Following the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party in November 2002, the NPC issued the reform plan which reflects China's interest in developing a "market economy with socialist characteristics." Particularly, a number of government bodies are merged into a new Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

Promulgated: March 21 2003Effective: May 1 2003Applicability: "Public utilities concessions" means special permission granted by the municipal government…

Promulgated: January 3 2003Effective: March 1 2003Applicability: "Land title disputes" refers to disputes over land or leasehold ownership (Article 2).Main…

Promulgated: April 17 2003Effective: June 1 2003Main contents: As compared to the Registration and Administration of Collective and Certification Trademarks…

Issued: March 22 2003Effective: April 1 2003Main contents: The Beijing office of a government or an enterprise from outside Beijing shall be called a "Beijing…

Protecting intellectual property rights is one of the most important aspects of staging the Olympics. Today a substantial portion of the Games' financing stems from marketing Olympic symbols. What measures has Beijing taken to regulate IPR in anticipation of the 2008 Games?

By Grace Y. Lei and Marcus Clinch, Winkler Partners, TaipeiTaiwan's Public Construction Committee implemented the Guidelines for Evaluation of Unsolicited…

Issued: February 21 2003Effective: April 1 2003Main contents: The revised Classification is still divided into two main categories: basic telecommunications…

Staging and financing the Olympic Games today entails complex legal and commercial structures. Here we have an overview of the main issues that a host city faces in staging the Olympics.