Swiss Company Vetements Group AG (the “Applicant”) sought to invalidate the following mark which had been registered in Singapore by a Chinese Company, Xiamen Vetements Brand Management Co., Ltd (the “Registered Proprietor”) for clothing in Class 25. While the Registered Proprietor filed its response to the invalidation application, it did not file its supporting evidence in […]
Tag: Intellectual Property Office of Singapore
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 […]
Fair Isaac Corporation v. LAC Co., Ltd [2022] SGIPOS 19
What happens when a later trademark incorporates an earlier one, especially when many other trademarks on the register incorporate the earlier trademark? This decision explores the applicable principles surrounding trademark oppositions involving such facts. The applicant, a major international cybersecurity corporation, sought to register the application mark . The opponent, whose goods and services included […]
Swatch AG v. Apple Inc.
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 […]
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 […]