BIS imposes $300 million penalty against Seagate Technology LLC related to shipments to Huawei

Seagate Technology fined US$300 million for illegal exports to Huawei, says U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security Despite recent attempts to disengage from globalisation, it remains an undeniable reality for many businesses around the world. As a result, compliance with international laws and regulations remains critical, and export control regulations are particularly important to ensure compliance, as evidenced by a recent decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

Hong Kong: Update on Copyright Legislation

The Hong Kong Government has officially announced the Hong Kong Copyright (Amendment) Ordinance, which will introduce significant changes to the copyright laws in Hong Kong.

The Deal that Fell (Tortilla) Flat: Monopsonist Assessment in the Penguin Random House-Simon & Schuster Merger

On 21 November 2022, it was reported that Paramount Global, parent company to US publisher Simon & Schuster (S&S), will not seek to challenge the judicial setback against its proposed merger deal with Penguin Random House (PRH), which is expected to lead to PRH’s payment of termination fees to Paramount, amounting to USD200 million.[1] Following the announcement, the ambitious business venture between two of the ‘Big Five’ publisher powerhouses in the United States has effectively come to a full stop.

US - Passage of CHIPS and Science Act

Earlier last month on 9 August 2022, following the US Senate’s passage of a semiconductor chips subsidy plan, the House of Representatives has joined in its approval of the proposal, allowing the USD53 billion investment to be signed into effect.1 The new law, known as the ‘CHIPS and Science Act’, and more informally the ‘CHIPS-Plus’ Act, was introduced as part of the Supreme Court Security Funding Act of 2022, and consists of multiple different components.

Huawei’s Patent Licensing Ventures

Huawei, having been subjected to persistent US sanctions and export control regulations over the years, may be seeking new ways for company growth. For instance, previously in January of this year, Nikkei reported that the company has begun diverting its business focus onto semiconductor chip packaging by entering into ventures with local Chinese companies in the outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) market, which is said to be less controlled by American companies and technologies.

US BIS’ Imposition of Temporary Denial Orders

Earlier in June 2022, the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a statement, effectively imposing a Temporary Denial Order (TDO) against three companies for breaching export control regulations. The named firms, Quicksilver Manufacturing Inc., Rapid Cut LLC, and US Prototype Inc., are all US-based, and have been found to have committed “unauthorized export to China of technical drawings and blueprints used to 3-D print satellite, rocket, and defense-related prototypes,” which the BIS regards as jeopardizing domestic national security.

US’ Proposed Sanctions Against Chinese Semiconductor and Tech Companies

Earlier this year in May, reports began emerging that internal discussions from the US government indicate that the Biden administration is considering to impose sanctions against Chinese company Hikvision based on alleged implications arising from its surveillance camera business.

US’ Investigation into YMTC Sales to Huawei

In late April 2022, an article from Financial Times revealed that the US government received reports that China memory chip manufacturer, Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp (YMTC), has been supplying smartphone and electronics components to Huawei.

Is My Examiner Difficult or Easy?

Generally, the patent application process is clear-cut: draft an ironclad application, submit it, wait for it to be examined, pay the issue fee, and receive your new patent. But sometimes even though you’ve done everything as correctly as possible to make the case for your invention, your examiner disagrees.

Working With Your Patent Attorney Effectively

You’ve invented something that you want to patent, and you’ve found a patent attorney who can file your application. Congrats! The next step is giving the patent attorney a description of your invention and then sitting back as they draft and submit the application, right? Well, not quite. Here’s how to work with your patent attorney as best as possible on the road to getting a patent.