News and current topics from various practice areas and industries

The Supreme Court recently handed down a decision in a case concerning screens for iPhones imported into Norway by a mobile repair shop operator. The screens, which were not manufactured by Apple, had originally been branded with the Apple logo, but the logos were covered with marker. The question was whether the screens infringed Apple’s trademark rights.

On Friday, June 12 2020, by royal decree, the areas “Utsira Nord” and “Sørlige Nordsjø II” were opened for offshore renewables, including offshore wind power. This means it will be possible to submit license applications for offshore wind power projects. At the same time the King also adopted a regulation which supplements the Ocean Energy Act and clarifies the licensing process.

Norway is introducing new rules on customs seizures of goods that infringe IP rights. The new rules are likely to take effect from January 2021 and are more aligned with the comparable EU rules than the current Norwegian regulations. Nonetheless, Norway will not become part of the EU-wide system for submitting and handling applications for border seizures. Rights holders that have already filed an application for customs seizures in the European Union pursuant to the EU Customs Regulation (608/2013) will still have to file a new application for customs seizures in Norway pursuant to the Norwegian Customs Act.

Based on the research conducted during the past year involving the legal assignments, work experience and client recommendations of the leading law firms and lawyers in countries across the region, The Legal 500 has announced the EMEA 2020 rankings. Hjort is honored to be once again highly-ranked in our specialized practice areas. We are also extremely proud of the lawyers in our firm that have achieved individual rankings within their areas of expertise.

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted businesses across the globe. To prevent the same economic crisis from 2008, the Norwegian government has implemented a number of measures to assist businesses during this time of financial uncertainty.

Advokatfirmaet Hjort is a member of the Ius Laboris network, a global alliance of leading employment, labour and pension law firms. Working together with our network we have created a Guide for International Employers to assist employers in keeping their employees safe and protect their business as much as possible.

On April 2, 2020, the government outlined the details for the compensation scheme which will cover a share of the unavoidable overhead costs for companies with decrease in turnover as a result of the corona pandemic. Companies should assess whether they are eligible to receive compensation under the scheme and prepare the application process.

The Easter holiday is approaching and many employers and employees have questions regarding the holiday from work during this corona pandemic. How is holiday allowance affected for companies with employees that have been temporarily laid off? Is an employee entitled to change or delay a holiday request that has already been approved because of quarantine or travel restrictions? When should an employee receive their holiday pay?

On 31 March 2020, the Norwegian Parliament approved new measures to counteract the effects of the corona pandemic on the Norwegian economy. The package includes large allocations to existing and new subsidy schemes for businesses. In this article, we summarize the most important news for businesses.