GLG News(sm): Legal, Economic & Regulatory Affairs

Pre-emption: Greater Clarity?

Martin Alpert — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:03:13 EST

Is Federal pre-emption on its last leg, or is it just taking a breather?

Will Bilski Require Patent Holders to Re-evaluate Their Portfolios?

GLG Expert Contributor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:55:07 EST

The Supreme Court's ruling in the Bilski case will require every patent owner to consider re-evaluating their patent portfolios, especially their method patents. Method patents which are vital to their owners will face the probability that these patents will need to be corrected in a re-examination or reissue proceeding at the U.S. Patent Office.

The Resources are There, but the Security is Not

GLG Expert Contributor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:24:17 EST

The award does not change that much. It allows for exploration and development - on paper. But the political insecurity that has kept Iraqi oil production down remains, and the West Qurna field is still vulnerable, and may become more so.

EU, US and Mexico pursue WTO case against China's export limits on minerals

GLG Expert Contributor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:28:09 EST

The EU, US and Mexico have brought complaints to the WTO regarding China's export restrictions and/or export taxes on bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon carbide, silicon metal, yellow phosphorus and zinc. The three argue that these measures unfairly aid Chinese producers of downstream products that use these inputs. A WTO dispute settlement panel will hear the case and issue a decision. If China is found in violation, it will have to comply or face trade retaliation.

China's Anti-Monopoly Bureau Approves the Panasonic-Sanyo Transaction

Matthew Murphy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:56:39 EST

The Chinese Anti-Monopoly Bureau (AMB) handed down its decision in early November 2009, regarding Panasonic’s acquisition of Sanyo. The AMB approved the transaction subject to divestiture of certain assets. The decision is more comprehensive that previous decisions, although this case was the first to go into a third phase of investigation by the AMB indicating the complications involved.

Who's Hiring – Top employers week of 11-9-09

GLG Expert Contributor — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:09:13 EST

Who's Hiring is a weekly survey of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week of 11/9/09. Not only is this valuable for job seekers, but for business analysts, corporate strategists, marketers, salespeople, investment analysts, financial advisers, and others who are interested in companies experiencing growth.

the road ahead on financial reforms is green light ON for India

GLG Expert Contributor — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:34:58 EST

the road ahead on financial reforms is green light ON for Indiacongress govt is going strong politically and hence will be able to push thru the much needed reforms

Retail discounts won't revive our economy

Duncan MacDonald — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:12:15 EST

The article is about the struggle of retailers to lure consumers to stop worrying about the economy and start spending again. Their bait is aggressive discounting. The question not only is whether it will work but whether other factors will wipe out the best laid discounts.

Rising risks of an asset bubble in China threatened by US stagflation

Diran Majarian — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:46:01 EST

China and the US are dealing with their imbalances either by exacerbating the very things that caused them in the first place. China entered the crisis with oneof the highest rates of misallocation of investment in recent times. With its enormous liquidity released for stimulus, China with waning export markets has become a giant Ponzi scheme, with money pouring into asset speculation. US expansionary monetary policies are leading to a stagflationary environment that will pop this bubble.

The Rising Tide of Protectionism worldwide

GLG Expert Contributor — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:27:32 EST

Both EU and China have to contend with domestic imperatives at a time when the world economy is still not yet out of the doldrums.

Healthcare Reform: Pay if you lose Litigation

Martin Alpert — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:23:12 EST

Are frivolous lawsuits the main driver in skyrocketing healthcare costs?

The Regulation of Online Games in China

Matthew Murphy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:19:58 EST

The online games industry in China is becoming incredibly profitable, with millions of regular users and an endless thirst for new games and technology. This article looks at the regulations and departments in China that are claiming authority to regulate this space. As expected there is considerable room for improvement, however the regulatory environment is beginning to take shape.

JAL Rehabilitation Requires a Political Decision

Daniel Lintz — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:13:44 EST

Transport Minister Hon. Seiji Maehara wasted no time stepping between troubled carrier Japan Airlines Corporation and its three main creditor megabanks, but the latest rehabilitation plan may require a major overhaul to address three main issues: personnel, pensions and profitability. A political decision must be made regarding which stakeholder group should enjoy the benefits of a massive injection of public funds.

Understanding the New Ostpolitik

GLG Expert Contributor — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:15:59 EST

Germany's Ostpolitik with Russia is rooted in economics as much as in politics. German business sees Russia as a vast field for new exports while it also depends on Russian gas. Politically Germany sees no Russian threat in the East and believes that it promotes Russia's integration into Europe. German leaders believe that Russia depends as much on Germany and Europe as Europe depends on Russia.

How bad will EMEA troubles continue

GLG Expert Contributor — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:49:07 EST

Sweeping statements about economic expectations can hinder recovery efforts. While some sector is Europe (and the US) continue to show little signs of recovery, many other sectors are improving. If those sectors such as real estate and auto industries were to be removed from the prediction, I wonder what the survey results would show.

Too Few Questions About Public Option Are Being Asked

GLG Expert Contributor — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:25:19 EST

There is a nice, warm glow about a "public option" in health care, but what is it? What benefits will it have? How much will it pay providers? Who will actually run it? What is the evidence that any of the goals set for a public plan can actually be met? These and other questions need answers before Congress should be asked to vote on a "public" option. The bottom line is that currently health insurance and health plans are state regulated, private entities. A "public" option is different.

Smarter Trash: How Incentive Programs Can Motivate Participation in Recycling

GLG Expert Contributor — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:54:56 EST

Want to increase recycling and decrease the amount of trash reaching our landfills? Innovative companies are incentivizing recycling through the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology to track and reward - individual recycling efforts.

Russian Economy Fourth Quarter 4% Economy Growth: Figment of Imagination

GLG Expert Contributor — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:55:30 EST

We have these statements from Russia’s officials: [1]“..The economy may show quite strong growth of between 3% and 4% percent in the fourth quarter ( 2009) from the previous three months…”, [2]"We expect the economy to grow by more than 2% in the fourth quarter 2009 …..as long as the price is $70-$80 (pb)…", and [3] “We doubt that Russia’s GDP will grow without a continuing rise in exports..”; while energy, including crude oil and natural gas make 73 percent of Russian exports in 2009.

CLASS Consciousness: Problems with the "Kennedy" CLASS Act

GLG Expert Contributor — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:40:58 EST

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions "Kennedy" Committee has proposed a government-run long-term care insurance program called the "Community Living Assistance Services and Supports" or CLASS Act. It does not live up to its hype, but may pass anyway riding in on the larger health reform movement.

DPJ Looks to Postal Savings, Insurance to Fill Gaps in Budget

Daniel Lintz — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:13:59 EST

The appointment of Jiro Saito as Japan Post Holdings President indicates plans to draw on the Postal Savings and Insurance schemes to bridge ever widening budget gaps with Fiscal Investment and Loan Program (FILP) funds and massive JGB purchases, turning back the clock on fiscal and financial market reforms a decade or more.