The Phở Thìn Trademark Battle in Vietnam: Lessons for Businesses

By Linh Nguyen PHỞ THÌN is an extremely familiar brand with Hanoian food lovers, especially those who love Phở – a traditional Vietnamese dish. Two well-known places where customers can enjoy the top-class PHỞ THÌN are on two different streets in Hanoi – Dinh Tien Hoang street and Lo Duc street. Despite the two restaurants […]

On The Path To The Hague Agreement

By Wipaphat S. Trossel In compliance with established commitments in the ASEAN IPR Action Plan 2016-2025, Thailand is on its way to joining the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. Prior to entering the Agreement, the Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand (DIP) had organised public hearings of the Draft Amendments to […]

Destination Branding: How IP Can Boost Tourism

By Wipaphat S. Trossel For many countries, tourism is a catalyst for social development. At the start of 2020, the economic growth of these countries was hard-hit by travel restrictions affecting not only the tourism industry, but also all commercial activities connected to it. As a perennial tourist favourite, Thailand was naturally affected as well. […]

[Vietnam Update] Landscape of Industrial Property Registrations in 2021

By Linh Nguyen 2022 is coming to an end, with the year bringing many developments in Vietnam. As Vietnam recovers from a challenging 2021 due to the impact of COVID-19, let’s take a look at how the country’s Intellectual Property (IP) landscape was affected in 2021. Key Takeaways Patent Growth – Patent filings rose by […]

Taking The Lid Off Biolife, Spuntino and Ciotolla

By Jamieson McKinnon Dart Industries Inc & Anor v CMN International Sdn Bhd & Ors – Civil Suit No.: WA-22IP-16-04/2017 consolidated with WA-22IP-17-04/2017 Key Takeaways Design Infringement Confirmed – The Malaysian High Court found that CMN International and its affiliates infringed the 1st Plaintiff’s registered industrial designs. Imitation Was Obvious – Side-by-side comparison revealed close […]

Trademark Opposition: Daimler AG v Vivo Case

By Lauren Bennardo Knowing when to raise an opposition or if your trademark is considered similar to another mark can be a difficult task. Owners are encouraged to assess the total impression of the mark, particularly from a consumer perspective. This was demonstrated in the recent case of Daimler AG v Vivo Mobile Communication Co […]

Utility Solutions in Vietnam: An Alternative Route to Patent Protection

By Linh Nguyen Numerous resources – time, money and effort – are invested when creating an invention, in the hopes of getting a successful patent and thereafter using it as springboard for further innovation and growth. But when your patent application is rejected because the invention is found to lack the inventive step criteria upon […]

Wonton Tussle: Who is the Real Owner Post-Mortem?

Eng’s Char Siew Wantan Mee Pte. Ltd. v Pauline New Ping Ping: A Lesson on Trademark Ownership in Business Partnerships By Danush Sinnan Eng’s Char Siew Wantan Mee Pte. Ltd. v Pauline New Ping Ping [2022] SGIPOS 10 Awareness of the ownership of trademarks is important, especially if relationships between business partners sour or if […]

Trademark Protection – A Long Way To Go?

By Ngan Pham Your trademark has been granted a trademark registration certificate after two years of effortful prosecution – is this the happy ending you’ve been waiting for? Congratulations, but NOT yet.