一、 以合同的生效日作為計算基準日 合同的生效日期在合同中非常重要，合同有效期一般都是以合同生效日作為基準日。合同中約定的當事人的權(quán)利義務享有或承擔的起始日期都是以合同的生效日作為計算基準日。 如： The BUYER shall make an advance payment of
一、 以合同的生效日作為計算基準日
合同的生效日期在合同中非常重要，合同有效期一般都是以合同生效日作為基準日。合同中約定的當事人的權(quán)利義務享有或承擔的起始日期都是以合同的生效日作為計算基準日。
如：
The BUYER shall make an advance payment of twenty million US Dollars ($2,000,000.00) to the SELLER within fifteen (15) days after the EFFECTIVE DATE of this PURCHASE and SALES CONTRACT.
買方在采購合同生效之日起15個工作日內(nèi)向賣方支付200萬美元的預付款。
再如：The CONTRACTOR shall complete WORK within six (6) months after the EFFECTIVE DATE of this DESIGN CONTRACT.
承包商自本設計合同生效之日起六個月內(nèi)完成工作。
本合同的有效期從合同生效日起算共_____年。
The Contract shall be valid for a period of ____ years from the Date of Effectiveness of the Contract.
如：This AGREEMENT shall commence on 7th, November 2007(“EFFECTIVE DATE”) and shall maintain in full force and effect for three(3) years after the EFFECTIVE DATE。
本合同自2007年11月7日生效，有效期為三年。
為避免爭議，一般在草擬合同時直接在合同中約定生效日，這種約定主要有以下幾種表達方式：
例1 在定義部分，就“生效日”進行定義，如：
EFFECTIVE DATE means the date on which the CONTRACT, after it is signed, be approved by the Ministry of Commerce of the People?s Republic of China.
本合同生效日是中華人民共和國商務部批準之日。
例2 在合同中單列一個生效和有效期條款，比如：
This AGREEMENT shall commence with effect from 2nd October 2005(“EFFFECTIVE DATE”) and shall continue until 2nd October 2010 unless terminated earlier in accordance with its terms and conditions.
本合同自2005年10月2日起生效，除非根據(jù)本合同約定條款終止，有效期至2010年10月2日。
二、 在所附條件成立時為合同生效基準日
合同生效除了以具體的日期表述外，還可以約定以某個事件的發(fā)生或不發(fā)生作為其生效起點，相當于附條件，只有在所附條件成立時合同才生效，比如在一個中外合資合同中：
The AGREEMENT shall take affect upon the approval from the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
本協(xié)議自中國商務部批準之日起生效。
再如： The AGREEMENT shall be deemed to have come into effect on the date when Italy has passed the LAW to cooperate with China concerning SERVICES.
當意大利方面依據(jù)法律批準了與中國的該服務時，本協(xié)議視為生效。
如合同自簽字之日起經(jīng)過六個月仍不能生效，則雙方有權(quán)取消本合同。
If the Contract cannot come into force within 6 (six) months after the date of signing the Contract, both parties shall have the right to cancel the Contract.
This AGREEMENT shall take effect from the EFFECTIVE DATE provided that if the EEFFECITVE DATE has not occurred by 30 November 2000, this AGREEMENT shall (unless the PARTIES agree otherwise) automatically terminate and each of the PARTIES hereto shall be released from any further obligations hereunder。
本協(xié)議生效日期為2000年11月30日，但如果屆時未能生效，除非各方另有約定，本協(xié)議自動解除，各方互不承擔責任。
采購協(xié)議的生效視另一個事件是否發(fā)生。為避免合同簽訂后其效力處于不確定的狀態(tài)拖得太長，可在合同中約定，在某種條件下，合同永不生效，比如：
This AGREEMENT shall never take effect provided that PARTY B cannot get the approval from the competent authority within thirty (30) days after the signature of this AGREEMENT.
合同簽訂后30日內(nèi)乙方?jīng)]有獲得自己政府批準，則本協(xié)議自動解除。
三、關于合同有效期的持續(xù)期間
合同有效期的約定方式比較固定，通常為：
1）從生效日到某個具體日期；
（2）一個固定期間；（
3）一方可以通過通知隨時終止。
例1明確約定一個具體日期。
This AGREEMENT shall become effective as of 1 May, 2004 and remain valid until 31st, December 2007.
本協(xié)議有效期從2004年五月1日至2007年12月31日。
本合同自生效之日起_______年有效，有效期滿后合同將自動失效。
The Contract shall be in force for 5 years from the effective date of the Contract. After the expiration f its term of validity, the contract shall automatically become null and void.
The term of this PATENT LICENSE AGREEMENT shall be from the EFFECTIVE DATE to the full end of the term or terms for which PATENT RIGHTS have not expired or, if only TECHNOLOGY RIGHTS are licensed and no PATENT RIGHTS are applicable, for a term of 15 years
本專利許可協(xié)議有效期從生效日起至專利權(quán)有效期內(nèi)的期間，為期15年，只要技術(shù)權(quán)利得到許可，而且該技術(shù)權(quán)利不涉及專利權(quán)問題。
.以專利的有效期結(jié)束作為合同有效期最后一日。 在合同中約定一個固定期間，作為合同有效期。如：
The AGREEMENT shall remain in effect for a period of five (5) years from the EFFECTIVE DATE, unless earlier terminated under the provisions hereunder.
本協(xié)議從生效之日起有效期為5年，除非依據(jù)本協(xié)議另有約定提前解除。
在一個勘探開發(fā)合同中：
The term of the CONTRACT shall include an exploration period, a development period and a production period:
本合同有效期包括勘探期、開發(fā)期和生產(chǎn)期：
The exploration period, beginning on COMMENCEMENT DATE, shall be divided into two (2) phases and shall consist of five (5) consecutive CALENDAR YEARS, unless otherwise required.
開發(fā)期從起始日連續(xù)5年，分為兩個階段，除非另有約定：
The two (2) phases shall be as follows: 兩個階段為：
a) the first phase of three (3) CALENDAR YEARS (the first CALENDAR YEAR through the third CALENDAR YEAR) for core testing;
第一階段為期三年（第一年至第三年），為核心測試階段。
b) the second phase of two (2) CALENDAR YEARS (the fourth CALENDAR YEARS through the fifth CALENDAR YEARS ) for PILOT DEVELOPMENT.
第二階段為兩年（第四年至第五年），為實驗開發(fā)階段。
一方通知對方隨時終止合同的約定：
This AGREEMENT shall take effect as of the date first above written and shall maintain in full force and effect until earlier termination by PARTY A in accordance with the terms and conditions herein.
本協(xié)議于上述日期生效，在甲方依據(jù)本協(xié)議約定通知提前終止之前，應一直保持效力。
PARTY A shall have the right to terminate this AGREEMENT at any time in its own discretion by serving a notice to PARTY B.
甲方有權(quán)在任何時候向乙方發(fā)出通知終止本協(xié)議。
This AGREEMENT shall come into effect on ［the date of execution］, and shall continue in force until terminated by either PARTY giving to the other not less than days notice expiring on［termination date］.
本協(xié)議應于日起生效，應一直有效至任何一方提前至少日通知另一方終止協(xié)議，在此情形下，協(xié)議應于［終止日期］終止。
以下是一條典型的期限條款，其中對于終止日期提供了多種選擇：
This AGREEMENT shall ［come］［be deemed to have come］ into effect on ［insert date］［the date of execution］, and, unless terminated earlier in accordance with clause X, shall continue in force until
本協(xié)議應［或者應視為］于［插入日期］起生效，除非按照本協(xié)議第X條提前終止，否則應一直有效直至
［Option I: fixed date］insert date. ［選擇一：固定日期］插入日期
［Option II: expiry of notice on a fixed date or subsequent anniversary］
［選擇二：需提前通知終止，且終止日期為合同簽署后某一個特別約定的日期］
terminated by either PARTY giving to the other not less than ? ［years’/months’/days’］notice expiring on ［insert earliest termination date］［or the same day in any subsequent year］.
任何一方提前［X年/月/日］通知另一方終止協(xié)議，在此情形下，協(xié)議應于［插入最早的終止日期］［或此后每周年的同一日期］終止。
［Option III: expiry of notice given at any time］［選擇三：可于任何時候通知終止］
terminated by either PARTY giving to the other not less than ? ［years’/months’/days’］notice, which may expire at any time.
任何一方提前［X年/月/日］通知另一方終止協(xié)議，在此情形下，協(xié)議可于通知的任何時間終止。
［Option IV: minimum period and thereafter subject to termination at any time］
terminated by either PARTY giving to the other not less than ? ［years’/months’/days’］notice expiring at any time after ［insert date giving minimum period］.
［選擇四：規(guī)定一段最短的有效期限，在該期限屆滿之后，可于任何時候通知終止］
在［插入最短的有效期限］后，任何一方提前［X年/月/日］通知另一方終止協(xié)議，在此情形下，協(xié)議可于通知的任何時間終止。
再如：
This AGREEMENT shall take effect on the date first above written and shall maintain in full force and effect for 3 years subject to an automatic extension of a maximum of 3 years.
有效期三年，但如果義務尚未履行完畢，則可以自動延長不超過三年的期限。
The duration of the AGREEMENT shall be 1 (one) year effective from the date of signing by both PARTIES and may be automatically extended for an additional period of 3 months upon mutual agreement of the PARTIES.
本協(xié)議有效期從簽署之日起為一年，期滿如各方皆同意，自動續(xù)期三年。
This AGREEEMENT shall have effect for an initial period of five (5) years commencing on and from the date of this AGREEMENT and thereafter for an unlimited number of subsequent periods of five (5) years, each of which shall commence on and from the day immediately following the conclusion of the immediately preceding five (5) year period, until terminated in accordance with the provisions hereunder.
本協(xié)議從為期5年的第一階段起，隨后不限制次數(shù)的連續(xù)的每次為期5年的階段，每個階段緊接前一個階段，直到依據(jù)本協(xié)議約定終止。
這實際上并未直接約定合同的有效期，因為可以無限延期，有效期并不確定，只能依靠簽約方的通知終止。
四、 合同有效期結(jié)束后未盡事項的約定
由于合同終止，合同雙方的權(quán)利義務自然終止，但是否意味著合同雙方對對方不再承擔任何的責任，合同終止，合同所有條款的效力是否全部失效。 為了避免出現(xiàn)這樣的爭議，在草擬合同時，最好在合同中加上下面這兩個標準條款，以專利許可協(xié)議為例：
No termination of this AGREEMENT or the license granted hereunder shall relieve LICENSEE of any obligation or liability accrued hereunder prior to such termination.
合同終止前產(chǎn)生的義務和責任并不因此而終止。
The obligations of the PARTIES under this Clause 5 of CONFIDENTIALITY shall survive the expiry or the termination of this AGREEMENT for whatever reason.
合同終止，但保密義務仍然繼續(xù)。
不過，如果這種義務是約束自己的客戶，則最好約定一個合同終止后的保密最高時限，比如：
The obligations of the PARTIES under this Clause 5 of CONFIDENTIALITY shall survive the expiry or the termination of this AGREEMENT by three years for whatever reason.
因此，保密義務在合同終止后三年內(nèi)繼續(xù)存在，但三年后該義務解除。
