Local institutions: Regulation and valuation of forest use—Evidence from Central Sulawesi,Indonesia

Forest management poses particular challenges as the pressure on forests is huge due to deforestation. In this context, the establishment of protected areas is a common conservation measure where institutions are put in place and sanctions regarding forest use are enforced. This paper focuses on the practice of sustainable forest management and the associated perspectives of local institutions at the rainforest margins of Lore Lindu National Park (LLNP) in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.     

Entangled decisions: Knowledge interdependencies and terminations of patented inventions in the pharmaceutical industry

Research Summary : This study explores the role of knowledge interdependencies on the termination of patented inventions. Termination refers to the abandonment of inventive efforts that are no longer deemed promising. We argue that high interdependencies between an inventive effort and the other inventions in the same research program will increase the cognitive burden on managers and decrease the likelihood of termination. Further, in the presence of interdependencies, managers are likely to rely on heuristics for termination decisions. We focus on two such heuristics: interdependencies of an invention with those in other research programs and the level of external competition in the research program. We test our hypotheses with longitudinal data on patent terminations through non‐payment of renewal fees in the pharmaceutical industry. Managerial Summary : Effective management of innovation portfolios requires termination of opportunities that are no longer promising. Most current tools on termination assume that opportunities to be evaluated are independent from one another. This assumption may limit their usefulness in increasingly complex research domains, such as pharmaceutical R&D. In this study, we investigate how interdependencies among inventions influence firms' tendency to terminate those inventions. Our results on patent terminations show that a patent that is more interdependent with other patents in the same research program is less likely to be terminated. This suggests that managers may have difficulty in evaluating the inherent value of interdependent opportunities. This result is stronger when the patent is less interdependent with those in other research programs or in a more competitive area.     

The effects of lower mobile termination rates in South Africa

The effects of a 90% reduction in mobile termination rates (MTRs) are evaluated over the period between 2009 and 2017 in South Africa. Prepaid prices and quality-adjusted postpaid prices declined by over 40%. However, only approximately 30% of the decline in prepaid prices and 60% of the reduction in quality-adjusted postpaid prices can be explained by lower MTR costs. On-net and off-net prepaid prices converged as MTR costs dropped. Regulators concerned about high retail prices and differences between on-net and off-net prices should reduce MTRs.     

The use of rented farmland in an area of intensive agricultural production in Norway

The amount of rented farmland in Norway has increased steadily since the 1950s. Concerns have been raised questioning whether farmland is treated less well by tenants compared to landowners. This study aims to investigate how farmers perceive their treatment of rented farmland, which factors impact their decision-making related to this and if farmers are concerned about farmland elements that are less important for productivity but mainly of interest for cultural heritage or environmental management reasons. Semi-structured interviews with a group of randomly selected farmers were carried out in an area dominated by intensive agriculture. Independent of, for example, amount of rented land or duration of the rental agreement, all farmers agreed that rented land was treated well. A strong competition for farmland in combination with farmers being dependent on renting land was the most important reason. Results from this study may be transferrable to other farming areas, at least where competition for farmland is comparable. We do suggest, however, that any further research on treatment of rented farmland in Norway should take a regional approach, since national statistics may cover significant regional differences.     

论破产约定条款的效力认定规则

破产约定条款的效力认定是当事人意思自治与破产法目标实现之间矛盾关系的冲突点。破产解除条款与《民法典》第580条第2款中的违约方解除合同规则具有功能上的一致性，为避免合同僵局，尊重当事人意思自治，原则上应认定有效，只有管理人确认继续履行合同符合程序条件和实质标准时，才否定其效力。而破产变更条款会实质性阻碍破产法目标的实现，原则上应认定无效，只有在符合概括式豁免规则时，才认定有效。概括式豁免规则可参考英国破产法中的公允对价理论、瑕疵资产理论或善意的商业安排理论等设计。以破产解除条款与破产变更条款为一般模式，明晰破产约定条款的效力认定规则，是优化营商环境、推进“办理破产”便利化的有效举措。     

Non‐competes,business dynamism,and concentration: Evidence from a Florida case study

Most research on non‐competes has focused on employees; here we study how non‐competes affect firm location choice, growth, and consequent regional concentration, using Florida's 1996 legislative change that eased restrictions on their enforcement. Difference‐in‐differences models show that following the change, establishments of large firms were more likely to enter Florida; they also created a greater proportion of jobs and increased their share of employment in the state. Entrepreneurs or establishments of small firms, in contrast, were less likely to enter Florida following the law change; they also created a smaller proportion of new jobs and decreased their share of employment. Consistent with these location and job creation dynamics, regional business concentration increased following the law change in Florida. Nationwide cross‐sections demonstrate consistent correlations between state‐level non‐compete enforcement and the location, employment, and concentration dynamics illustrated in Florida.     

The River agreement in Italy. Resilient planning for the co-evolution of communities and landscapes

According to the “evolutionary” approach (Davoudi & Al., 2012), urban resilience implies that urban systems have capacity to react to several external disturbances - economic, social, environmental - regarding all components of urban governance and transforming itself in a new development model.River basins are considered an interesting space for experimental workshop on resilience, as a driver of territorial policy, for ordinary communities and landscapes, where the relationship between the sustainable use of territorial resources could led to new territorial strategies, as well as “promote managements synergies” at different levels of regional and local planning.River Agreements (RA) appear as an innovative governance method which can help in the drafting of potential plans and practices for the development of resilience in fluvial territories. It is a form of negotiated planning, that helps to involve social actors in order to: improve people’s knowledge of current territorial conditions and the effects of human activities; increase social awareness; include society in the identification and implementation of solutions; to encourage innovative changes in planning objectives and urban and architectural design, starting with the legal and planning framework of an Action Plan. Starting from the ‘80 s, RA were experimentally tested in Belgium and France and currently widespread also in Italy. In Piedmont Region (Italy), it is recognized as a successful territorial governance tool used to define shared strategies, measures, rules and projects. We will present the case study of the Sangone River Agreement as the first participate planning and design experience in Piedmont signed by local actors.     

国际投资协议中国民待遇原则与清单管理模式的比较研究及对中国的启示

本文从国际投资协定中国民待遇的基本内涵出发,围绕国民待遇适用标准及与之相配合使用的清单管理模式,比较研究准入前国民待遇和准入后国民待遇,以及正面清单、负面清单和混合清单3种清单管理模式的具体内容、特点与实践情况,重点结合当前国际投资协定中国民待遇与清单管理的两种主要组合模式——"欧洲模式"和"北美范本",深入探讨"准入前国民待遇+负面清单"模式在中国的具体适用问题。     

关于建立我国企业境外投资保护制度的思考

随着“走出去”战略的实施,越来越多有比较竞争优势的国内企业将会到境外进行投资。我国境外投资企业的增多、投资规模的增加迫切需要建立我国境外投资保护制度。目前我国境外投资保护制度基本还处于空白状态:没有境外投资法,境外投资保险制度覆盖面窄,支持力度小,投资保护协定签订工作滞后。为了促进和保护我国境外投资的发展,我国应加快境外投资立法、完善境外投资保险制度和加强投资保护协定签订工作。     

加入WTO对东北地区粮食产业发展的影响及对策

加入WTO ,给我国很多产业带来跳跃性发展的机遇 ,但对粮食产业而言 ,挑战远远大于机遇 ;东北地区作为我国粮食生产的主产区和集散地 ,其今后的发展影响着东亚甚至世界粮食贸易格局的形成 ,也决定了能否为我国的粮食安全提供有效的保障。