This book analyses the recent modernisation of EU State aid law from various perspectives, and considers both substantive and procedural aspects. It also discusses the reasons for, and the goals and future implications of the modernisation programme, including the evolution of the concept of State aid. The ambitious reform programme was launched in 2012 and has now been almost fully implemented by virtue of the adoption of new rules of procedure in July 2013, and exemption in June 2014. The book highlights the main aspects of this sector reform, which include the Commission's change of attitude towards so-called positive aid, i.e. those able to promote economic growth, and the intention to focus on matters of greater systematic extent. These objectives also imply a third aspect: increasing the intensity of the control powers conferred on the Commission with regard to that aid that prove to be harmful to competition and the internal market. The book also examines the greater responsibility given to States for self-assessment of their economic policy measures, and explores the resulting impact on, and challenges posed to the administrations of the Member States. The book's second part is devoted to the application State aid rules in the area of services of general economic interest, with a special focus on aid in the field of social health and infrastructure.

Architect's Legal Handbook is the most widely used reference on the law for architects in practice, and the established leading textbook on law for architectural students. The ninth edition includes all the latest development in the law that affect an architect's work, and comprehensive coverage of relevant UK law topics. Most significantly, the chapter on the JCT contracts has been completely revised to cover the 2005 update. Key features of this edition are: contributions by the foremost legal and architectural experts in the UK full coverage of the JCT 2005 update new chapter on procurement selected bibliography provides useful references to further reading tables of cases, statutes and statutory instruments provide full referencing for cited cases. Architect's Legal Handbook is the essential legal reference work for all architects and students of architecture.

Tax practitioners are unfamiliar with tax theory. Tax economists remain unfamiliar with tax law and tax administration. Most textbooks relate mainly to the US, UK or European experiences. Students in emerging economies remain unfamiliar with their own taxation history. This textbook fills those gaps. It covers the concept of taxes in regards to their rationale, principles, design, and common errors. It addresses distortions in consumer choices and production decisions caused by tax and redressals. The main principles of taxation-efficiency, equity, stabilization, revenue productivity, administrative feasibility, international neutrality-are presented and discussed. The efficiency principle requires the minimisation of distortions in the market caused by tax. Equity in taxation is another principle that is maintained through progressivity in the tax structure. Similarly, other principles have their own ramifications that are also addressed. A country's constitutional specification of tax assignment to different levels of government-central, state, municipal-are elaborated. The UK is more centralised than the US and India. India has amended its constitution to introduce a goods and services tax (GST) covering both central and state governments. Drafting of tax law is crucial for clarity and this aspect is addressed. Furthermore, the author illustrates different types of taxes such as individual income tax, corporate income tax, wealth tax, retail sales/value added/goods and services tax, selective excises, property tax, minimum taxes such as the minimum alternate tax (MAT), cash-flow tax, financial transactions tax, fringe benefits tax, customs duties and export taxes, environment tax and global carbon tax, and user charges. An emerging concern regarding the inadequacy of international taxation of multinational corporations is covered in some detail. Structural aspects of tax administration are given particular attention.

The last few centuries have seen paper-based documents and manuscript signatures dominate the way businesses enter into a contractual relationship with each other. With the advent of Internet, replacing paper-based contracts with B2B electronic contracts is a possibility. However, an appropriate technology and an enabling legislation are crucial for this change to happen. On the technology front this feature has the potential to enable business executives to sit in front of their computer and sign multi-million dollar deals by using their electronic signatures. On the legal front various pieces of legislation have been enacted and policies developed at both national and international levels to give legal recognition to such type of contracts. This book presents the findings of an empirical study on large public listed Australian companies that examined businesses' perception towards the use of electronic signatures in B2B contracts. Essentially, it identifies six key factors that create a disincentive to businesses to move from the practice of paper- based signatures to the new technology of electronic signatures. This book offers legal practitioners, academics and businesses insights into issues associated with the use of electronic signatures and suggests a number of measures to promote its usage in B2B contracts.

This is an important and timely book which makes a really valuable contribution to corporate law scholarship. It brings together for the first time, two crucial aspects of the law in its consideration of the application of corporate governance to firms facing insolvency. In the current environment, this is a book which academics and practitioners alike will find invaluable. Professor Milman is one of Europe's foremost experts in insolvency law and his mastery of the subject is evident in this clear exposition of an important topic. I particularly liked the manner in which Professor Milman fuses theory, law and practice giving the reader the benefit of his own expert insight and experience. His style of writing makes it accessible to all readers.' - Blanaid Clarke, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland'Anglo-American corporate law scholarship focuses obsessively on the governance of large, public corporations. It has little to say about the governance of financially distressed firms and less still to say about the governance of small businesses, even though SMEs are the bedrock of any functioning national or regional economy. In the Governance of Distressed Firms, David Milman, one of the UK's leading and most influential commercial law scholars, redresses the balance. His original and timely book provides a critique of the current legal framework applicable to directors and insolvency practitioners together with a blueprint for reform. Informed by practical and comparative insights, it deserves to be widely read.' - Adrian J. Walters IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, US 'This is a bold and exciting monograph, which breaks new ground in exploring the concept of corporate governance as applied to and within insolvent firms, concentrating mainly on small firms. Intellectually acute, with deep comparative insights, Governance of Distressed Firms also has indisputable practical value, especially given the huge growth in the commitment, by dozens of countries, to business rescue and reorganization. Scholars and practitioners alike will be very indebted to David Milman for this volume.' - Harry Rajak, University of Sussex, UK This detailed book examines how the law can provide a discrete governance regime for financially distressed firms. The concept of a distressed firm covers businesses that are struggling, but have not yet entered formal insolvency, as well as those businesses that are undergoing a formal insolvency process. With reference primarily to English law, this study encompasses both limited liability companies and limited liability partnerships with a focus on the regulation both of company directors and insolvency practitioners. It offers recommendations for improvements in governance mechanisms and notes that many of the governance shortfalls that occur can be related to the ease of access given to those who wish to trade with the benefit of limited liability. Providing an up to date analysis in a fast evolving area of law, this book will appeal to academics, postgraduate students, practitioners and policy makers. Contents: Preface 1. Introduction to Concepts and Dramatis Personae 2. The Relevance of Corporate Governance Theory and Related Issues 3. Governance in the Twilight Zone 4. Governance Post Formal Insolvency Regime Commencement 5. Comparative and EU Perspectives on the Governance of Distressed Firms 6. Reflections and Reform Bibliography Appendix I: Applicability of Selected Statutory Stewardship Obligations and Enforcement Thereof Appendix II: List of Selected Statements of Insolvency Practice Index

The most pressing challenge in corporate governance today is figuring out how to modulate the power given to public investors. Too little is harmful, but so is too much. Finding the sweet spot is very tricky. This Research Handbook makes the quest a little easier. It collects in one place a set of thoughtful and provocative essays, authored by leading academic experts from around the world, on a range of topics related to corporate governance and the power of shareholders. Very highly recommended.' - Jesse Fried, Harvard Law School, US'The Research Handbook on Shareholder Power offers a state-of-the-art collection of original essays on the most profound development in corporate governance in recent decades: the growth of shareholder power as against managerial dominance. From the 1960s through at least the mid-1980s one would hear only cries bemoaning shareholder vulnerability. Managers were in control. Today it is at least as common to hear complaints by managers that they are being persecuted by activist shareholders. The reader of the Handbook will come away with an acute understanding of how and why this happened, and how all this reverberates in countries.' - Donald C. Langevoort, Georgetown University, US 'Edward Elgar's Research Handbook on Shareholder Power is an excellent collection of essays by leading scholars in the fields of corporate law and corporate governance. Professors Hill and Thomas are to be commended for delivering this valuable and timely volume on a fascinating and crucial topic.' - Brian Cheffins, University of Cambridge, UK Much of the history of corporate law has concerned itself not with shareholder power, but rather with its absence. Recent shifts in capital market structure require a reassessment of the role and power of shareholders. These original, specially commissioned contributions by leading scholars in corporate law and financial economics provide a contemporary analysis of shareholder power and consider the regulatory consequences of changing ownership patterns around the world. The book begins with chapters on shareholder activism by institutional investors, hedge funds, and controlling shareholders. Further chapters explore the relationship between shareholders and the board of directors, shareholder activism around mergers and acquisitions, and turf battles during shareholder litigation. The final section offers a number of international perspectives on shareholder power in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Students and scholars of corporate law will value the Handbook's timely exploration of modern shareholder power as well as its fresh perspective and scope. Contributors: S. Bainbridge, M. Becht, M. Belcredi, M.M. Blair, J.C. Coates, J.D. Cox, P. Davies, P.H. Edelman, T. Eguchi, L. Enriques, G. Ferrarini, F. Ferri, M. Filippelli, J. Franks, G.S. Geis, R.J. Gilson, J.N. Gordon, E. Gorga, J. Grant, L. Guo, G. Heng, J.G. Hill, K.S. Kim, L.L. Lan, R.W. Masulis, C. Mayer, F. Partnoy, P.K.Pham, E. Pikulina, D. Puchniak, L. Renneboog, W.G. Ringe, Z. Shishido, M.M. Siems, R.S. Thomas, R.B. Thompson, U. Varottil, H. Wells, J. Zein

This book analyses subsidies from various perspectives and creates a model that determines whether or not their use is justified. Further, it analyses the various causes of trade distortion, trade-discriminatory practices, and other issues associated with unregulated subsidies. In addition, the book considers how these issues fall within the scope of subsidies described under the SCM Agreement. The primary discussion from the perspective of WTO objective concerns the trade practice of awarding subsidies, for exports and also for protectionist purposes. Here, the terms justifiable and non-justifiable are used as hypothetical parameters to determine the extent of state support, considering the country classification based on economic and technological criteria, and their objectives for development. These parameters are distinct from Prohibited, Actionable, and Non-Actionable subsidies, as classified under the SCM Agreement. Subsidies awarded for the purposes of development and for welfare are considered as justifiable, whereas subsidies for the promotion of exports or state measures adopted for protectionist purposes are non-justifiable. Lastly, the book addresses the implications of such subsidies on the core objectives of the WTO and in connection with fair trade values.

There are three specific purposes of "Construction Dispute Research. "First, this volume aims to summarise studies on construction dispute. Second, apart from the theoretical constructs, where appropriate empirical tests are also included. This approach serves to go beyond the commonly used anecdotal approach for the subject matters. Third, it is the sincere hope of the authors that this book will help shaping research agenda of construction dispute. The studies are mostly framed from a management perspective drawing on methods and concepts in contract law, economics, psychology and management science.

The book has twenty chapters that are arranged in four parts covering conceptualisation, avoidance, negotiation and mediation. Part 1 is devoted for dispute conceptualisation. A building is only as strong as its foundation. Thus it is no better start to study construction dispute by conceptualisation. The theme of Part 2 is dispute avoidance. The conventional wisdom of 'prevention is better than cure' seems can be applied to all problems. As far as construction dispute is concerned, equitable risk allocation and trust are the two most commonly accepted avoidance strategies. Part 3 focuses on negotiation that is the gateway to resolution as almost all disputes are negotiated first before the service of other mechanisms. Negotiation is sometimes described as an art because settlement may not be obtained solely from legal and rational approaches. Part 3 discusses the behavioral dimensions of construction dispute negotiation. Part 4 deals with Mediation- a form of assisted negotiation. Specially, the skill of the mediators in facilitating settlement, the interrelationships among dispute sources, mediator tactics and mediation outcomes are explored.The studies presented in "Construction Dispute Research" collectively demonstrate holistic approach in dispute management. Each chapter can be read as a study on its own. Practitioners will find the book a handy reference in dispute management and resolution. Students would find the book useful in explaining in details the causes of dispute, the processes to resolve them. The research design and empirical approaches are particularly useful to students in construction management, architectural, surveying and civil engineering programs."

The Companies Act 71 of 2008, as amended, has created a new corporate law regime for South Africa that poses exceptional challenges to practitioners, who have to interpret and apply concepts, principles and rules borrowed from other jurisdictions even before they have been tested or pronounced upon by our courts. Corporate law for commerce students is a comprehensive yet basic guide to the structure and fundamentals of the new company dispensation.

Corporate law for commerce students provides a brief, clear and especially practical overview of the law of business entities. It covers partnerships, companies, close corporations, business trusts and cooperative societies, each of which carries different rights and obligations, and ultimately liabilities, for the entrepreneur. It discusses all of these within the framework of the new Companies Act, the common law, and recent court judgments and the King IV report. It includes figures, tables and mind maps to clarify each topic, and provides assessments at the end of each chapter.

Contents include the following:

• How to choose the right option for a specific business
• The partnership concept, the business trust and the establishment of legal personality, companies and cooperatives
• Compliance, transparency, accountability and governance
• Securities, debt instruments and public offers
• Directors, shareholders and company meetings, fundamental transactions, takeovers and offers
• Business rescue and compromise with creditors
• Termination and dissolution

Corporate law for commerce students is aimed at students studying commercial law, business entities or corporate law subjects as well as practising accountants, auditors, company secretaries and paralegal practitioners.

This book explores Public Procurement novelties and challenges in an interdisciplinary way. The process whereby the public sector awards contracts to companies for the supply of works, goods or services is a powerful instrument to ensure the achievement of new public goals as well as an efficient use of public funds. This book brings together the papers that have been presented during the "First Symposium on Public Procurement", a conference held in Rome last summer and to be repeated again yearly. As Public Procurement touches on many fields (law, economics, political science, engineering) the editors have used an interdisciplinary approach to discuss four main topics of interest which represent the four different parts in which this book is divided: Competitive dialogue and contractual design fostering innovation and need analysis, Separation of selection and award criteria, including exclusion of reputation indicators like references to experience, performance and CV's from award criteria, Retendering a contract for breach of procurement rules or changes to contract (contract execution), Set-asides for small and medium firms, as in the USA system with the Small Business Act that reserves shares of tenders to SMEs only.

This open access edited book brings together a number of theories under the umbrella of humanistic governance to develop a persuasive alternative perspective on governance, particularly for democratic organisations such as co-operatives. It examines how we can move beyond a profit-first approach to governance, into a framework that prioritises human dignity in all aspects of an operation. This book also discusses key issues for different types of cooperatives and how these might be addressed. And, finally, it addresses how cooperatives can better cope with dynamic change processes. This book will be of interest for academics working in the areas of stakeholder governance, social solidarity economy, ethical management and co-operatives.

This book examines the interplay between cooperation on technical barriers to trade (TBT) in free trade agreements and the multilateral framework of the World Trade Organization. In recent years, TBT, especially differences in standards, have attracted increased interest and have been addressed as part of the WTO+ negotiated agenda in trade agreements. Because of a number of political and legal constraints, the process of further cooperation at the WTO have been stalled, which made free trade agreements a central pillar in setting the agenda of international trade governance. This leads us to rethinking the interrelation between the WTO and free trade agreements and to questioning the role of both fora in the future of trade. The book examines some TBT provisions in free trade agreements and highlights their positive and problematic aspects when it comes to the WTO-consistency and the ideas of open and inclusive trade. It also suggests that a more optimal way forward would be to increase parallel work on TBT cooperation at the WTO, a more inclusive forum that could address issues of global significance, such as environmental protection and regulation of digital goods. The book explores the potential for trade agreements to advance the WTO agenda, but notes that the organization would need to adapt its institutional structure and governance in order to do so. Drawing on the example of the EU and US so-called “new generation� trade agreements, the book provides a detailed analysis of the various methods used to navigate TBT cooperation, and offers insight into how these agreements can serve as inspiration for future multilateral disciplines. This book is a valuable resource for trade law academics, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of technical barriers to trade, regional trade agreements, and the WTO.

The book explores how the influence by the corporate sector in the economic interactions globally leads to the international governance framework pertaining to CSR, that is primarily based on soft law attributes. Such international soft law regime uniquely influences the way the legal regime around CSR has shaped up in India. Through innovative methodology, the analysis of regulatory space and instruments and the structural framework construe the relationship between state and corporate sectors. It is necessary to investigate the two-fold relationship of state and corporate actors. The book takes up a regulatory, institutional and socio-political investigations through studying the case of CSR in India in the backdrop of the transformations taking place in national arena, its international inspirations and resulting regulatory model that evolve. How the existing regulatory space is affected? What are the implications on the regulatory instruments? The pursuit of the answers would also involve investigation of questions as to how the state-corporate relationship constructed, construed and conducted post state's ratification of CSR. What are the reasons of such changes? What implications do the role of politics and corporate strategies have on the renewed interest in CSR? The book deals with these aforementioned aspects. This scholarly work synthesizes political, economic and legal aspects of the role of the state and corporate sector with narrowly defined focus of CSR which has the ability to provide a comprehensive broad-brushed account of the larger framework.

The EU Services Directive is difficult to achieve without also affecting issues of national social policy, closely related to the welfare state. The EU Services Directive's characteristics have raised numerous legal questions essential for its full understanding and implementation. It has become a "moving target" for the national administrations. In this book important issues are covered: is the EU Services Directive to be interpreted as law or simply policy and what are its actual effects on the regulatory autonomy of the Member States? Does it represent a new and innovative instrument which facilitates prosperous integration within the EU or, has the EU legislator gone beyond its regulatory competence? This book helps to understand the EU Services Directive and its effects on the regulatory autonomy of the Member States of the European Union in a broader perspective. It is valuable for academics, practitioners and officials both nationally as well within the EU institutions.

This book expands on law-related research by comprehensively examining the legal aspects of sustainability with a focus on the impact on business strategies, investigating the impact of law and regulation on business sustainability strategies through a variety of legal lenses. It assumes that firms must adopt an integrated approach to law and sustainability, considers multiple disciplines and goals and joins scholarship from fields such as environmental law, energy, government regulation and intellectual property.

Firms increasingly have an interest in transitioning to sustainable business practices that take into consideration the fact that global resources are finite and will be increasingly scarce. They acknowledge that current actions have social, economic and environmental consequences and employ options to ensure that future generations have the same options and benefits.Examples of sustainable practices increasingly employed by firms include the institutionalization of whole life-cycle analysis in marketing and product design, utilization of sustainable inputs and energy sources, tracking and reporting sustainability performance, attempting the valuation of future generation prosperity and happiness as a discounting mechanism and integrating sustainability into firm culture and management goals.

It is clear that law and regulation have an extremely important role to play in the transition to more sustainable business practices. Broadly stated, law can provide structure for firms responding to forces that pull transition by enabling sustainability leadership and competitive advantage through funding models, intellectual property rights and collaboration means.Additionally, law can work to push transition by compelling firms to act through regulatory structures, accounting and governance mechanisms.Finally, coherent legal approaches are necessary to harmonize transition across countries by aligning and adapting goals to promote an equitable global marketplace that promotes development.

Representing a variety of areas and perspectives, the authors go beyond the existing legal literature to explore the impact of sustainability law on business practice and its implications for policy and future research."

This book provides a critical socio-legal study that brings together the latest scholarly advances on corporate social responsibility, and, at the same time, addresses the pressing issue of corporate liability for harmful acts across the supply and production chains. Corporations have seldom been held responsible and virtually never liable for the acts of their subsidiaries and subcontractors. Actors as different as workers, investors, individual consumers, and shareholder activists claim that corporations should accept greater responsibility for communities and environments affected by their activities. The book argues that a global value chain's head corporations remain immune to any liability because of the 'economically dependent-legally independent' relationships between core corporations and their periphery suppliers and subcontractors. To tackle this problem, globally, the author acknowledges that 'we' as a society need to reduce the economic dependence as described above - which is far too excessive - by ensuring a level playing field both economically and socially. More concretely, she argues that in order to realise transnational corporate liability, 'we' as lawyers need to find a way (or ways) to establish legally effective relationships between head corporations and their economically dependent entities. Readers of this book will be able to export the concept of corporate social liability, developed in the context of value chains, and apply it to other contexts involving corporate activities where they need to tackle unrestrained corporate freedom and make global businesses responsible and socially useful.

Public procurement represents more than 15 per cent of European GDP and is one of the fastest growing sectors of the European economy. Public procurement law is also developing rapidly, not least in the area of remedies for breach of procurement rules. The aim of this book is to analyse the remedy of damages in public procurement law. The European Directive of 11 December 2007 amending Council Directives 89/665/EEC and 92/13/EEC has reaffirmed the importance of damages as a tool to enforce the proper award of public contracts, but has left the exact architecture of the damages remedy in the hands of the Member States. This book offers an overview of damages liability which is inclusive, coherent and practical, covering the relevant law and jurisprudence from a number of countries across Europe and further afield. The contributors are high-profile and authoritative commentators on public procurement law, including policy-makers, judges, academics and practitioners.

This book is a primer on economics of competition law by a Commissioner based on cases of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). It presents economic theories in lucid ways while providing an in depth economic analysis of the cases dealt by CCI and in the process, it blends the diversity of responses by including the orders upheld by majority and minority. In essence. It is a unique work that addresses the gap between competition law and economics.

Economic development increasingly depends to a large extent on innovation. Innovation is generally covered by intellectual property (IP) rights and usually requires extensive funding. This book focuses on IP and debt financing as a tool to meet this demand. This book clarifies the situation of the use of IP as collateral in practice through a survey conducted in Japan on IP and debt financing. Various obstacles in the proper use IP and debt financing are identified, and some projects to facilitate its use are illustrated. IP and debt on a global scale, either by attracting foreign lenders or by collateralizing foreign IP rights, needs appropriate private international laws. This book analyzes such regulations in which the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has worked, paying due attention to the law of finance and insolvency law, as well as IP laws. However, further analysis is needed to identify under what conditions such solutions would show optimal effects. This book offers comprehensive analysis from an economic point of view.

Built on a foundation on property law, lead author, Marissa Pagnattaro from University of Georgia, and the entire authorship team, bring a fresh perspective emphasizing the importance of understanding laws and regulations that are fundamental foundations for business in The Legal and Regulatory Environment of Business. Using court cases and engaging examples in the Sidebars of the text that are relevant for business, the authors underscore how learning about the law is essential to understand how the law can be used for strategic advantage and how to develop sustainable business practices. This emphasis, along with the rich array of cases and examples, makes the text suited for both legal environment and business law courses.

A brand is more than a snazzy logo - but what else is there to consider when building a brand? Do you really need a brand for business success? And what has intellectual property got to do with anything? A strong, authentic brand is what makes your business stand out from the crowd - and what drives long term success. But the branding industry can be an overwhelming minefield, full of conflicting advice and multiple disciplines - so how do you navigate your way through the process? That's where Brand Tuned comes in. With the step-by-step TUNED methodology, you will: * define your brand to drive the business forward and help it stand out * know what brand promise will attract your ideal client * pick a name that will put you "front of mind" * ensure that the design elements you choose are distinctive and 'ownable' * train your team to live the brand. Drawing from evidence-based research, interviews with experts, and years of experience supporting businesses, Brand Tuned is the first branding guide written by an intellectual property lawyer who specialises in trademarks and brands. By incorporating the principles of intellectual property law right from the start of the process, branding expert Shireen Smith will show you how to create and build the brand that is right for you and your business - while avoiding the potential pitfalls. Shireen Smith is an intellectual property lawyer specialising in trademarks and brands, with years of experience in marketing small businesses. Her TUNED framework is designed to guide you to create a brand that attracts sales for the long term.

This exciting new book embarks on a comparative analysis of competition law and policy in Japan and the EU. It provides a clear and carefully researched exposition of the differences between the relevant rules, systems and underlying ideas of the two jurisdictions, together with the relevant historical backgrounds. The author chooses to discuss the main areas of competition law in these jurisdictions, with particular focus placed on the gaps between the written law and practice, including analysis of thecurrent debates that suggest future directions in competition and policy will aim towards harmonization of both systems. Competition Law and Policy in Japan and EU will strongly appeal to academics, researchers, public enforcers, practitioners, in-house counsel and students.

This book gathers international and national reports from across the globe on key questions in the field of antitrust and intellectual property. The first part discusses the application of competition law in the pharmaceutical sector, which continues to be a focus for anti-trust authorities around the world. A detailed international report explores the extent to which the application of the competition rules in the pharmaceutical sector should be affected by the specific characteristics of those products and markets (including consumer protection rules, the need to promote innovation, the need to protect public budgets, and other public interest considerations). It provides an excellent comparative study of this complex subject, which lies at the interface between competition law and intellectual property law. The second part of the book gathers contributions from various jurisdictions on the topic of "What rules should govern claims by suppliers about the national or geographic origin of their goods or services?" This section presents an international report, which offers an unparalleled comparative analysis of this topic, bringing together common themes and contrasting the various national provisions dealing with indications of origin, amongst other things. The book also includes the resolutions passed by the General Assembly of the International League of Competition Law (LIDC) following a debate on each of these topics, which include proposed solutions and recommendations. The LIDC is a long-standing international association that focuses on the interface between competition law and intellectual property law, including unfair competition issues.