pinduoduo Inc. (拼多多) is a social e-commerce start-up based in Shanghai. Pinduoduo offers to shoppers discounts on bulk orders; in fact, shoppers are encouraged to form “teams” with their social networking connections on WeChat and QQ to score bigger discounts. Pinduoduo filed its Initial Public Offering on Nasdaq (American stock exchange) on July 26; the IPO offered 85.6 million American depository shares at US $19. The opening price was US $26.5 per American depository shares, up nearly 40% from the issued price. Its massive IPO ranked alongside other Chinese e-commerce giants such as...

Starke will work close together with our new partner the Handelsverband Austria in the future. The Handelsverband created the Gateway2Asia as a net plattform the bring Austrian trading companies to Asia. The Handelsverband is the biggest private organization of trading companies in Austria with more than 150 members. They represent the biggest trading companies in Austria and have a tradition of nearly 100 years of operations. We are glad to help their members in the future with their activities in China, special with their E-Commerce business and IPR problems. Together we will write more...

Starke visited the Vienna Wirtschaftskammer (WKO Wien) and had a chat with the representative of “Wien Products” about their activities in China. Wien Products was founded by the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1995 to provide a platform for the export activities of a highly select group of Viennese companies and cultural institutions. The 60 organisations that currently make up Wien Products stand for a range of products and services meeting the highest quality criteria and production standards, as well as capturing the unique flair and very special Viennese aesthetic.

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Starke was invited by NRW Invest to meet representatives from the German football club Schalke 0 4 during their visit in Beijing . Schalke have great ambitions in China. The Bundesliga club works close together with Hebei China Fortune FC , owned by the CFLD group. CFLD corporate with Stake in the Region of Langfang, the home of Hebei Fortune. We therefore hope, that we will also cooperate with Schalke 04 in the future and help this great football club to grow and to be successful in the Chinese market. Our Managing Counsel Daniel Albrecht here on the pics with Schalke coach Domenico...

IT related legislation is constantly evolving and has effects on companies' usage of Virtual Private Networks (VPN). To gain a better understanding of the situation and facilitate exchange, the German Chamber of Commerce in Beijing brought together a legal and an industry expert to share the latest experience from both perspectives.

Mr. Daniel Albrecht introduced the main features of the Cybersecurity Law and its enforcement legislation effecting Virtual Private Networks (VPN). He especially focuses on the implications for foreign companies and how they can safeguard compliance...