Indonesia today faces major challenges in respect counterfeiting and infringement, as it is a widespread problem here affecting every area of industry from drugs to electronic products and from CDs to garments. As an example, in the pharmaceutical industry, around 20-30% of the drugs sold in Indonesia are thought to be counterfeit. The Indonesian government […]
Singapore Copyright Charges awaits 2 Ringtone Retailers
Based on charges of copyright infringement, 2 local music companies, Mojeu and Interactive Voice Systems, in the business of ringtone and MP3 retailing have been slammed to court for the first time. In an effort to curb Compass' (Composers and Authors Society of Singapore) so-called "rampant violation of the music industry's intellectual property rights", it […]
Singapore courts reject "Mc" "Mac" monopoly by McDonalds
A U.S. based fast food giant, McDonald's Corp has failed in a series of legal battles to stop a Singaporean company, Future Enterprises Pte Ltd ("FE") from using the marks "Mc" and "Mac" in their products. The Singapore Court of Appeal in the case of McDonald's Corp v Future Enterprises Pte Ltd [2005] 1 SLR […]
The Protection Of Kanji Characters In Malaysia – The Yomeishu Saga
Background The proprietors of Kanji character trade marks in Malaysia can take comfort from a decision of the Malaysian Court of Appeal which upheld the decision of the High Court where it was held that the wide usage of the phonetic sound of the combination of the Kanji characters in question among the local Chinese […]
Caterpillar Inc successfully protects its "CAT" Trade Mark in Singapore
In the recent Singapore High Court decision of Caterpillar Inc v Ong Eng Peng (formerly trading as Catplus International) [2006] SGHC 58, Caterpillar Inc, a US incorporated company sued the defendant who had formerly traded as business known as Catplus International. The plaintiff alleged that the defendant's use of the CATPLUS marks in respect of […]
Criminal Charges for Copyright Infringement in Singapore
The criminalization of copyright infringement in Singapore has claimed its first victim in an interior design firm. The company PDM International was charged with using 51 pieces of illegal Microsoft, Adobe and Autodesk software worth an estimated S$ 50,000. The amendments to the Copyright Act in January 2005 made copyright infringement for a commercial advantage […]
Restaurant Owner Successfully Enforces Undertaking In Breach Of Confidence Suit In Singapore
A breach of confidential information suit by a restaurant chain in Singapore resulted in a settlement agreement being entered, the breach of which then precipitated a suit that was then settled by both parties by a consent judgment being entered into. The suit in question was initially brought two years ago by O.B. Singapore Operations, […]
Singapore Intellectual Property Laws - a Maturing Jurisprudential Landscape
PATENT Patent holder prevails in patent infringement suit: Trek Technology (Singapore) Pte Ltd v FE Global Electronics Pte Ltd and Others [1] On 16 April 2002, Trek was granted a Singapore patent for a portable USB enabled computer data storage device. Trek's product is sold under Trek's registered trademark "ThumbDrive". Trek's patent has also been […]
"Corrupted Creativity" – Landmark Singapore Decision against Trademark Copycat
Introduction The dramatic growth of electronic healthcare products in Singapore over the past 5 years created a fertile ground for copycat companies to spring up and wage guerilla warfare against established companies (and IP owners) for market share. The recent Singapore High Court decision of OTO Bodycare Pte Ltd v Hiew Keat Foong [2005] SGHC […]
'Mc' belongs to McDonald’s – McDonald’s wins damages in Malaysia
As a result of a five-year legal tussle between the U.S. Burger chain, McDonald's Corp. (Plaintiff) and McCurry Restaurant (KL) Sdn Bhd (Defendant), the Malaysian High Court has ruled that "Mc" is the exclusive right and trade mark of fast food giant McDonald's Corporation. In the statement of claim filed on June 6, 2001, McDonald's […]