The “Rush it Through” Attitude in Chinese Manufacturing A recent newsworthy incident in China where construction workers damaged a section of the Great Wall by cutting through it in order to save time highlights the “get it done quickly” attitude that permeates Chinese manufacturing. See China’s Great Wall damaged by workers looking for shortcut. This
Introduction In 2022, a U.S. company with a new and unique product forged a relationship with a Chinese manufacturer, placing their trust in a well-regarded Chinese law firm for their contractual needs. But within just eight months, they were shocked to discover their proprietary technology had been replicated and commercialized by their Chinese manufacturer. My
Navigating the New Era of International Manufacturing The landscape of international manufacturing contracts has undergone significant shifts. If you’ve sensed this change, rest assured, you’re not alone. Gone are the days when international procurement largely meant buying “off-the-shelf” products like t-shirts or computer bags — items that followed universal standards. The game began to change
Should Your China Manufacturing Contract Be in English or Chinese? Many lawyers default to English without considering the downsides. In this post, I will explain why manufacturing contracts usually fare better with Chinese as the official language. I will highlight the advantages of a Chinese language agreement and also discuss how my law firm’s experience
Got an email this morning from a company asked only “for advice” about importing their specific product from China into the United States and the EU. My response was as follows: My advice is if you are not paying in advance, you do some combination of the following: Chinese Company Reputational Reports: You should have
Introduction Imagine a child’s toy, gleaming with bright colors and designed for endless hours of fun. A toy which turned out to hold a lurking danger due to poor manufacturing processes. A month after hitting the shelves, there’s a widespread outcry. Parents are furious, the media is ablaze with criticism, and the company responsible faces
Chinese Employment Law Complexities Employers in China, (especially foreign employers) face myriad, complicated and hyper technical local employment laws. This often means that one small employer mistake can lead to big and expensive problems. As much as we wish all our employment law clients would first come to us requesting we audit their employment program
Introduction A toy importer, thrilled about getting its toys from Vietnam at a great price paid $2 million upfront to a supposed “toy maker”. The dream turned into a nightmare when they realized there was no such Vietnamese toy maker, and no toys would ever materialize. This importer isn’t alone. Many foreign companies have faced
The Madrid Trademark System Securing global trademark protection is crucial for establishing strong brand recognition internationally. This post provides an overview of the Madrid Trademark System and how it can be leveraged to improve your global trademark protections, along with examining the alternative procedures required for territories outside the Madrid framework. The Madrid Trademark System
Introduction You’ve just come up with a catchy name for your new business, but there’s one crucial step before you can start splashing that name everywhere—ensuring no one else has a claim to it. This is where the world of trademarks and, specifically, trademark oppositions come into play. Think of a trademark opposition as someone
