Reading Time: 7 minutesCopyright refers to the bundle of rights that is granted by the Copyright Act[1] in respect of original works and other subject-matter for limited periods of time and subject to certain permitted exceptions.[2] So what does copyright protect, and do you need a lawyer to register your Copyright? Copyright can be used to protect works […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesOn 1 April 2019, Singapore’s Geographical Indications Rules 2019 will come into operation. The Rules, implementing the Geographical Indications Act 2014, create a new Registry of Geographical Indications administered by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) to enable producers of wines and spirits and of selected categories of agricultural products and foodstuffs, as well […]
Reading Time: 8 minutesIn a decision rendered by Singapore’s Court of Appeal, the highest court in Singapore clarified the position for joint ownership in contested patents. (A) Who are the parties involved in this case? (a) Cicada Cube Pte Ltd (“Appellant”, also referred to as Cicada) Cicada is a Singapore-incorporated software engineering company and is the registered proprietor of the […]
Reading Time: 8 minutesIntellectual property (IP) can be an extremely valuable asset to your business – in fact, for some, it is the main asset driving their businesses. This is because owners of IP can exercise their rights to exclude competitors from using their IP or to exploit their IP commercially. While many businesses might be familiar with […]
Reading Time: 7 minutes(A) DPA in Singapore? In a 16 January 2018 Business Times article, it was reported that Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam announced that there is a possibility of Deferred Prosecution Agreements (“DPAs”) being offered in Singapore to corporations if they abide by specific requirements. Mr Shanmugam said at the Modernising Criminal Justice: […]
Reading Time: 10 minutesIn a decision rendered by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”), it was held that the “BRENT” and “BRENT INDEX” trade marks registered by Intercontinental Exchange Holdings, Inc. is to be declared invalid as Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. successfully pleads all grounds of invalidity in their application. (A) Who are the parties involved in […]
Reading Time: 3 minutesBeats Electronics, LLC lost its opposition in Singapore against the registration of LG’s mark for “QuadBeat” applied for in Class 9 for various goods, including “Audio Receivers; Headphones; Earphones; Headphones with microphone function; Headsets”. In the opposition, Beats Electronics, LLC relied on nine of its registered trademarks, including the word “BEATS” for a range of […]
Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the most significant developments in the spectrum of intellectual property rights in Myanmar is the enactment of the Trademark Law (“TL”). The TL though enacted on 30 January 2019 has not yet entered into force pending the issuance of a Notification by the President of Myanmar. Newsletters related to the TL that were […]
Reading Time: 8 minutesIn a decision rendered by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”), it was held that Monster Energy Company had failed in its opposition against NBA Properties Inc. Whilst the energy drink company has spent more than US$2.2 million in marking and promotional activities in Singapore, it has also launched multiple strikes against various different […]
Reading Time: 8 minutesBrand owners with trademarks in English or another home country language who have strong business interests in Southeast Asia often wonder whether they should also protect their brands in local languages within targeted markets. One key factor in considering whether to file trademarks in multiple languages is typically cost. That said, sometimes it is better […]
Reading Time: 10 minutesIn a decision rendered by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”), it was held that United U-Li Projects Pte Ltd’s application for invalidation succeeded on two out of four grounds pleaded in their case whilst cross-invalidation by Tan Buck Hai was previously dismissed. (A) Who are the parties involved in this case? (a) United […]
Reading Time: 4 minutesWith globalization, more and more small to medium sized companies (“SMEs”) in developing companies have proven to be worthy opponents to the larger, more established MNCs (“multi-national corporations”). How so? With the spirit of entrepreneurship, these SMEs are now producing similar goods and services at much lower costs than those offered by the MNCs. From […]
