SINGAPORE: Owner of ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ GI Wins Litigation over Parmesan Translation

Fonterra (the appellant) filed a request with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) to qualify the scope of protection of the geographical indication (GI) “Parmigiano Reggiano,” arguing that the word “Parmesan” was not a translation of “Parmigiano Reggiano.” Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano (the respondent), owner of the GI “Parmigiano Reggiano,” successfully challenged the […]

Singapore: “Champengwine” application denied due to the grounds of bad faith

“CHAMPAGNE,” in connection to wines, is a geographical indication that it is produced through certain local requirements and is grown from specific regions in France. Keep Waddling International Pte. Ltd (the applicant) and its related companies have been using the trademark “PENGWINE” as their house-mark for their wines originating from Chile since April 2004. These […]

SINGAPORE: Court Rules ‘Tartan’ Is Not a Geographical Indication

Scotch Whisky Association (the appellant) is an association protecting the interests of leading distillers, blenders, and exporters of the Scotch Whisky trade worldwide. Isetan Mitsukoshi Ltd (the respondent) is a Japanese department store selling a variety of products, including alcoholic beverages. The respondent applied for “Isetan Tartan” (the mark) in Singapore in Class 33 for […]

SINGAPORE’S GI REGISTRY – NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL

To comply with its obligations under the recently approved European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (“EUSFTA”), Singapore has established a new Registry of Geographical Indications (“GI Registry”). The GI Registry commences operations with effect from 01 April 2019. A significant development is that GI protection will now be extended to agricultural products and foodstuffs such as […]