According to the Financial Times, “cross-border research projects in Europe could be set for billions of euros in tax breaks under proposals that will be considered by European Union ministers in coming weeks. As part of a broader plan to step up EU investment in research, Brussels is proposing to create a group of schemes called “European research infrastructure” (ERI) projects. These would need to involve at least two member states, have legitimate research objectives, and be “non-economic” in nature. The plan is that ERIs would enjoy automatic exemption from value-added tax: rates typically range between 15 and 25 per cent. This would stop part of the research investment being diverted into domestic tax coffers, and reduce the scope for competitive bidding between member states.”
Yahoo!Tech reveals that “Google has disabled user uploads and comments on the Korean version of its YouTube video portal in reaction to a new law that requires the real name of a contributor be listed along each contribution they make. The rules, part of a Cyber Defamation Law, came into effect on April 1 for all sites with over 100,000 unique visitors per day. It requires that users provide their real name and national ID card number. In response to the requirements Google has stopped users from uploading via its Korean portal rather than start a new registration system.”
The New York Times has an interesting article which, in the context of the French DADVSI law, discusses whether “online scofflaws” should be denied “web access.”
The New York Times also has a good piece explaining how “byzantine and increasingly restrictive visa and immigration rules” are impairing the ability of US companies to hire global top talent.
At the same time, as the Seattle Times reports, U.S. companies have applied this year for only “a fraction of the total number of so-called H-1B visas that employers — mostly in the technology industry — have sought in each of the past few years, due in part to the economic crisis and growing animosity toward holders of such visas.”