This decision serves as a reminder that when opposing a trademark on bad faith, opponents and their lawyers should remain disciplined in crafting pleadings and submissions. Swatch opposed the registration of the word mark “THINK DIFFERENT” (application mark), which Apple applied for on September 12, 2018, in Class 9, alleging that Apple applied for the […]
Tag: Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
Singapore Patent – Obviousness of Error
A recent decision of the High Court of Singapore has set a precedent for correcting data included in a specification of an application for a patent. In an appeal case between Nippon Shinyaku Co, Ltd and the Registrar of Patents, the High Court has reversed the decision of the Registrar rejecting a proposed correction to […]
Singapore: Importance of the use of a registered mark in a revocation action
In Singapore, a registered trademark may be susceptible to cancellation if it has not been used within five years from completion of registration, or if such use has been suspended for a continuous period of five years or more. The following case is a reminder. Comfort Lab Inc., also known as Kabushiki Kaisha Comfort Lab […]
SINGAPORE: Examiner Rejects “PARTY LIKE GATSBY” Mark for Lack of Distinctiveness
Slogans are useful tools in brand advertisements. However, as they often consist of ordinary words and phrases which are laudatory in nature, slogans generally do not meet the distinctiveness requirement for purposes of trademark registration in the absence of evidence of use. The following recent case reminds us of this. Arangur UG (haftungsbeschrankt) (applicant) applied […]
Singapore: Dispute over trademark rights to famous “Eng’s” noodle shop decided in favour of late founder’s heirs
A June 2022 decision by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) provided a first instance ruling for a trademark dispute pertaining to the name of a famous noodle shop in Singapore. The IPOS adjudicator ruled that the late noodle shop operator’s children had a right to register trademarks pertaining to the name of their […]
SINGAPORE: Founding Family Keep Trademark Rights to ENG’S Famous Noodle Shop
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore decided in June 2022 that a deceased noodle shop operator’s children can register trademarks relating to their late father’s shop, in the face of opposition from their father’s former business partner. Ng Ba Eng operated a noodle business from 1962 until his death in 2013. In the 1980s, Ng […]
Singapore Patent Office Accepts International Applications filed in Chinese
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”), in its capacity as a receiving Office, International Search Authority (“ISA”), and International Preliminary Examination Authority (“IPEA”) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, accepts international applications filed in the Chinese language. The Patents Rules in Singapore were amended on 1 January 2017 to allow Chinese as a language for […]
SINGAPORE: Use It or Lose It
A recent decision by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore issued on September 22, 2021, shed light on the use of a registered trademark, as well as the ways in which a trademark owner can depend on its consent to a separate third party’s use of its trademark to prove genuine use. Unilever PLC (the […]
Singapore-registered design subsidiary amendments
Published by the Intellectual Property of Singapore (IPOS) on September 10, 2021, amendments have been made on the Registered Designs Rules (“RD Rules”) and the Registered Designs (International Registration) Rules (“RD(IR) Rules”), which took effect from October 1, 2021. A summary of several key amendments is highlighted below Electronic online system IPOS has always advocated […]
IPOS Extended Its Patent Acceleration Initiatives under ASPEC AIM Programme and PPH Programme with China
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has recently extended its two pilot patent acceleration programmes such as the ASPEC Acceleration for Industry 4.0 Infrastructure and Manufacturing Pilot (ASPEC AIM) Programme until 26 August 2023, and the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) agreement with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) until 31 August 2026, in […]