Key Concepts in International Business Law and IP

Which Region is an Exception to German Civil Law?

The German civil-law tradition prevails in many countries but does not dominate in Scandinavia.

What is Governmental Dispossession Called?

The governmental action to dispossess a foreign owner of property is known as expropriation.

Why Did the U.S. Justice Dept. Object to a Patent License?

The antitrust unit at the U.S. Justice Department objected to the exclusive nature of the license agreement.

What is Unauthorized Reproduction of Copyrighted Work?

The unauthorized publication or reproduction of a copyrighted work is referred to as piracy.

Which U.S. State Has Not Fully Adopted the UCC?

The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) has been fully adopted by all U.S. states except Louisiana.

What Explains the Litigious Nature of the U.S.?

The United States has more lawyers than any other country and is arguably the most litigious nation on earth, a phenomenon often attributed to the low-context nature of American culture.

Who Provides Political Risk Insurance to U.S. Companies?

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) provides various types of political risk insurance to U.S. companies operating abroad.

What is an Unintended Effect of Value-Added Taxes (VAT)?

In countries like China, value-added taxes (VAT) can inadvertently encourage activities such as cross-border shopping and smuggling to avoid the tax.

What is the Recourse for ICJ Judgment Refusal?

If a nation brings a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the defendant nation refuses to accept the judgment, the plaintiff nation can seek recourse through the UN Security Council.

What Disputes Does the ICJ Handle?

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) primarily handles disputes between two nations.

What is a Key Ethical Strategy for Operating Abroad?

When companies operate abroad without home-country legal constraints, a strong choice for ethical conduct is to offer a product that is clearly superior to that of the competition.

What is True of the New York Convention's Framework?

Regarding the arbitration framework created by the New York Convention, the correct answer in a multiple-choice context would be "all of the above," implying it has several key, positive attributes for enforcing arbitration agreements.

Which Major Merger Was Approved by EU and U.S. Antitrust?

The merger of Sony Music (Japan) and BMG (Germany) was an action approved by antitrust reviews in both the European Union and the United States.

How Are IP Rights Protected in the U.S.?

In the United States, the legal basis for intellectual property protection is as follows: trade secrets are protected by state law, while patents and copyrights are protected by federal statutes.

How is Computer Software Legally Protected?

For computer software, copyright laws protect the actual written code, while patent laws can protect the underlying idea or process.

What is the Validity Period for U.S. Patents?

Under revised U.S. patent laws, patents are valid for 20 years from the application's filing date.

What Do the Paris and Berne Conventions Protect?

The Paris Convention is an international agreement that protects industrial property like patents, while the Berne Convention protects literary and artistic works, such as copyrights.

What Are Examples of Copyright Violations?

A copyright violation would involve the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of protected works. Examples of such works include movies like Spider-Man 2, books like the Harry Potter series, and potentially unique artistic designs on products like Levi's jeans.