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This year, many significant amendments have been made to the Commercial Code. The latest amendments were promulgated on May 29 2002 and will take effect sometime within a year after this date. One of the amendments will allow class voting for the election of directors.

Intellectual property in literary, dramatic or musical works in India is protected under the Copyright Act, 1957. With the development of the entertainment industry and competition between entertainment channels for a larger share of the Indian market, copyright issues have assumed greater significance in the entertainment industry. Although, no copyright exists for ideas, concepts or themes that are sufficiently developed so they could be realized as a television programme, are capable of being the subject of confidential information. Protection available to such ideas or concepts under the Copyright Act may vary depending on whether or not the concept as developed and evolved is the result of the work done by the person who conceived the original idea by applying some novel thoughts which distinguishes it from simple ideas.

In January 2002 the Mexican Federal Congress passed legislation making substantial changes to the country's tax structure and introducing new rules for foreign or non-Mexican residents. This new legislation removes the many different withholding rates applicable to non-residents that in the past had led to tax avoidance, by reconsidering the nature of the income in question. The new legislation introduces a sole 25% withholding rate for most types of taxable income on a gross basis and reduces to 35% the tax imposed on non-residents that elect to be taxed on a net income basis. For 2003, 2004 and 2005, this rate will be reduced to 34%, 33% and 32% respectively. Although significant amendments were introduced by this new legislation, this article will only cover two of the most widely applied rules, the sale or disposition of shares and interest.

Austria has always had closer ties with eastern Europe than many of its fellow EU members. But these links are forcing Austria’s law firms to make a difficult choice between east and west. Michael Evans reports

Recent SEC actions show it is not just the energy industry that is coming under the Commission’s fire for manipulating earnings reports. Neil Golden of Chadbourne & Parke, Washington DC, explains why technical compliance with GAAP may no longer be enough

Last year’s legal reforms promised great things for the German market. Thomas Williams reports from Frankfurt where lawyers are now desperate for a long-expected recovery

After initially buying 9.9% of Storebrand last year to block a rival bid, Den Norske Bank (DnB) has now agreed a full merger with the company, which values the Norwegian insurer at about $1.8 billion. In spring 2001, DnB took advantage of Norway's controversial laws on the ownership of financial institutions to block a takeover bid for Storebrand by Sampo of Finland. DnB used Norway's Financial Institutions Act, which states that no party can hold more than 10% of a Norwegian financial institution unless it bids for more than 90%, to force Sampo to drop its approach.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer worked opposite Clifford Chance on the £950 million ($1.4 billion) initial public offering of bookmaker William Hill which is likely to be one of the biggest UK offerings of the year. Freshfields won the mandate to act for William Hill after advising the issuer's previous owners, Nomura, on its attempt to float the company in 1999.

Linklaters and Clifford Chance act on first UK hospital refinancing

Norton Rose has advised Deutsche Bank for the third time in recent months on structuring a securitization deal from Portugal – this time helping develop the country's mortgage market. Banco Nacional de Crédito Imobiliário (BNC) has become the second originator of a residential mortgage-backed securities transaction in Portugal, proving that the Magellan securitization for Banco Comercial Portugues in December was not just a one-off.