As was aptly summarized in the Green Paper entitled “Deliberate Online Falsehoods: Challenges and Implications" published by the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information and the Ministry of Law, around the world falsehoods are being deliberately spread online, to attack public institutions and individuals, with the aim of sowing discord amongst racial and religious communities, […]
Publications
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 […]
Improvements in the India IP Scene
The US Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center (“GIPC”) has recently released its 2018 Intellectual Property Index (“IPI”) in February 2019. India has improved on its previous 2017 position of 44 in 2017 and now ranks at number 36 out of 50 countries. Countries are ranked annually by the GIPC based on their trademark, […]
SINGAPORE: Guess? Inc.’s Inverted Triangle Found to Be More Dissimilar Than Similar to Applicant’s Mark
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore issued its decision on February 27, 2019, rejecting Guess? Inc.’s (opponent) opposition to a triangle device mark, holding that it is more dissimilar than similar to the opponent’s earlier marks and that it would not cause confusion. Guess? Inc. v. Jen, Chi, [2019] SGIPOS 3. The opponent’s brand was […]
Singapore: Sunseap Group Pte Ltd & 2 Ors v Sun Electric Pte Ltd
In Sunseap Group Pte Ltd v Sun Electric Pte Ltd [2019] SGCA 4 (“Sunseap v Sun Electric”), the Court of Appeal, on 10 January 2019, in overturning the decision of the High Court, held that the High Court has original jurisdiction to hear patent revocation proceedings where such proceedings were brought by way of a […]
SINGAPORE: Decision Finds Jewelry Mark Containing ‘Love’ Is Distinctive
In a decision handed down on December 20, 2018, in MoneyMax Jewellery Pte. Ltd v. Cartier International AG, [2018] SGIPOS 22, the opponent, Cartier International AG, unsuccessfully opposed the registration of a mark by the applicant, MoneyMax Jewellery. The opponent initiated trademark opposition proceedings at the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) on July 28, […]
Apple Secures “IWATCH” Trademark Registration in Singapore
On 24 January 2019, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) delivered its written judgement dismissing an opposition filed by Swatch AG (“SWATCH”) for the registration of the mark “IWATCH” filed by Apple Inc. (“Apple”). Swatch based its opposition on the grounds that “IWATCH” was confusingly similar to its earlier marks, “SWATCH” and “ ”, […]
The Patent Landscape for Autonomous Vehicles in Singapore
Self-driving or Autonomous Vehicles (“AV”) are set to be a reality, and no longer the stuff of science fiction. In Singapore, pilot trials are ongoing at the one-north district, a business park located in Queenstown, an area recognized for innovation, with the likes of Exploit Technologies (the commercialisation arm of the government body Agency for […]
Well Known Trademark Pierre Cardin Loses Final Battle in Indonesia Court
The long running dispute between Pierre Cardin (“Plaintiff”) and Alexander Satryo Wibowo (“Defendant”) finally reached its conclusion on 28 June 2018 (Supreme Court Decision No. 49 PK/Pdt.Sus-HKI/2018). The Plaintiff filed for a cancellation action against the Defendant for the registered trademarks PIERRE CARDIN wordmark and PIERRE CARDIN device in class 3. The grounds were (1) […]
A Testament of Singapore's FinTech Fast Track (FTFT) Initiative
The first patent using the FinTech Fast Track Initiative (“FTFT”) was recently granted by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) to Voyager Innovations Inc., a Philippines-based company that focuses on the delivery and development of digital technology services. The FTFT is a program designed to assist Financial Technology (“FinTech”) enterprises within the region to […]