The decision by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) in Carolina Herrera, Ltd v. Lacoste ([2014] SGIPOS 3 (Feb. 20, 2014)) shows that the Registry may not be exceedingly enthusiastic about allowing a trademark proprietor to claim exclusive rights over a common element in a family or series of marks by virtue of the […]
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Singapore: Landmark Decision on Determining Statutory Damages
In Converse Inc. v. Ramesh Ramchandani et al., Converse had elected to request an award of statutory damages after an interlocutory judgment had found Mr. Ramchandani liable for infringing Converse’s high-cut Chuck Taylor All Star canvas shoes. Accordingly, the High Court of Singapore was given the unfamiliar task of assessing the amount of statutory damages […]
Indonesia – Foreign Beverage Manufacturer Prevails!
Multi Access Limited (“Multi Access”) recently succeeded in their claim to cancel the trademark registrations of a local entrepreneur, Dhalim Soekodanu (“Dhalim”), on the ground of bad faith, pursuant to Trademark Law No. 15 of 2001, Article 4. Multi Access is the owner of numerous trademark registrations for “王老吉” which is pronounced as WONG LO […]
Philippines - Amendments to Annual Fee Due Dates for Divisional Patent Applications
In the early part of 2014, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) issued Memorandum Circular Nos. 14-002 and 14-003 amending the reckoning date of the annual fee due dates for divisional applications (filed via direct route or PCT) to achieve a uniform procedure in the payment of annual fees for patent applications. The […]
ASEAN - Comparison of Design Practices
Design laws vary by country. Some countries classify designs as patents and some have separate "registered design" or “industrial design” systems. In some countries, designs of products must be whole products in order to be registrable and not parts of products. Some countries allow protection of only part or parts of the product but the […]
Singapore - Patents as Collateral for Companies
Patents were first used as collateral to secure financing by Thomas Edison in the late 1880s. Edison used his patent for the incandescent electric light bulb as collateral to secure financing to start his company, the General Electric Company. Since Edison’s use of his patents as collateral, intellectual property has been used as collateral in […]
Philippines – Building Facade Not Registrable as Trademark
In 2009, Fun Ranch Mega Development, Inc. (Fun Ranch) filed several trademark applications for a Facade of a Building for use on children’s entertainment and amusement center. The applications were rejected by the Examiner on the ground that the mark may not be registered because it does not function as a trademark and is not […]
Increase in Official Fees for Patents in India
The Government of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) has published the Patent (Amendment) Rules, 2014 on 28 February 2014. The amendments are effective from the date of publication. The salient aspects of the amended rules include: Applicant: Introduction of a third category of applicant for patent in the […]
The Margins of Discretion in Singapore
The recent decision by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) between V Hotel and Jelco Properties concerning an Application for Restoration of Trademark Application and Request for Extension of Time (EOT), shows that IPOS continues to take a stringent position with regard to procedural defaults such as an attorney’s delay in responding to IPOS […]
Enforcement Powers in Philippines
Pursuant to the recent amendments of the Philippines Intellectual Property Code (Republic Act No. 8293), the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (“IPOPHL”) issued Office Order No. 13-170 which provides the rules and regulations for the exercise of its enforcement functions and visitorial powers. An Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Office (“IPREC”) was established to receive […]