On 7 May 2010, Austria and Serbia signed a double taxation agreement (DTA) with an additional protocol concerning certain articles of the DTA (business profits, interest and exchange of information). The DTA and the protocol will become applicable as of 1 January of the tax year immediately following the year in which both countries have …
Continue reading “Tax treaty signed between Austria and Serbia”
A fashion retailer and wholesaler, part of an Italian group, had 11 retail shops and 14 concessions in department stores in the UK, through which it sold garments supplied from Italy by its parent company. The company got into financial difficulties and considered a restructuring involving the planned closure of some of its stores and …
Continue reading “Guarantee stripping in company voluntary arrangements: landlords fight back”
In SAS Institute Inc v World Programming Ltd [2010], the High Court had to consider whether the production of software that emulates the functionality of an earlier software program, but without there being any copying of the source code, amounts to copyright infringement. Following its judgment in July 2010, the High Court has referred several …
Continue reading “High Court refers questions to ECJ in ‘software clone’ case”
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), which is aiming to make India the global knowledge hub, has proposed to establish 14 premier educational institutions (innovation universities). What will distinguish these world-class educational institutions from the existing ones, be it the state, central, private or deemed universities, will be the emphasis on research and innovation, …
Continue reading “Innovation universities: fresh direction for India’s education sector”
Over the years, the European approach towards immigration has been somewhat fragmented. Considering the different attitudes and policies at play among member states, it is nothing short of a miracle that the free movement of European nationals within the EU was ever achieved. However, this liberal policy still sits in contrast to the thornier management …
As explained in earlier briefings, the Bribery Act 2010 (the 2010 Act) introduces the new corporate offence of failing to prevent bribery but provides for a defence if the organisation can show that it has ‘adequate procedures’ in place to prevent bribery.
Substantial cultural, operational and financial changes are taking place among the insurance and reinsurance risk-carriers of the EU. These changes result from preparations for the implementation of the Solvency II Directive (the Directive), currently due to take effect in 2012.
There has been much debate and discussion around the generation of renewable energy required for the UK to hit ambitious emissions targets. The coalition government’s manifesto included commitments to increase the UK’s target for energy from renewable sources and to support an increase in the EU emission reduction target to 30% by 2020. The incentives …
Continue reading “New school of renewable energy technologies”
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Liability of Issuers) Regulations 2010 (the 2010 Regulations) apply to information first published on or after 1 October 2010.
English law generally respects the sanctity of contract and the courts are reluctant to void terms just because they are onerous to one party. An important exception to this is penalty clauses.
In early January 2010, the media was full of headlines about a landmark verdict and Dubai’s first foreclosure, which was supposed to ‘open the floodgates’ for other similar actions. The orders for foreclosure were issued by a Dubai enforcement judge in favour of Barclays Bank plc in its case against various borrowers who had taken …
Continue reading “Dubai mortgage law: much ado about nothing”
The Scottish Government is on a mission. That mission is to encourage the (appropriate) use of compulsory purchase powers in Scotland. Its aim is to aid the delivery of economic recovery, social change, efficient and effective regeneration, and, of course, sustainable economic growth. No mean feat then.