The ongoing design duty in Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd v Sharman License Holdings Ltd Casting the scope of copyright infringement even wider

The Australian Federal Court case of Universal Music AustraliaPty Ltd v Sharman License Holdings Ltd (‘Sharman’)¹is the latest in a series of peer-to-peer (P2P) filesharingcases from various jurisdictions that has found the softwaredistributor/technology provider liable for copyright infringement.² Sharman followed a few months after the groundbreaking US SupremeCourt case of MGM Studios v Grokster Ltd ³ (‘Grokster’)that had acknowledged the Sony safe harbour for technology providersbut also introduced an inducement of infringement doctrine todeal with reprehensible conduct of infringers. While both cases involved similar technology and shared a numberof similarities on the facts and legal principles⁴, a closerexamination of Sharman shows that the net of copyright infringementin P2P filesharing is cast wider than that in Grokster. The effect of Sharman is an increased burden on the technologyprovider and the potentially tremendous consequences on innovationdue to the lack of a clear safe harbour as well as the wideningof the design obligation.     

法律与宗教关系的多向度追问

作为共同调整人类社会的规范,法律与宗教存在着千丝万缕、多个向度的联系。从目的指向来看,法律与宗教都关心人类生存的方式与意义;从思想和制度角度来看,法律中的许多思想和制度都发源于宗教和宗教规范;从西方法治建设的演进历程来看,西方法治的形成得益于人们从内心真正信仰宗教权威与规范的传统;从功能上来看,法律和宗教都有凝聚和调试社会等功能,共同成为维系社会的纽带。当下中国,深刻认识宗教与法律的多向度关系之于落实依法治国以及正确应对宗教社会问题都具有重大的意义。     

论股东强制盈余分配请求权——兼评“河南思维自动化设备有限公司与胡克盈余分配纠纷案”

河南思维公司与胡克盈余分配纠纷案存在的问题在于法院仅仅以尊重公司自治为由驳回小股东盈余分配请求并不妥当。目前法院所遭遇的困局不仅与对公司自治的误解有关,也与公司盈余分配制度的立法疏漏有关。公司自治原则存在边界,不能与公司正义原则相违背。法院应该充分发挥主观能动性,对现行公司法存在的制度漏洞在司法裁判中加以弥补。借鉴美、德等国经验,可以看出,强制性盈余分配纠纷案件不能仅有撤销之诉,对这类纠纷的司法审查标准、董事及控制股东的被告地位、盈余分配的具体数额应当明确。对于胡克案,法院应当判决强制公司盈余分配。     

Stone & Rolls Ltd v Moore Stephens: An Unnecessary Tangle

The opinions of the minority risk creating a dangerous inroad into Salamon and Caparo. The opinions of the majority avoid that risk but reach the right result by tortuous reasoning. The answer to the case lies in a proper application of Caparo.     

论国际法与国内法的辨证关系

国际法与国内法的关系问题是国际法的一个基本理论问题,其实质是国内法在国际交往关系中占居何种地位以及国家如何在国内执行国际法。本文在回顾国际法与国内法关系的有关理论的基础上,论述了国际法与国内法的本质区别和相互联系,较客观地揭示了国际法与国内法的辩证关系。     

冲突法基本路径的经济分析——双边主义对单边主义

一、导论目前,主张内外国法平等适用的双边主义法律选择路径在各国的冲突法立法中虽然已占据主流地位,但是,在司法实践中,法官对适用法院地法的单边主义偏好却始终存在。由此,在双边主义对单边主义的冲突法基本路径选择上,便形成了立法与司法之间的一种张力。如何评判这两种法律选择的基本路径,也构成了各种范式的冲突法理论研究的出发点。然而,在我国的冲突法学界,对于法律选择上双边主义和单边主义的比较,以往的学说多注重以“公正”作为价值评判的标准;而以法律适用的“效率”为价值取向展开研究的著述,尚未得见。效率是法经济学追求的基…     

Freedom of information applications as an "evergreening" tactic: Secretary, Department of Health and Ageing v iNOVA Pharmaceuticals (Australia) Pty Ltd (2010) 191 FCR 573; [2010] FCA 1442

A recent decision of the Federal Court of Australia illustrates how patent-holding pharmaceutical companies are attempting to use Australia's Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) to force Australian safety, quality and efficacy regulators to disclose whether generic competitors are attempting to enter the market. In Secretary, Department of Health and Ageing v iNova Pharmaceuticals (Australia) Pty Ltd (2010) 191 FCR 573; [2010] FCA 1442 a single judge of the Federal Court overturned a decision of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) that would have compelled the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to reveal whether they were in possession of an application to register generic versions of two iNova products: imiquimod and phentermine. In its justification to the AAT for refusing to confirm or deny the existence of any application, the TGA argued that to reveal the existence of such a document would prejudice the proper administration of the National Health Act 1953 (Cth) as it could compromise the listing of a generic on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The AAT failed to appreciate the extent to which this revelation to a competitor would have undercut 2004 amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth) that provided penalties for evergreening tactics involving TGA notifications to drug patent-holders and 2006 amendments to the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) which protected the right of generic manufacturers to "springboard". The decision of the Federal Court is one of the first to explore the use of freedom of information legislation by patent-holders as a potential "evergreening" technique to prolong royalties by marginalising generic competition. Because of the significant amounts of money involved in ensuring rapid market entry of low-cost generic products, the issue has considerable public health significance.     

Privacy,Data Retention and Domination: Digital Rights Ireland Ltd v Minister for Communications

In Digital Rights Ireland Ltd v Minister for Communications, the European Court of Justice found the EU Data Retention Directive, which required the retention of communications data for up to two years, to be incompatible with Articles 7 and 8 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights – the rights to privacy and to the protection of personal data. It is argued in this note that the decision ought to be taken as one that is concerned with the exercise of arbitrary power, a concern that is captured by the concept of domination.     

刑法中的主犯研究

共同犯罪是刑法学中疑难课题,而对主犯的研究有利于解决共同犯罪的理论与实践问题。认定主犯必须厘清主犯与首要分子的界限,分则中聚众犯罪中的首要分子与刑法总则中首要分子的界限。而且主犯的司法认定与刑事责任的追究也是值得思考的问题。     

依法行政与行政诉讼的辩证关系

我国行政诉讼制度对于推进依法行政、全面建设法治政府具有重要意义。面对依法行政和行政诉讼面临的新情况和新问题,需要以全面推进依法行政为契机进一步完善行政诉讼制度。     

论我国服刑人"受刑主体"地位之缺失与弥补

在刑罚执行法律关系中服刑人是受刑主体,但是在我国,服刑人的主体地位在诸多方面存有缺失.例如,服刑人无权选择服刑机构,无权获得律师的法律援助等等,这种状况是不利于服刑人权利保障的.为此,应当采取措施加以弥补.     

明发集团有限公司与宝龙集团发展有限公司等合同纠纷案

[裁判摘要]当事人在合同中约定,双方发生与合同有关的争议,既可以向人民法院起诉,也可以向仲裁机构申请仲裁的,当事人关于仲裁的约定无效。但发生纠纷后,一方当事人向仲裁机构申请仲裁,另一方未提出异议并实际参加仲裁的,应视为双方就通过仲裁方式解决争议达成了合意。其后双方就同一合同有关争议又向人民法院起诉的,人民法院不予受理;已经受理的,应裁定驳回起诉。