Singapore is a multi-racial and a multi-cultural country that demands variety in all aspects of its marketplace. Recently, news of the imminent departure of bubble tea franchise Gong Cha from Singapore has directed attention towards a new beverage brand, LiHo, started by a former franchisee of Gong Cha. While some Singaporeans are looking forward to […]
Mandatory Recordal of IP License Agreements in Indonesia
The Ministry of Law and Human Rights (MoLHR) of Indonesia recently issued regulations outlining the procedure for recordal of IP license agreements in Indonesia. It should be noted that while the regulations were recently issued, the law requiring recordal of license agreements has been in place since 2000 (industrial designs), 2001 (trademarks and patents) and […]
A brief update on compulsory licensing and infectious diseases in ASEAN
Compulsory licensing has been a point of great dispute, with opinions torn between the rights of patent owners and accessibility to lifesaving, affordable drugs to the general public. The high cost of patent-protected pharmaceuticals and the inherent prevalence of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and avian influenza are fueling demand for generic drugs and […]
Bird Flu: Vietnam reaches an agreement with Roche
Since 2003, 42 people have died from bird flu in Vietnam. The scientists fear that the highly virulent H5N1 strain could mutate into a form, which can be transmitted from infected birds to humans and between humans, sparking a pandemic. The WHO has warned that 8.2 million Vietnamese could be infected by bird flu and […]