INTRODUCTION The Singapore Court of Appeal’s judgment in Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc v Drug Houses of Australia Pte Ltd [2019] SGCA 31 heralds momentous change in the pharmaceutical sector for brand drug owners seeking to enforce patents against generic competitors. The Court reversed an interlocutory decision of the High Court that made it difficult for brand […]
Publications
Singapore: Request for an extension of time to file a notice of opposition against a Geographical Indication (“GI”) - Showing good and sufficient reason
Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano v U.S. Dairy Export Council [2019] SGIPOS 12 Summary of Facts Consorzio Del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano (“the Applicant”) applied to register the geographical indication (“GI”) “Parmigiano Reggiano” (“the GI Application”). The GI Application was accepted and published for opposition purposes on May 10, 2019. The deadline to file a notice […]
New Ministerial Regulations in Indonesia
The Ministry of Law and Human Rights (“MOLHR”) ratified the MOLHR Regulation No. 38 of 2018 concerning Applications for Patents (“Regulations”) on 28 December 2018. These Regulations were issued to clarify the provisions of the Patents Law No. 13 of 2016, in particular, Articles 29, 32, 33 (3), 42, 43 (3), 56 and 61 (5). […]
Singapore Intellectual Property Week 2019
The Singapore Intellectual Property Week 2019 (“IP Week 2019”) was recently held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre and jointly presented by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) and IPOS International. Graced by the Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Chan Chun Sing, this annual event is quickly becoming a […]
New IPOS Entity to Drive Business Growth in Intellectual Property
The launch of IPOS International is the latest initiative by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) to drive business growth in the field of intellectual property (IP) in this country. IPOS International has been set up combining IPOS’ enterprise engagement arm, patent examination unit, and IP training arm to function in an advisory capacity […]
Myanmar: New Patent Law
Myanmar’s Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Law No. 7/2019 (“Patent Law”) was approved on 11 March 2019; implementation is still pending. It follows the Trademark and Industrial Design Laws which were approved on 30 January 2019. Under the old patent registration system, Myanmar has no intellectual property laws or legal framework for filing and prosecuting patent applications. The […]
Champagne Awarded GI Status in Cambodia
A geographical indication (“GI”) is a sign that identifies a product as originating from a specific venue or location and has given characteristics and qualities that are unique to its location or origin. Champagne - a sparkling wine made from grapes grown in the French region of the same name, is one of France’s most […]
SINGAPORE: New Intellectual Property Bill Heralds Significant Reform to IP Landscape
Legislative amendments bringing broad-ranging reform to the intellectual property (IP) regime in Singapore were tabled before lawmakers in early July 2019, following public consultations in July 2017 and August 2018. At present, IP disputes are heard in multiple fora including the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), the Singapore State Courts, or the High Court […]
Highlights of Changes to the Malaysian Trade Marks Act
We are excited to share with you the highlights of the changes to the Malaysian Trade Marks Act (“Amended TMA”) which is currently tabled for its third and final reading before the Malaysian Parliament when it sits in October 2019. The salient features of the Amended TMA are as follows: 1. Accession to the Madrid […]
Singapore – Post-grant Patent Amendments Refused in Hitachi Case
In a recently decided case, Singapore Shipping Association and Association of Singapore Marine Industries v Hitachi, Ltd. and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. [2019] SGIPOS 5, the Registrar of Patents of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) refused post-grant amendments to the claims of Singapore Patent No. 159788 under Section 83(1) of the Patents Act, […]