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About the author: Irene Rajagopal is an international copyright lawyer with legal experience in U.S. and China. Irene is the founder of PAPER Law Office and licensed to practice law in Washington State. Irene helps clients to complete the copyright registration at U.S. Copyright Office and review the licensing agreements. Her office is located in Bellevue, Washington State. She can be reached at irene@irenerajlaw.com. Please feel free to click here to visit the website of PAPER Law Office PLLC (http://www.paperlawoffice.com).

Chinese Version 中文

by Irene Rajagopal, copyright attorney at PAPER Law Office PLLC

If you are enthusiastic about art and you happen to visit Shanghai, you don't want to miss a hidden gem -- "West Bund". Located along side Huang Pu River, West Bund hosts art museums, fine art galleries, theaters, media companies and even financial institutions.

My friend took me to West Bund one summer afternoon. We walked along the riverside and amazed by the serene river view.

In YUZ Museum, I enjoyed two contemporary art shows -- one from a Chinese artist Qin Yifeng and one from a Los Angeles-based artist Math Bass.

There are numerous art shows and exhibitions all year long in West Bund area.

West Bund is still in the process of development. According to its official website, West Bund might become the "Left Bank" of Shanghai:

Shanghai West Bund is an ambitious development project that seeks to bring domestic and foreign leaders together in the fields of culture, art, media, fashion, design, and innovative finance to create a unique, world-class waterfront on par with the Left Bank in Paris and the South Bank in London. The undertaking, following the principle of "Leadership in Planning, Culture, and Industry," began in 2012 with two core projects designed to transform the area into an international cultural and financial center: "West Bund Culture Corridor" and "West Bund Media Port."

If you are an art collector, West Bund might be a first stop to get yourself familiar with the landscape of China's art market.

For more information about West Bund, please visit their official website (www.westbund.com).

Disclaimer and Copyright Notice: This blog post does not constitute any kind of legal advice. The author and PAPER Law Office PLLC will not guarantee the accuracy of the content. Please consult with your lawyer for any legal questions. The copyright of this blog post is exclusively owned by PAPER Law Office PLLC. Please do not reproduce or publish whole or part of this post without advance written consent from the right holder.

By Irene Rajagopal, Attorney at PAPER Law Office

Shanghai is aimed to upgrade its economic system and attract more foreign investment. Shanghai Municipal Government launched a new economic policy yesterday, a blueprint to create a fair and open business environment.

The policy titled “Opinions of the Municipal Government on Further Expanding the Opening and Upgrading of the New Economic System” ([2017] No. 26, 《市政府关于进一步扩大开放加快构建开放型经济新体制的若干意见》)(http://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw2/nw2314/nw2319/nw41893/u21aw1225657.html) sets forth the guidelines on three aspects: (1) Further opening the market; (2) Creating the fair competition; (3) Attracting foreign direct investment.

Here are some highlights:

Certain restricted industries, accounting, construction architecture, rating services, will be open to foreign investors. Shanghai government will also loose the restrictions on foreign investments in banking, securities investment funds, insurance, insurance brokers.
Shanghai government encourages foreign investment in information technologies, intelligent manufacturing equipments, new materials, environment technologies.
Foreign companies may participate in the city's infrastructure constructions.
The bidding process of the government procurements will be open to both domestic and foreign investment companies.
Attract foreign talents and employees. A straightforward work permit system will be launched.
Foreign investors, who invest 1 million dollars and operate the direct investment for three years, are eligible to apply for permanent resident cards.
Foreign companies' intellectual property rights will enjoy more protections. Shanghai government will strictly protect the IP rights, establish the IP credibility management system, handle the IP infringement complaints efficiently.

About the author: Irene Rajagopal is an international copyright and business attorney. Her office is located in Bellevue, Washington State. She can be reached at irene@irenerajlaw.com

Disclaimer and Copyright Notice: This blog post does not constitute any kind of legal advice. The author and PAPER Law Office PLLC will not guarantee the accuracy of the content. Please consult with your lawyer for any legal questions. The copyright of this blog post is exclusively owned by PAPER Law Office PLLC. Please do not reproduce or publish whole or part of this post without advance written consent from the right holder.