Page 10 - Law Developments News Today

Introduction In Swedish IP litigation, claims for damages in cases of misappropriation of trade secrets are commonly coupled with claims for damages based on copyright infringement. Thus, litigation which combines trade secrets and copyright has become something of a trend in Sweden, and the question of how to apply the different provisions in the new Trade Secrets Act and the Copyright Act continues to vex the courts. In its first judgment of 2021,(1) the Labour Court used a textbook case of m...

Introduction Since 2018 companies have had an obligation to guarantee employees right to disconnect – that is, disengage from work-related electronic communications – in order to ensure that employees take daily and weekly rest periods and their annual leave. While there are still many companies that have not implemented policies that guarantee this right to their employees, the first legal rulings tackling discrepancies in interpreting this right are beginning to emerge. On 4 November 2020...

On 19 February 2021 the Ministry of Corporate Affairs brought much-awaited relief to purely debt-listed public and private companies by exempting them from the purview of listed companies (and associated compliances) under the Companies Act 2013 and the rules thereunder. This amendment comes into effect on 1 April 2021. Amended definition of listed company The following company categories have been excluded from the definition of listed company under the Companies Act 2013 through an amendment...

Introduction The Taxation (Implementation) (International Tax Compliance) (Mandatory Disclosure Rules for CRS Avoidance Arrangements and Opaque Offshore Structures) (Jersey) Regulations 2020 are expected to come into force shortly. The regulations will primarily affect promoters and service providers of certain arrangements, implementing a 30-day window to report disclosable arrangements to the Comptroller of Revenue. Failure to comply may lead to financial penalties and, in some instances, cri...

The Regulatory Authority for Energy recently announced the commencement of the competitive procedure for determining the reference price for renewable energy source project operational support. This new cycle was launched by Decision 1648/2020 on a joint competitive bidding procedure for the selection of the photovoltaic and wind plants which will be included in the operation support scheme. Applications to participate in the auctions may be submitted until 22 March 2021.

The government has made several changes to the regulations concerning the reporting and taxation of benefits in kind. The changes aim to simplify how employers apply the regulations in practice. Previously, gifts from employers were tax free only when they were part of the company's general scheme; however, this requirement has been repealed. The government has also decided that influenza and COVID-19 vaccines covered by employers will be tax free from 2021.

In recent years, the Department of Intellectual Property has cracked down on various forms of IP rights infringement such as counterfeiting and online piracy. Two recent developments from the start of 2021 show that state-level anti-infringement measures are having a positive effect on the market.

An amendment to the Federal Labour Law was recently published in the <i>Federal Official Gazette</i>, regulating employment relationships under the modality of remote working. This article answers employers' and employees' questions on the reform, including with regard to the definition of 'remote working', employers' special obligations with respect to remote workers and the introduction of flexible working hours for remote workers.

A Statement of Ambition The Statement is one of ambition, which envisages Scotland as a leading Hydrogen Nation. It is a long term plan, which looks as far ahead as 2050 (when the UKs estimated demand for hydrogen is expected to be around 270TWh) and sets out what Scotland could do to build the hydrogen industry required to meet that demand. There is recognition that Scotland is at the early stages of commercial development and that deployment of hydrogen is a dynamic issue. With this in mind t...

On 18 October 2019 the Milan Tribunal ruled in a case concerning the removal of directors for alleged management irregularities. The tribunal highlighted some important principles regarding companies business continuity, as set out in Article 2086 of the Civil Code, which has been amended by the Crisis and Insolvency Code (Legislative Decree 14/2019). Pursuant to the new wording of Article 2086 of the Civil Code, entrepreneurs and company directors must ensure that the company has adequate admi...