In Regents of the University of California (the ‘Appellant’) vs Controller of Patents and Designs (the ‘Respondent’) [C.A.(COMM.IPD-PAT) 481/2022], the Delhi High Court upheld the rejection of a patent application for genetically modified salmonella vaccine due to insufficient disclosure and overly broad claims, non-patentable subject matter, and failure to deposit recombinant microorganism as required under […]
The microRNA discovery: Singapore and Philippine patent applications
With the selection of the 2025 Nobel Prize laureate(s) in Physiology or Medicine (NPPM) now in the evaluation phase, it is worth revisiting 2024’s winners and ruminating the impact their discovery has had on patent applications filed in Singapore and the Philippines. The 2024 NPPM was jointly awarded to scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun […]
EP patent validation in Laos
Following the Validation Agreement signed between the Laos Department of Intellectual Property (‘DIP’) and the European Patent Office (‘EPO’), European patent holders can now extend their patent protection to Laos without the need for a separate national application, effective 1 April 2025. This makes Laos the sixth country worldwide, and the second in Southeast Asia […]
Exploring the New Patent Playbook: Establishing a prima facie case before the issuance of a Notice for Pre-Grant Oppositions
Introduction In India Patent Application No. 202417006578, the Assistant Controller of Patents & Designs, issued an order in the context of a Pre-grant Opposition (‘PGO’) against Pharmazz Inc.’s said patent application. This decision is particularly notable as it represents the first application of a new rule requiring the establishment of a prima facie case before […]
Key Cases That Have Shaped IP Protection in Malaysia’s Fashion Industry
Several notable cases in Malaysia have significantly influenced the protection of intellectual property within the country’s fashion industry. Trade Mark In 2019, the High Court of Kuala Lumpur (“Court”) saw a heated trademark battle between fashion powerhouse 30 Maple Sdn Bhd (‘Plaintiff”) and individual seller Siti Safiyyah binti Mohd Firdaus Chew (“Defendant’). At the heart […]
Singapore – Expansion of IPOS’ Collaborative Search and Examination (CS&E) Programme with Indonesia
In addition to the existing CS&E programme with IP Viet Nam, IPOS has expanded its CS&E programme with the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP), Indonesia to expedite the prosecution process for parties who have an interest to pursue patent applications in both countries. This pilot programme was introduced on 2 January 2025 for 2 […]
India- Court clarifies the criteria of “Technical Contribution” in relation to computer-related inventions
The Delhi High Court has offered important insights into the understanding of Section 3(k) of the Indian Patents Act ,1970 (the “Act”) in its decision, Blackberry Limited v. Controller of Patents and Designs [C.A.(COMM.IPD-PAT) 318/2022]Top of Form. The Court has established a significant precedent and has clarified the scope of “technical effects” in relation to computer-related inventions (‘CRIs’). […]
India- Permissibility of filing a divisional application on the date of grant of the parent application?
In BASF SE v. Controller of Patents and Designs ((T)CMA(PT) No.38 of 2024), the Madras High Court quashed the order passed by the Controller of Patents and Designs refusing to grant the patent application in respect of a Divisional Application on the ground that the said divisional application was filed after the grant of patent […]
IPOS-MyIPO PPH Pilot Program
Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) is a work-sharing program that accelerates the examination of a patent application in a country’s patent office (the Office of Later Examination, or OLE) by relying on the search and examination results from another country’s patent office (the Office of Earlier Examination, or OEE). On 18th January 2025, the Intellectual Property […]
Thailand Expands the Scope of the ‘Target Patent Fast-Track’ Programme to cover “Green Innovation”
Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) has taken a significant step toward promoting environmentally sustainable innovation by expanding the ‘Target Patent Fast-Track’ Programme for Invention and Petty Patent Applications (hereinafter “Application” or “application”) to include “Green Innovation”. Originally launched on 8th December 2023, the programme initially focused on ‘Medical Sciences & Public Health’ and ‘Future […]