The Trade Marks Rules and Act have been recently amended and have come into force on the 1st of January 2006. The following concerns the main amendments that are the most likely to interest you. An application for registration will be treated as withdrawn if the applicant fails to respond to the Registrar's queries or […]
News
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 […]
Diplomatic Conference On Revised Trademark Treaty To Be Held In Singapore
From March 13 to 31, 2006, Singapore will hold the Diplomatic Conference for the Adoption of a Revised Trademark Law Treaty, which will be organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The TLT has currently 33 member countries. About 650 top intellectual property policy makers and government experts from about 180 countries, branded goods industry […]
Singapore - Nike International Ltd v. Campomar SL (2006) SGCA 2
A recent Singapore Court of Appeal decision on what constitutes trade mark "use" Campomar, a Spanish company, was the proprietor of the trade mark NIKE in Class 3 with respect to perfumes. Campomar's NIKE had been registered since 30 December 1989 with the registration taking effect from 2 April 1986. On 21 January 2002, US […]
Overview of the Amendments to the Singapore Patents Act, the Patents Rules in Conjunction with PCT Regulation Changes at the International Level
Singapore, having deposited its instrument of accession to the Patent Co-operation Treaty with WIPO on 23 November 1994, will witness some radical changes to its patent laws come 1 April 2007. As with the last major revision to the Act in July 2004, the 1 April 2007 amendments are of considerable epic proportions, challenging some […]
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 Gets Serious With Online Music Piracy, even for non-profit
In a new development the Courts in Singapore have for the first time imposed a custodial sentence on individuals for distributing music online in breach of the Copyright Act. Under the Singapore Copyright Act there is a separate section dealing with non-profit making offences, which carry a maximum sentence of up to five years imprisonment […]
Singapore on Top 10 List , Thanks to Successful Enforcement
Singapore was ranked ninth among the top 10 best-performing countries in addressing counterfeiting and piracy in a survey conducted by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The next and only Asian country ahead of Singapore, ranking fifth, on the 29-country list was Japan. In a separate list of 53 countries, observing the most serious […]
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 […]