The protection of well-known trademarks was first established by Article 6bis of the Paris Convention. However, the Paris Convention and other subsequent international treaties do not clearly define the concept of being “well known.” As a result, the definition of “well known” varies to some extent among signatory states.

The International Comparative Legal Guide has published the 10th edition of International Arbitration, a Q&A-style guide that provides cross-border insight into arbitration work across 53 jurisdictions. Michael K. Lee and Doan Ngoc Tran, partner and associate in the Tilleke & Gibbins corporate and commercial group, have jointly authored this year’s chapter on arbitration in Vietnam.This chapter covers the following topics:

Getting the Deal Through has published the 2013 edition of its multi-jurisdictional guide to product liability, which covers 31 jurisdictions worldwide. Michael Ramirez, a consultant in the Tilleke & Gibbins dispute resolution department, has authored the Thailand chapter for this Q&A guide. The chapter provides an update on the Product Liability Act, discusses how its provisions are playing out in practice, and considers whether or not it is fulfilling the aims for which it was enacted. The chapter covers the following topics:

Many companies have labor unions and employee committees, but few fully understand the potential significance or impact of these organizations. Unfortunately, even fewer understand the possible legal ramifications of taking disciplinary action against employee committee members.Employers may face severe criminal penalties if they violate an employee committee member’s rights, and so it is vital for them to understand these principles before taking any form of disciplinary and/or obstructive action against an employee committee member.

When an employee is employed by more than one company and thus holds multiple labor contracts in Vietnam at the same time, employers often have questions about how to handle the employee’s compulsory insurance contribution. Decree No. 44/2013/ND-CP, which came into effect on July 1, 2013, clarifies how compulsory insurance will be paid for employees with multiple labor contracts:

Local and cross-border transactions are fraught with conflicting laws, complexities, and variables. When legal conflicts arise and the parties seek redress through alternative dispute resolution, it is important to clearly define and select the most efficient mechanism available. To assist in this process, Getting the Deal Through has published a multi-jurisdictional guide to dispute resolution in 45 countries worldwide. The Thailand chapter, written by Thawat Damsa-ard and Noppramart Thammateeradaycho of Tilleke & Gibbins, covers the following key aspects:

On May 10, 2013, the Vietnamese government issued Decree No. 43/2013/ND-CP (Decree 43) providing detailed regulations on the implementation of Article 10 of the Law on Trade Unions. Decree 43, which took effect on July 1, 2013, focuses primarily on the role of trade unions formed within employer organizations, otherwise known as “Grassroots Trade Unions.” According to Decree 43, Grassroots Trade Unions are to protect employee interests in the following manner:

Technology outsourcing arrangements are becoming more and more widespread. Commercially, they can allow businesses to save money while at the same time improving the quality of IT services.But these arrangements also raise a number of legal issues for both vendors and customers. Depending on the specifics of the outsourcing, the contracts may involve agreements for consulting, software development, licensing, implementation, and maintenance, among others. The following are some of the issues that may be of concern when negotiating technology outsourcing agreements.