Post-termination use of licensed intellectual property by licensees

Legal and practical context: The ongoing dispute between Nokia and Qualcomm exemplifies thecomplex issues that arise when the licensor–licensee relationshipbreaks down. It illustrates that any means by which a licenseecan secure rights to use licensed IP after termination of alicence agreement can be of great commercial importance, notto mention significant economic value. If a licensee can continueto use licensed IP notwithstanding that its agreement has beenterminated, a licensor's ability to control and derive maximumeconomic benefit from its IP may be fundamentally compromised. Key points: The means available to licensees to secure such rights varydepending on the kind of IP right licensed, but there are severalcommon themes, which draw on a diverse range of legal rulesand concepts, including specific IP concepts and laws (includingthe rules relating to assignment and licensing, the exhaustionof rights, revocation and invalidation, and defences to infringementclaims), contract law and competition law. This article discussespractical implications to be considered when drafting IP licenceagreements. Conclusions: From a licensee's perspective, the termination of its licenceagreement is not necessarily the end of the road. Licenseesshould be aware of these post-termination rights when expectingto face difficult renegotiations with a licensor. From bothparties' perspectives, but particularly that of licensor, thisarticle should demonstrate the importance of drafting to avoidany uncertainty that may arise on the termination of a licenceagreement.     

违法身份与责任身份分类的尝试——以日本刑法第65条的规定为视角

日本刑法第65条第1项规定的是违法身份,第2项是责任身份;参与违法身份的,只能构成以此身份为要件的罪名的教唆犯或帮助犯,参与责任身份的,对于非责任身份者,应以非责任身份者所对应的罪名定罪处罚。贪污罪的主体国家工作人员属于责任身份,而受贿罪的主体国家工作人员属于违法身份,因此,国家工作人员指使其不具有国家工作人员身份的亲属收受财物的,国家工作人员构成受贿罪的间接正犯,其亲属构成受贿罪的帮助犯。普通公民伙同邮政人员私自开拆他人信件的,普通公民构成侵犯公民通讯自由罪,而邮政人员构成私自开拆邮件罪。刑讯逼供罪的主体司法工作人员属于责任身份,非司法工作人员伙同进行刑讯逼供的,不以刑讯逼供罪定罪处罚。     

Web 2.0, wikis, and the IP Community

Legal context: The emergence of new web-based programs being used in the fieldsof patent applications and IP legal information has opened upa range of new opportunities for IP-related legal processesand knowledge sharing. Key points: This article explains the background to Web 2.0 applicationsand explores the potential for the use of wikis in various areasof IP. It notes the limitations, as well as the possibilities,of wikis and explains how they work in practice. It outlinesthree recent examples of wikis in the IP world, explaining howthey work and the significance of their overall objectives. Practical significance: The adoption of this technology by official bodies suggestswider future use and the appearance of unofficial sites showsthat current developments have already reached a stage wheremany IP practitioners can begin to interact and share knowledgein a way that has not been considered previously. It is conceivablethat developments in this area will be rapid and it is in theinterests of users to familiarize themselves with the use ofthis new ‘social software’.     

怎样写好警学论文(五)--调研论文的基本写法

警学调研论文 ,是警察科学调查研究论文的简称 ,是记录、描述警察科学领域某个警务实践事实或某一课题调查研究结果的文献。论文作者应该把警学调研论文与警务工作报告严格区分开来 ,并掌握警学调研论文的基本写法。     

关于《劳动合同法》第14条的溯及力的法理分析

《劳动合同法》第14条引起了广泛争议并产生了很大社会影响,争议的焦点是有关年限的规定是否具有溯及力的问题。依据法不溯及既往原则,《劳动合同法》原则上不具有溯及力,但由于《劳动合同法》的立法意图旨在保护劳工利益,加之《劳动合同法》吸收了《劳动法》的有关规定,因而使某些有关年限的起点具有溯及力。这样把握既不违反法不溯及既往原则,同时也保护了劳工的正当权益。不过应该有个过渡办法,《劳动合同法》实施前企业对劳工的福利欠债可以考虑由政府"埋单"而不能完全推给企业。     

Assessing the Utility of Soil DNA Extraction Kits for Increasing DNA Yields and Eliminating PCR Inhibitors from Buried Skeletal Remains

DNA identification of human remains is often necessary when decedents are skeletonized; however, poor DNA recovery and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) inhibition are frequently encountered, a situation exacerbated by burial. In this research, the utility of integrating soil DNA isolation kits into buried skeletal DNA analysis was evaluated and compared to a standard human DNA extraction kit and organic extraction. The soil kits successfully extracted skeletal DNA at quantities similar to standard methods, although the two kits tested, which differ mechanistically, were not equivalent. Further, the PCR inhibitors calcium and humic acid were effectively removed using the soil kits, whereas collagen was less so. Finally, concordant control region sequences were obtained from human skeletal remains using all four methods. Based on these comparisons, soil DNA isolation kits, which quickened the extraction process, proved to be a viable extraction technique for skeletal remains that resulted in positive identification of a decedent.     

The Applicability of the Lamendin Method to Skeletal Remains Buried for a 16-Year Period: A Cautionary Note

The Lamendin method is widely reported as one of the most reliable means of age estimation of skeletal remains, but very little is known concerning the influence of burial in soil. This study aimed at verifying the reliability of the Lamendin method on corpses buried for 16 years in a cemetery. The Lamendin and the Prince and Ubelaker methods were applied. In all age groups except the 40- to 49-year–olds, the error was higher in the buried sample. The age-at-death error ranged between 10.7 and 36.8 years for the Lamendin method (vs. the reported 7.3–18.9 years) and 9.5 and 35.7 for the Prince and Ubelaker one (vs. the original 5.2–32.6 years); in all age groups, the error is closer to that found on archeological populations. These results suggest caution in applying the Lamendin method to forensic cases of human remains buried even for a brief period under soil.     

Intangible heritage: traditional medicine and knowledge governance

Legal context: Although traditional medicine constitutes a component part ofthe identity of the cultural communities concerned, this formof intangible cultural heritage is vulnerable in a globalizingworld where little place is left for the protection of beliefsystems. Key points: While much has been written on traditional knowledge and IPrights, less scholarly attention has focused on the culturaldimension of traditional medicine. Further, no solution hasbeen reached on the best way to ensure its protection. Thiscontribution attempts to establish a linkage between differentsectors of international law, addressing the complex interplaybetween traditional medicine, intended as a special form ofintangible cultural heritage, and international knowledge governance. While the TRIPS Agreement adopts only proprietary approachesto knowledge governance, it has been questioned whether, inthe case of pharmaceuticals, other non-proprietary approacheswould be preferable. Different approaches will be put forwardand the Draft Treaty on Medical Research and Development willbe considered. This would provide a better framework for safeguardingand diffusing traditional medicine. Practical significance: Protecting and promoting traditional medicine may help curingdiseases spread all over the world. Thus, beyond its culturalaspects, the practical importance of traditional medicine liesin its capacity to promote the right to health and human dignity.     

禁止流质约款之合理性反思

流质约款是指民商主体当事人之间在有关物的担保合同中约定的,于债务人到期未能清偿债务时即由担保权人取得所约定的担保物的所有权的条款。流质约款为国内外多数担保立法明确禁止,亦为我国民商法学界所否定。但是反观民商法理论上有关禁止流质约款的理由,却存在着诸多让人难以信服和与现实生活的悖谬之处,其立法规定也缺乏有力根据。我国的物权立法对流质约款应当予以认可。     

论使用以虚假的身份证明骗领的信用卡之行为

使用以虚假的身份证明骗领的信用卡中的“使用”,是指按信用卡通常的使用方式使用;“骗领”仅限于以虚假的身份证明骗领,不包含使用真实身份证明但采用虚构资信材料、提供虚假担保等欺骗手段骗领信用卡的情形。使用以虚假的身份证明骗领的信用卡并非当然构成信用卡诈骗罪,不具有骗取财物的目的或意图者应排除在外。对盗窃以虚假的身份证明骗领的信用卡后又予以使用并取得了大量财物的行为,不能按盗窃罪定罪处罚,仍然只能定信用卡诈骗罪。