The Vietnamese press has written frequently in recent months on the issue of foreign traders illegally carrying out import and export activities in Vietnam by entering as “tourists”—a very simple immigration procedure—and then collecting goods such as agricultural or fisheries products in Vietnam to export back to their home countries.

As trade barriers continue to be reduced in ASEAN, a larger number of counterfeit products are likely to be circulated within the region. It is therefore important for companies to ensure that their intellectual property enforcement training is not only focused on government officials in relatively developed countries like Thailand, but also reaches the authorities in emerging markets, such as Laos and Cambodia, where an increasing number of counterfeit goods can be found.

Within the food industry, all eyes are currently turned toward the European Union, because after December 14, 2012, new limitations will be introduced for acceptable health claims on food products.

Spam is costing businesses enormous amounts of money and time in handling unwanted messages and maintaining necessary bandwidth. It is therefore alarming to note that Vietnam produces 3.07% of the world’s spam, placing it seventh in the global ranking published by SophosLabs in its Security Threat Report 2012. As the mobile phone market in Vietnam continues to grow,  spam has not only become an everyday nuisance, but also poses a serious threat to security.

The current Copyright Act B.E. 2537 (1994) has been in force for 18 years. Given the rapid technological change in the last two decades, copyright owners and practitioners widely agree that it is necessary to update the existing legislative framework to account for the rise of the internet.

Australia will soon be the first nation to require all tobacco products to be sold in plain packaging. From December 1, 2012, tobacco packaging will be standardized for all manufacturers; photographic health warnings will occupy 75% of the front and 90% of the back of the packaging, and product names will appear in a uniform font in the remainder of the pack, which itself must be colored olive green. No famous logos, other branding, trademarks, or colors can be applied.

Employers often have concerns about their employees competing with them after they leave. Many employers put substantial resources into training their employees and giving them valuable work experience. Thus, departing employees are a cause for concern in terms of potential loss of customers and business. To address this risk, many employers ask us whether they should include noncompetition provisions in their employment agreements, and whether such provisions are enforceable.

A license agreement is simply a contract that governs duties, rights, and obligations between parties to a transaction. The licensor is generally the owner or holder of title to certain rights and the licensee is the party who has contracted to use some or all of those rights with or without certain restrictions.