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Enforcing a French Court Judgment in Hong Kong

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If you have obtained a decision in your favour in an overseas jurisdiction against a Hong Kong company or individual, the key question for you would be whether or not this judgment can be enforced in Hong Kong.

A court decision cannot be enforced overseas without first being recognised by the relevant countries concerned, and Hong Kong is no exception to this principle.

French courts are issuing an increasing number of decisions against non-French companies, including many registered in Hong Kong. According to French law, to enforce a judgment by a French court in an overseas jurisdiction, there is an obligation to comply with the ‘Exequatur procedure,’ and this procedure may vary depending on the overseas jurisdictions involved.

Enforcement in Hong Kong 

The enforcement of French or other foreign judgments can be obtained in two ways: either registering the decision with the Court of First Instance or bringing a new legal action.

As far as France is concerned, the exequatur procedure that must be followed is the former – registering the decision with the Court of First Instance. There is no need to bring new legal action and start the whole process from the beginning again.

When you have obtained a conviction against a Hong Kong company, the core considerations before moving forward are the following:

1.    Is the defendant solvent in Hong Kong?
2.    Is the judgment final?
3.    Does the decision order payment of monetary damages?

If the answers to these three questions are affirmative, you can then consider the next steps to take.

Once the defendant’s solvency in Hong Kong is established, it is possible to proceed with the registration procedure, which is provided for in the Foreign Judgments (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act Cap 319. This text enables the enforcement of foreign judgments by registering decisions from superior courts in designated countries with reciprocal arrangements with Hong Kong. These designated countries include Australia, Bermuda, Brunei, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and Israel. 

Under these provisions, the beneficiary of a French court’s decision may apply to the Court of First Instance in Hong Kong for registration.

Here are some of the conditions to be met (this list is not exhaustive):

•    the decision must relate to the payment of a sum of money;
•    the decision must be final and not subject to appeal;
•    the decision must be issued by a civil or commercial court; and
•    the application must be filed within six years of the final decision from the foreign jurisdiction.

Once the decision is registered in Hong Kong, a notification will be served to the defendant, and the decision can be enforced in the same way as the decisions by local courts.

Security for Costs

A critical specificity in Hong Kong, is that the local court can ask the plaintiff seeking enforcement for security in the form of a deposit. It is well-established in Hong Kong that a foreign plaintiff may be ordered to deposit a sum in court, known as the ‘Security for costs’ when starting legal proceedings.

The security for costs aims to cover part of the defendant’s estimated litigation costs in defending an action brought by a foreign plaintiff. When the defendant successfully defends the action, the amount of its legal costs that normally would be payable by the foreign plaintiff, would be secured by the security for costs. 

Therefore, depending on the amounts involved, this can act as a deterrent for overseas plaintiffs as they may not want to have a significant financial sum locked up in Hong Kong.

As mentioned above, this procedure of registration at the Court of First Instance is only available for a specific list of countries (including France). Therefore, for other jurisdictions you should always check if the jurisdiction issuing the decision to be enforced in Hong Kong is also on this list. If not, the possibility of bringing a new legal action based on the foreign judgment remains open. 

No Requirement for Reciprocity

This procedure is possible even if the decision does not emanate from a common-law jurisdiction as there is no requirement for reciprocity. A decision rendered by a court in a jurisdiction that does not recognize a judgment made by a Hong Kong court may still be enforced in Hong Kong if all the conditions are met.

Should you wish to enforce a foreign decision in Hong Kong, and more specifically a decision issued by a French judge, it is highly recommended to contact a Hong Kong lawyer to discuss the best way forward.

Trade Mark Reviews in China – Some Encouraging Successes

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The general principles in determining whether a trade mark can be registered in China are to a large extent the same as in most other countries, considering China is also one of many jurisdictions in the WIPO Madrid International Registration system. Indistinctive or descriptive marks which fail to achieve registration in the European Union will probably have no chance of registration in China. Yet it does not mean that trade marks which are clearly distinctive and registered in most places around the world will naturally be accepted for registration in China because certain technical or special grounds can withhold registration, putting aside the relative ground due to existence of prior similar marks.

For example, a mark will likely have its registration declined in China if it comprises a country name or any foreign geographical name widely known to the public. During the course of substantive examination, the Examiner may not look at every aspect to find out if the relevant name has any other meanings or references in the whole context of the mark. Upon refusal, the Applicant will have to resort to the review process to explain and justify that the mark in its entirety can satisfy the requirements for registration.  

There are 3 scenarios where a mark comprising a geographical name may be registered: –

  1. the name has another meaning
  2. the name forms part of a collective or certification trade mark
  3. the name is not a dominant element of the mark and it only serves to indicate the corresponding place of origin of the applicant    

Marie France Van Damme

Fashion designer Marie France Van Damme uses her own personal name for branding purposes and has been trading under the mark  . However, this was initially declined for registration in Class 25 for “clothing” in China because of the word “FRANCE” within the trade mark. Ms Van Damme succeeded in the review by convincing the review adjudicator that the word “France” is generally perceived by consumers, in the context of her brand, as the name of a living person instead of referring to the country of France.  

URAL

The mark  was initially declined for registration in Class 9 for “loudspeakers” in China because of the word “URAL” in the mark being associated with the Ural Mountains located along the East European and West Siberian plains. The applicant succeeded in the review by convincing the review adjudicator that the word “URAL” can also be a surname and a specie of owl. The evidence of pre-application use of the mark by the extensive sales of the goods in China might have supported this case. However, as it is not expressly entered as a condition of registration in China whether or not a mark has been granted based on acquired distinctiveness through use, such unreported precedent gives us a useful hint or guidance that this approach can work in some cases.    

Car And Driver

Suggestive marks are often just categorically seen as descriptive marks in China. The application for   was initially declined registration in Class 4 for ‘fuels’ as the words ‘CAR’ and “DRIVER” seem closely associated with the products of “fuels” for automobiles but if we look at these words more carefully, they are not directly connected to the essential characteristics and functions of the goods. The Applicant succeeded in the review by convincing the review adjudicator that the mark as a whole is not directly descriptive of the goods sought to be registered and it is capable of functioning as a trade mark to indicate the source of origin of the goods.  

China has a tremendously high number of trade mark applications filed on a daily basis. We just need to bear with a reasonable degree of discrepancy, fluctuation and inconsistency between different examiners in assessing the inherent registrability of a trade mark. The good news is we can always rely on the review mechanism to share our views and analysis with the more senior examiners to reassess whether a mark, which is usually unique on its own, can satisfy the requirements for registration as laid down in the Trade Mark Law. We are seeing good progress as China becomes more aligned with rest of the world in the administration of the trade mark regime.  

What do we do now? – A Quick Guide to Administering an Estate

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Managing and administering an estate may be a complex matter and most people are unsure even where to begin. It is hard enough to accept the loss of a loved one. The last thing we want to do is to hurry about in search of key papers and statements, as well as information as to the proper process to handle the estate of your loved one. We see every day the stress this incurs. Here we summarise the usual procedures for obtaining Probate to validate the will and administer an estate. Hopefully this step-by-step guide can act as a starting point which could make this process simpler and more manageable. 

Step 1: Registering the Death 

After the death you should first register such at the registrar of births and deaths and obtain a death certificate. You will need to produce a medical certificate of the cause of death to obtain the death certificate. 

Step 2: Making Funeral Arrangements 

After the death certificate has been obtained, you may begin making funeral arrangements.  

If there is a will (as further explained below), it is the responsibility of the person named therein as executor(s) to arrange for the funeral. It is possible that the deceased may have indicated his/her wishes in the will as to their preference for burial or cremation. The executor should take into account such wishes when making funeral arrangements. 

The expenses incurred in arranging the funeral and disposal of the body is payable from the deceased’s estate. However, it is usually not permitted to deal with the deceased’s assets at this early stage as a has not been obtained from the Probate Registry. Therefore, in practice, the family members of the deceased will pay for such expenses and be reimbursed from the estate after a grant of representation is obtained.  

Step 3: Looking for a Will and Inspection of Safe Deposit Box 

You should check carefully to see whether the deceased made a will and if there is a will, whether it is the latest will or if it has been subsequently revoked. (This step can be taken earlier so that the deceased’s family members will know whether there is an executor to handle the funeral arrangements.)  

You could start by checking the personal documents of the deceased and/or enquiring with the deceased’s other family members. Often, you will also have to check the deceased’s safe deposit box.  

To gain access to the safe deposit box, the following individual could make an application to the Director of Home Affairs for a Certificate for Necessity of Inspection of Bank Deposit Box: 

  1. An executor or one of the executors of the deceased; 
  2. A person who is entitled to administer the estate; or 
  3. The surviving renter if the safe deposit box is jointly rented by the deceased with another person.  

After the certificate of inspection is obtained, the holder of the certificate should make an appointment with the Secretary for Home Affairs and the bank for inspection of the safe deposit box.  

If a will is found in the safe deposit box and the holder of the inspection certificate is named as the executor under the will or the holder is the surviving renter of the safe deposit box, the holder can remove the will after taking a copy and returning the copy to the safe deposit box. The holder should also make an inventory of the contents in the safe deposit box.   

If there is no will found or if there is a will but i) the holder of the inspection certificate is not the executor, or ii) there is no executor appointed in the will and the holder is not the surviving renter of the safe deposit box, the bank staff should immediately close the safe deposit box after obtaining a copy of the will (if any) and giving the copy to the public officers. 

It should be noted that you should not remove any item, save and except a will (if possible), from the safe deposit box during inspection.  

Step 4: Obtaining Grant of Representation 

Thereafter, it is usually necessary to obtain a grant of representation in order to deal with the deceased’s assets.  

If the deceased passed away with a will appointing an executor, the executor should apply for a Grant of Probate. If the deceased passed away without a valid will (e.g. no will was found or the will has been revoked), persons entitled e.g. wife, children should apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration.  

The application for a grant is made to the Probate Registry of the High Court using specific forms supported by relevant documents, including:- 

  1. An affirmation or affidavit by Executor/Administrator; 
  2. An affirmation or affidavit verifying the Schedule of Assets and Liabilities, and the Schedule of Assets and Liabilities of the deceased in Hong Kong as at the date of death, together with other supporting documents (e.g. death certificate of the deceased, will of the deceased, certificate showing the relationship of the applicant and the deceased, filing fees etc.)   

After making the application, the Probate Registry may raise requisitions on the application to obtain further information or seek clarification. If the Probate Registry is satisfied with your answers to the requisitions, the grant will be issued.  

Step 5: Distribution of the Estate 

After the grant of representation is obtained, the personal representative of the estate (i.e. the executor under the will or the administrator appointed if there is no will) will first need to collect the assets of the deceased under the estate and then make payment of the deceased’s debts, funeral and other expenses in relation to the estate. Thereafter, the estate may be distributed accordingly.  

If there is no valid will, the administrator should distribute the estate in accordance with the Intestates’ Estates Ordinance. The order of entitlement depends on the relationship of the surviving relative with the deceased. (It should be noted that the rule of intestacy only benefits people who have direct blood relations with the deceased and does not benefit unmarried partners, step-children (unless legally adopted) and in-laws.  

For example, if the deceased leaves a widow/widower only but leaves no children, parents or other close relatives, then the surviving spouse is entitled to the whole of the deceased’s residuary estate. Another example is where the deceased leaves a spouse and a child, the surviving spouse is entitled to all of the deceased’s personal chattels, and a sum of HK$500,000 from the residuary estate, thereafter, if there is any remaining asset, it would be divided in half and distributed equally between the surviving spouse and the child of the deceased.  

On the other hand, if there is a valid will, the executor should distribute the estate in accordance with the deceased’s wishes under the will. In the event that there is partial intestacy (i.e. where there is a will which does not completely dispose of the deceased’s assets), the Intestates’ Estates Ordinance will govern the distribution of those undisposed assets.  

Conclusion 

The above is only a brief summary of the process of handling one’s post-death matters and dealing with the deceased’s estate. In reality, complications may arise in any stage of obtaining probate and administering the estate. If you have any questions regarding the above or would like to obtain further information on our probate and estate planning services, please contact one of the members of our Probate and Estate Planning team.   

This article is for information purposes only. Its contents do not constitute legal advice and readers should not regard this article as a substitute for detailed advice in individual instances. 

March 2021

OLN IP 的蔡柏堅律師在2021年WTR 1000中獲得認可

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恭喜OLN IP常務董事蔡柏堅律師，在2021年世界商標評論1000 – 全球領先的商標專業人士在“起訴和戰略”銀牌領域中獲得認可。

蔡柏堅律師最近加入我們的法律和商業解決方案平台，擔任OLN IP Services（OLN IP）的常務董事，是一間由高李嚴律師行擴展在知識產權領域服務的新公司。 OLN IP是一家顧問公司，可為知識產權公司提供量身定制, 具商業觸覺的法律意見和知識產權資產組合管理。

在此再次祝賀蔡柏堅律師獲得認可。

關於OLN IP

OLN IP顧問公司致力於為知識產權擁有者提供量身定制, 具商業觸覺的法律意見，從協助基於技術的知識產權，商標，版權，專利和外觀設計，到持續管理知識產權資產。 OLN IP由蔡柏堅律師擔任常務董事以及宋靜妍律師領導，兩位均為知識產權領域的資深人士, 並得到了我們香港和上海辦事處經驗豐富的知識產權專家團隊的支持，他們共同以深厚的經驗和豐富的知識為客戶提供適合其業務需求的細微而精確的知識產權建議。

OLN IP是香港律師事務領先的高李嚴律師行之子公司，我們在香港和中國大陸設有辦事處，自1987年以來依賴其對專業卓越的承諾推動了增長和發展。

2021年3月

香港商標走向國際化

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作者：蔡柏堅,顧問

香港預計在2022年底或2023年初正式接受WIPO馬德里體系下的國際商標註冊(International Registration / IR)。 多年來香港沿用完全地域區性的商標註冊制度, 即香港註冊的商標只在香港地區內有效。當香港引人IR後，香港居民或在香港註冊成立的公司可以指定其在香港註冊的商標，在馬德里網路內全球選定的多個國家或司法管轄區進行擴展註冊, 免除了日後在其他國家提交申請。 海外商標擁有人亦可指定其在所屬國家的商標註冊擴展至在香港，以節省他們在香港獨立註冊的需要。

2020年6月19日，《2020年商標（修訂）條例》生效，為馬德里體系下商標的管理和審查鋪平道路。 香港知識產權署（IPD）已修訂商標法及實務，並藉此機會簡化或修改某些程式、工作流程及手續要求，使商標擁有人及其商標服務供應商能更輕鬆及方便地提交商標註冊申請。  

下面的圖表說明了已經實施的或快將實施的更改。

過去現在或不久的未來好處
申請表只需提供申請人的名稱和地址。除了其名稱和位址, 申請人需要在申請表中注明所屬的國家和州份（對於美國）。這有助於在官方記錄確定商標申請人或擁有人的原居地和註冊地位。
嚴格要求在先商標的擁有人簽署的同意書正本。現在，同意書的掃描件或影本已可滿足並解決基於在先前商標的相對拒絕理由。這節省了申請人等待來自國外郵寄的同意書正本的時間以及在先商標擁有人郵寄原件的需要，特別是在新冠肺炎限制期間。
支持巴黎公約優先權要求所需經認證的優先權檔（在第一個申請國簽發的申請摘要）。除非註冊處特別要求外，免除提交核證優先權檔的需要。這為申請人節省了安排申請簽發經認證優先權檔的時間和費用。
商標註冊處將保留申請人較早的並具有不同的位址和以前的位址註冊商標，並以該商標提出相對拒絕後期提交商標申請的理由，除非申請人在登記冊中所有相關商標申請地址更改。現在，當由於位址差異而被引用為相對拒絕的在先商標時，申請人不需要為自己的在先註冊商標（帶有不同的位址）記錄位址更改。申請人或其代理人可以簡單地以書面形式通知註冊處，申請人與所引用商標的所有者是同一實體（以檔證明為准）。這為申請人節省了為其舊商標記錄作出更改的費用。
所有反對表格和檔必須列印，簽名並在商標註冊處提交。現在可以通過註冊處線上門戶網站提交反對通知書和延期反對申請。這樣可以節省反對人或其代理人在辦公時間內到註冊處辦公室提交反對檔的需要。
除非一方選擇提交書面陳述, 所有在商標註冊處舉行的均親自進行。聆訊可以通過紙面、口頭或視訊會議或其他電子方式進行。這應對了過去一年的新冠肺炎社會距離要求。
以不使用為由尋求撤銷協力廠商註冊商標的申請人通常必須通過聘請私人調查員進行市場情報來提供不使用的初步證據。在不久的將來，尋求撤銷協力廠商註冊商標的申請人在提交不使用撤銷申請時, 將沒有義務提供不使用的初步證據。 證明商標的實際使用是擁有人的責任，以捍衛其不使用申述。這節省了申請人進行撤銷申請前, 通過聘請私人調查員的費用和時間，而該費用可能是相當昂貴的。

商標註冊處仍在制定《2021年商標（修訂）規則》。 我們將密切留意商標註冊制度的更新，並向您提供有關資訊。

2021年2月26 日

There Is A Caveat to The Will – What are the Next Steps?

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What can be done if there are disputes over the validity of a will or the administrator of the estate? Provided that the ‘Grant of representation’ has not yet been issued by the Hong Kong Probate Registry, which would indicate that it has already validated the will, a concerned party may enter a ‘Caveat’. This will ensure that the “Caveator’, that is the person who lodges the caveat, will be informed if any application is made for the issue of a grant of representation.

While the existence of a caveat may indicate there are genuine concerns in a probate or administration process and therefore a sign of potential disputes, the effect of entering a caveat is not necessarily contentious in itself. Nevertheless, caveat proceedings do start when a caveat is lodged with the Probate Registry against an estate of a Deceased. The Probate Registry only process non-contentious applications for grant. If the application has become “contentious”, the contention must be resolved first. In theory, the entering of a caveat can be contentious, and the caveat must be dealt with first before the application can be processed further.

A caveat is a notice preventing a grant of representation being issued by the Registry without notice to the caveator. Some of the common reasons to enter a caveat are:-

•    To allow more time for the caveator to make enquiries, obtain further information or evidence to:

o    Oppose proof of a will
o    Challenge the validity of a will
o    Oppose the issue of the grant of representation to the person entitled
o    Ascertain entitlement where there is no will (the deceased died intestate)

•    To act as a preliminary step to a probate action, or to citation (for more information, see our article on citations)
•    To be a first step in an application by people who have equal entitlement to the grant of representation

Once entered, a caveat remains in force for 6 months from the date of entry and then automatically ceases to have effect, unless withdrawn or removed prior to such date. There is no limitation to the number of further caveats and extensions that can be made. 

How to Handle a Caveat?

Issuing of any grant of representation shall not be allowed if the Probate Registry has knowledge of an effective caveat. Where an effective caveat is in place, the applicant for grant of the relevant estate would be asked by the Registrar to deal with the caveat. This can sometimes come as a surprise to grant applicants as they may not have been previously aware of the caveat.

Depending on the circumstances, there are various ways of handling an estate with a caveat. In any event, given the many potential contentious issues that may arise and the sensitive nature of probate or administration in general, legal advice should be sought and the matter should always be handled with care.

A caveat can only be removed:-

•    By withdrawal of the caveat by the caveator giving notice at the Probate Registry, as long as an appearance to a warning has not been entered
•    By the non-appearance of a caveator to the warning to caveator
•    By an order of the High Court that the caveat does cease to have effect and a grant of representation be issued
•    By the expiration of 6 months form the date of entry or effective extension

It may be worrying to discover that a caveat has been lodge, but it is not unusual to find occasions where the caveat process is misused and caveats are simply lodged to stall for time, or even where parties have no grounds to contest a will or the administration of an estate. Where there is no valid reason to lodge a caveat, there could be costs consequences for the caveator. 

Whether you discovered a caveat or you are thinking of entering one, it should be reminded that caveat proceedings are by nature contentious and can well be the start of a litigation. Any step taken after the commencement of a caveat proceedings could cause legal consequences, including costs. It is therefore recommended that you seek independent legal advice before taking any step in dealing with a caveat.

If you have any questions regarding the above or would like to obtain further information on our probate and estate planning services, please feel free to contact our Probate and Estate Planning team.  

This article is for information purposes only. Its contents do not constitute legal advice and readers should not regard this article as a substitute for detailed advice in individual instances.

February 2021