Exclusive Safeguards and Technology Transfer: Subcontracting Agreements in Eastern Europe's Car Component Industry

We study the rationale for the use of exclusivity to protect transfer of technology in subcontracting agreements. The legal possibility arises through the EU Notice on Subcontracting. Empirically, the link between exclusive agreements and technology transfer among firms in the automotive supply industry in EU candidate countries is surprisingly weak, although with exclusive-supply or exclusive-buying clauses in subcontracting agreements upstream transfer of technology is more likely. Exclusive agreements are often reciprocal, and are typically passed on. Downstream firms are more likely to face and use vertical restraints. Technology trickles upstream: Multinational final assemblers transfer more technology than lower-tier suppliers.     

Der Entwurf und der Gegenentwurf für ein neues österreichisches Schadensersatzrecht – eine kritische Analyse

Der Beitrag vergleicht die beiden konkurrierenden Vorschl?ge zur Reform des ?sterreichischen Schadensersatzrechts und arbeitet die jeweils überzeugenden Vorschl?ge ebenso wie die Vers?umnisse heraus. Einbezogen werden zudem die vorliegenden Entwürfe für ein gemeinsames europ?isches Schadensersatzrecht. überdies wird auf die heftig umstrittene Verwendung des beweglichen Systems als legistische Technik eingegangen.     

Comparison of natural and artificial aging of ballpoint inks

Abstract:  Solvent evaporation caused by aging from ballpoint inks was measured by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). The sample preparation was carried out with two different thermal desorption systems. The results are compared. Thirteen inks were classified with regard to their solvents, polymers, and additives. The variation of the aforementioned compounds caused by aging was monitored for naturally and artificially aged samples. In this paper, the results are compared and discussed with respect to forensic casework.     

Unusual suicides of young women with tentative cuts and fatal neck injuries by chain saw and circular saw

Suicides with chain saws and circular saws are extreme exceptions, in particular with regard to females and concerning the neck region. We report two of such rare cases involving young women. A 30-year-old female with a known schizoaffective psychosis killed herself with an electric chain saw. The autopsy revealed a deep saw cut of the neck and shoulder with partial transection of the cervical spine. Several tentative saw cuts were present on the right lower jaw. A 29-year-old woman suffering from depression committed suicide by use of a circular saw. She inflicted herself fatal neck injuries with at least three separate cutting procedures. Our cases were characterized by the following features: female sex, young adulthood, no occupational experience with saws, psychiatric disorders, absence of alcohol or drugs, use of an aggressive method of suicide, focus of saw injuries on the right side of the neck, detection of tentative saw cuts or several trials, identical causes of death (exsanguination and blood aspiration).     

Personal Characteristics of MPs and Legislative Behavior in Moral Policymaking

Theoretical and empirical models of legislative decision making in parliamentary democracies typically neglect the policy preferences of individual MPs and instead focus on political parties and possible institutional constraints. We argue that MPs actually make judgments and decisions on the basis of their preferences, which are shaped by their personal characteristics. However, given the strength of parties in most parliamentary systems, the impact of personal characteristics on legislative behavior is rarely visible. Therefore, we examine a moral issue. Looking at cosponsorship, parliamentary speeches, and votes in the German Bundestag, we analyze the legislative procedure on the regulation of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in Germany in 2011. We show that the legislative behavior of MPs does not only reflect partisan conflict but is also influenced by the preferences of the constituents and MPs’ own personal characteristics such as: religious denomination, gender, and parental status.